Sakaria 7

1 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.

And it happened, in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Kislev.

2 Na Bet-Elfo asoma Sareser ne Regem-Melek ne wɔn mmarima sɛ wɔnkɔsrɛ Awurade.

And Sharezer and Regemmelech, and the men who were with them, sent to the house of God, to entreat the face of the Lord,

3 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?”

to speak to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and to the prophets, saying: “Must there be weeping with me in the fifth month, and must I sanctify myself, as I have now done for many years?”

4 Afei Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,

And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying:

5 “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?

Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying: Although you may have fasted and mourned in the fifth and the seventh month for these seventy years, did you indeed keep a fast unto me?

6 Bere a mudidi na monom no, na ɛnyɛ mo ara na moyɛ de gye mo ani ana?

And when you did eat and drink, did you not eat for yourselves, and drink only for yourselves?

7 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?’”

Are not these the words that the Lord has spoken by the hand of the former prophets, when Jerusalem was still inhabited, so that it would prosper, itself and the cities around it, and those inhabitants towards the South and in the plains?

8 Na Awurade asɛm baa Sakaria nkyɛn bio:

And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying:

9 “Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se, ‘Mummu atɛn a ɛyɛ nokware na munnya ahummɔbɔ ne ayamhyehye mma mo ho mo ho.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: Judge with true judgment, and act with mercy and compassion, each and every one with his brother.

10 Monnhyɛ akunafo, ayisaa, ahɔho ne ahiafo so. Monnnwene bɔne mo koma mu mma mo ho mo ho.’

And do not find fault with the widow, and the orphan, and the newcomer, and the poor. And let not a man consider evil in his heart towards his brother.

11 “Nanso wɔantie; wɔde asoɔden dan wɔn akyi na wosisiw wɔn aso.

But they were not willing to pay attention, and they turned aside their shoulder to depart, and they pressed upon their ears, so that they would not hear.

12 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.

And they set their heart like the hardest stone, so that they would not hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts has sent with his Spirit by the hand of the former prophets. And so a great indignation came from Lord of hosts.

13 “‘Mefrɛe no, wɔannye me so, enti wɔfrɛ a merennye wɔn so,’ sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.

And it happened, just as he had spoken, and they did not pay attention. So then, they shall cry out, and I will not heed, says the Lord of hosts.

14 ‘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.’”

And I dispersed them throughout all the kingdoms that they did not know. And the land was left desolate behind them, so that no one was passing through or returning. And they made the desirable land into a deserted place.