< Zechariah 7 >
1 And it came to pass, in the fourth year of Darius the king, that the word of Yahweh came unto Zechariah, on the fourth of the ninth month, in Chisleu;
Ɔhene Dario adedi mfe anan so no, Awurade asɛm baa Sakaria nkyɛn ɔsram a ɛto so akron a wɔfrɛ no Kislev no da ɛto so anan no mu.
2 yea when Bethel sent Sherezer and Regemmelech, and his men, —to pacify the face of Yahweh:
Na Bet-Elfo asoma Sareser ne Regem-Melek ne wɔn mmarima sɛ wɔnkɔsrɛ Awurade.
3 to speak unto the priests that pertained to the house of Yahweh of hosts, and unto the prophets, saying, —Shall I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
Wɔmfa asɔfo a wɔwɔ Asafo Awurade fi ne adiyifo so mmisa se, “Menkɔ so ntwa adwo, nni mmuada wɔ ɔsram a ɛto so anum no mu, sɛnea mayɛ no mfe bebree a atwa mu no ana?”
4 Then came the word of Yahweh of hosts unto me, saying:
Afei Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
5 Speak thou unto all the people of the land, and unto the priests, saying, —When ye fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh, even these seventy years, did ye, really fast, unto, me?
“Bisa asase no so nnipa nyinaa ne asɔfo no se, ‘Mfe aduɔson a atwam no, sɛ mudii mmuada na mutwaa adwo wɔ asram anum ne ason so no, na ɛyɛ ampa sɛ me nti na mudi mmuada no ana?
6 And, when ye used to eat and when ye used to drink, was it not, of your own accord, ye did eat, and, of your own accord, ye did drink?
Bere a mudidi na monom no, na ɛnyɛ mo ara na moyɛ de gye mo ani ana?
7 Should ye not [have been doing] the things which Yahweh, had proclaimed, by the hand of the former prophets, while yet Jerusalem was inhabited and in peace, with her cities round about her, —and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?
Ɛnyɛ saa nsɛm yi ara na Awurade faa kan adiyifo so paee mu kae, wɔ bere a Yerusalem ne nkurow a atwa ne ho ahyia no wɔ asomdwoe ne nkɔso no, bere a na nnipa akɔtena Negeb ne atɔe fam nkoko no so ana?’”
8 And the word of Yahweh came unto Zechariah, saying:
Na Awurade asɛm baa Sakaria nkyɛn bio:
9 Thus, spake Yahweh of hosts, saying, —With true justice, give ye judgment, and, lovingkindness and compassions, observe ye, one with another;
“Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se, ‘Mummu atɛn a ɛyɛ nokware na munnya ahummɔbɔ ne ayamhyehye mma mo ho mo ho.
10 And, the widow and the fatherless, the sojourner and the humbled, do not ye oppress, —and, wickedness between one man and another, do not ye devise in your hearts.
Monnhyɛ akunafo, ayisaa, ahɔho ne ahiafo so. Monnnwene bɔne mo koma mu mma mo ho mo ho.’
11 Howbeit they refused to give heed, but put forth a rebellious shoulder, —and, their ears, made they hard of hearing, that they might not hear;
“Nanso wɔantie; wɔde asoɔden dan wɔn akyi na wosisiw wɔn aso.
12 and, their heart, turned they into adamant, that they might not hear the law, nor the words which Yahweh of hosts sent by his spirit, through the former prophets, —and so there came great wrath from Yahweh of hosts.
Wɔyɛɛ wɔn koma den sɛ ɔtwɛrebo, na wɔantie mmara anaa nsɛm a Asafo Awurade nam ne Honhom so de somaa kan adiyifo no. Ɛno nti, Asafo Awurade bo fuw yiye.
13 Therefore came it to pass that—just as he cried out and they hearkened not, so, used they to cry out, and I used not to hearken, saith Yahweh of hosts;
“‘Mefrɛe no, wɔannye me so, enti wɔfrɛ a merennye wɔn so,’ sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.
14 But I whirled them over all the nations whom they had not known, and, the land, was made desolate after them, that none passed through and returned, —Yea they made of a delightful land—a desolation.
‘Mede mfɛtɛ bɔɔ wɔn petee aman nyinaa so ma wɔkɔyɛɛ ahɔho wɔ hɔ. Asase a wogyaw no daa mpan a obiara ntwa mu wɔ hɔ. Sɛɛ na wɔyɛ maa asase fɛfɛɛfɛ no sɛee.’”