Zechariah 1
1 [I am] Zechariah, a prophet, the son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo. When Darius [had been the emperor of Persia] for almost two years, during November [of that year], Yahweh gave me this message:
Ɔbosome a ɛtɔ so nwɔtwe wɔ ɔhene Dario adedie afe a ɛtɔ so mmienu mu no, Awurade asɛm baa odiyifoɔ Sakaria a ɔyɛ Berekia babarima na ɔno nso yɛ Ido babarima nkyɛn sɛ:
2 “I was very angry with your ancestors.
“Awurade bo fuu mo tete agyanom.
3 So tell this to the people: [I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, say, ‘Return to me, and [if you do that], I will [help] you again.
Enti, ka kyerɛ nkurɔfoɔ no sɛ: Sei na Asafo Awurade seɛ: ‘Monsane mmra me nkyɛn, na mɛsane aba mo nkyɛn,’ deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.
4 Do not be like your ancestors. [Other] prophets, who have now died, [continually] proclaimed to your ancestors that they should stop doing the evil things that they were continually doing. But they refused to pay attention to what I said.
Monnyɛ sɛ mo tete agyanom, a adiyifoɔ a wɔdii ɛkan no pae mu ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Sei na Asafo Awurade seɛ: Monnane mfiri mo akwammɔne ne nneyɛeɛ bɔne ho,’ nanso wɔantie no na wɔanyɛ aso amma no.
5 Your ancestors [have died and are now in their graves] [RHQ]. And the prophets did not [RHQ] live forever, [either].
Mo tete agyanom wɔ he seesei? Na adiyifoɔ no, wɔte ase daa anaa?
6 But I punished [IDM] [the people for disobeying] the commands and the decrees which I commanded my servants the prophets [to tell to the people]. Then they (repented/turned away from their evil behavior) and said, ‘The Commander of the armies of angels has done to us what we deserved for our evil behavior, just like he said that he would do.’”
Na me nsɛm a menam mʼasomfoɔ adiyifoɔ so kaeɛ no, amma mo tete agyanom no so anaa? “Afei wɔnuu wɔn ho na wɔkaa sɛ, ‘Asafo Awurade ayɛ yɛn deɛ ɛfata yɛn akwan ne nneyɛeɛ, sɛdeɛ ɔyɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛyɛ no.’”
7 [Three months later], on February 15, Yahweh gave [another] message to me.
Na ɛda a ɛtɔ so aduonu ɛnan wɔ ɔbosome a ɛtɔ so dubaako a wɔfrɛ no Sebat, wɔ ɔhene Dario adedie afe a ɛtɔ so mmienu so no, Awurade asɛm baa odiyifoɔ Sakaria a ɔyɛ Ido babarima Berekia babarima no nkyɛn.
8 During the night [I had a vision. In the vision] I saw an [angel] who was on a red horse. He was in a narrow valley among some myrtle trees. Behind him were [angels on] red, brown, and white horses.
Anadwo no menyaa anisoadehunu, mehunuu ɔbarima bi a ɔte ɔpɔnkɔ kɔkɔɔ so wɔ mʼanim! Na ɔgyina ohwam nnua bi ntam wɔ bɔnhwa tiaa a emu dɔ mu. Na apɔnkɔ kɔkɔɔ, nnodoeɛ ne fitaa wɔ nʼakyi.
9 I asked the angel who had been talking to me, “Sir, who are those [angels on the horses]?” He replied, “I will show you who they are.”
Mebisaa sɛ, “Yeinom ase ne sɛn, me wura?” Ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔne me rekasa no buaa sɛ, “Mɛkyerɛ wo adekodeɛ a wɔyɛ.”
10 Then the [angel] who had been under the myrtle trees explained. [He said, ] “They are the [angels] whom Yahweh sent [to (patrol/see what is happening in)] the [entire] world.”
Enti, ɔbarima a ɔgyina ohwam nnua ntam mu no kyerɛɛ aseɛ sɛ, “Wɔyɛ wɔn a Awurade asoma wɔn sɛ wɔnkɔ ewiase afanan nyinaa no.”
11 Then those angels reported to the angel who was [there] among the myrtle trees, “We have traveled throughout the world, and we have found out that [the army of the emperor of Persia has conquered nations] throughout the world, [and that] those nations are now (helpless/unable to resist his army).”
Na wɔbɛka kyerɛɛ Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔgyina ohwam nnua no mu no sɛ, “Yɛakyin afa asase no so nyinaa, na yɛhunuu sɛ ewiase nyinaa wɔ ahomegyeɛ ne asomdwoeɛ.”
12 Then the angel asked, “Commander of the armies of angels, how long will you continue to not be merciful to Jerusalem and the [other] towns in Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years!”
Afei, Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ no kaa sɛ, “Asafo Awurade, ɛnkɔsi da bɛn na wobɛyi wʼahummɔborɔ afiri Yerusalem ne Yuda nkuro a wo bo afu wɔn mfirinhyia aduɔson yi so?”
13 [So] Yahweh spoke kindly to the angel who had talked to me, saying things that comforted/encouraged him.
Enti, Awurade kaa abodwosɛm ne awerɛkyekyesɛm kyerɛɛ ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔne me kasaeɛ no.
14 Then the angel who had been talking with me said to me, “Proclaim this [to the people of Jerusalem]: The Commander of the armies of angels says that he is very concerned about [the people who live on] Zion [Hill] and [in the other parts of] Jerusalem.
Afei ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔne me rekasa no kaa sɛ, “Pae mu ka saa asɛm yi: Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ: ‘Metwe Yerusalem ne Sion ho ninkunu yie,
15 But he is very angry with the nations that are [proud and feel] safe. He was only a little bit angry [with the people of Judah], but [he is very angry with the surrounding nations because] they caused [the people of Judah to experience] complete disaster.
nanso, me bo afu aman a wɔn aso mu adwo wɔn no. Na anka me bo mfu wɔn bebree, nanso wɔmaa Israel amanehunu no boroo so.’
16 Therefore, this is what he says: ‘I will again be merciful to [the people of] Jerusalem, and they will rebuild my temple. Men will measure [all the land in] the city [before they start rebuilding the houses].’
“Enti, deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: ‘Mɛsane abɛhunu Yerusalem mmɔbɔ, na ɛhɔ na wɔbɛsane asi me fie. Na wɔbɛtwe susu ahoma mu wɔ Yerusalem so,’ deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.
17 The Commander of the armies of angels [also] said this: ‘Tell the people that [the people in] my towns [in Judah] will soon be very prosperous again, and I will encourage [the people of] Jerusalem, and their city will again be my chosen [city].’”
“Kɔ so pae mu ka sɛ, sei na Asafo Awurade seɛ: ‘Nnepa bɛbu so wɔ me nkuro yi so bio, na Awurade bɛkyekye Sion werɛ bio, na wafa Yerusalem.’”
18 Then I looked up, and I saw in front of me four [animal] horns.
Afei, memaa mʼani so, na mehunuu mmɛn ɛnan!
19 I asked the angel who had been speaking to me, “What are those [horns]?” He replied, “Those horns [represent the armies that] forced [the people of] Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah and Israel to go [to other countries].”
Mebisaa ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔne me rekasa no sɛ, “Yeinom yɛ ɛdeɛn?” Ɔbuaa me sɛ, “Saa mmɛn yi na ɛbɔɔ Yuda, Israel ne Yerusalem peteeɛ no.”
20 Then Yahweh showed me four (craftsmen/men who make things from metal).
Na Awurade kyerɛɛ me adwumfoɔ ɛnan.
21 I asked, “What are those men coming to do?” He replied, “[The armies represented by] those horns caused [the people of] Judah to be scattered, with the result that they suffered greatly. But the craftsmen have come to cause those who attacked [IDM] Judah to be terrified and crushed.”
Mebisaa sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na yeinom rebɛyɛ?” Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Mmɛn ɛnan no bɔɔ Yuda petee a obiara antumi amma ne tiri so, nanso adwumfoɔ yi aba sɛ wɔrebɛhunahuna wɔn, na woatutu aman no mmɛn a wɔmemaa so tiaa Yudaman na wɔbɔɔ nnipa no peteeɛ no.”
