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:
Ɔsram a ɛto so awotwe wɔ ɔhene Dario adedi afe a ɛto so abien mu no, Awurade asɛm baa odiyifo Sakaria a ɔyɛ Berekia babarima na ɔno nso yɛ Ido babarima nkyɛn se:
2 “I was very angry with your ancestors.
“Awurade bo fuw 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 nkurɔfo no se: Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: ‘Monsan mmra me nkyɛn, na mɛsan aba mo nkyɛn,’ nea Asafo Awurade se ni.
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 adiyifo a wodii kan no pae mu ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, ‘Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: Monnan mfi mo akwammɔne ne nneyɛe bɔne ho,’ nanso wɔantie 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 mprempren? Na adiyifo no, wɔte ase daa ana?
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 mʼasomfo adiyifo so kae no, amma mo tete agyanom no so ana? “Afei wonuu wɔn ho na wɔkae se, ‘Asafo Awurade ayɛ yɛn nea ɛfata yɛn akwan ne nneyɛe, sɛnea ɔyɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛyɛ no.’”
7 [Three months later], on February 15, Yahweh gave [another] message to me.
Na da a ɛto so aduonu anan wɔ ɔsram a ɛto so dubaako a wɔfrɛ no Sebat, wɔ ɔhene Dario adedi afe a ɛto so abien so no, Awurade asɛm baa odiyifo 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 minyaa anisoadehu, mihuu ɔbarima bi a ɔte ɔpɔnkɔ kɔkɔɔ so wɔ mʼanim! Na ogyina ohuamnnua bi ntam wɔ obon a mu dɔ mu. Na apɔnkɔ kɔkɔɔ, nnodoe 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.”
Mibisae se, “Eyinom ase ne dɛn, me wura?” Ɔbɔfo a ɔne me rekasa no buae se, “Mɛkyerɛ wo dekode 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 ogyina ohuamnnua ntam no kyerɛɛ ase se, “Wɔyɛ wɔn a Awurade asoma wɔn sɛ wɔnkɔ wiase 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 bɔfo a ogyina ohuamnnua no mu no se, “Yɛakyin afa asase no so nyinaa, na yehuu sɛ wiase nyinaa wɔ ahomegye ne asomdwoe.”
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 bɔfo no kae se, “Asafo Awurade, enkosi da bɛn na wubeyi wʼahummɔbɔ afi Yerusalem ne Yuda nkurow a wo bo afuw wɔn mfirihyia aduɔson ni no so?”
13 [So] Yahweh spoke kindly to the angel who had talked to me, saying things that comforted/encouraged him.
Enti Awurade kaa akomatɔyamsɛm ne awerɛkyekyesɛm kyerɛɛ ɔbɔfo a ɔne me kasae 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 ɔbɔfo a ɔne me rekasa no kae se, “Pae mu ka saa asɛm yi: Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: ‘Metwe Yerusalem ne Sion ho ninkunu yiye,
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 afuw aman a wɔn aso mu adwo wɔn no. Na anka me bo mfuw 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 nea Awurade se ni: ‘Mɛsan abehu Yerusalem mmɔbɔ, na hɔ na wɔbɛsan asi me fi. Na wɔbɛtwe susuhama mu wɔ Yerusalem so,’ nea Asafo Awurade se ni.
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 se, sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: ‘Nnepa bebu so wɔ me nkurow 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 mihuu mmɛn anan!
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].”
Mibisaa ɔbɔfo a ɔne me rekasa no se, “Eyinom yɛ dɛn?” Obuaa me se, “Saa mmɛn yi na ɛbɔɔ Yuda, Israel ne Yerusalem petee no.”
20 Then Yahweh showed me four (craftsmen/men who make things from metal).
Na Awurade kyerɛɛ me adwumfo anan.
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.”
Mibisae se, “Dɛn na eyinom rebɛyɛ?” Obuae se, “Mmɛn anan no bɔɔ Yuda petee a obiara antumi amma ne ti so, nanso adwumfo yi aba sɛ wɔrebehunahuna wɔn, na watutu aman no mmɛn a wɔmemaa so tiaa Yudaman na wɔbɔɔ nnipa no petee no.”
