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.

When King Darius had been ruler for four years, on the fourth day of Kislev (which was the ninth month), the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah.

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

The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek and their men to beg before the face of Yahweh.

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?”

They spoke to the priests who were at the house of Yahweh of hosts and to the prophets; they said, “Should I mourn in the fifth month by means of a fast, as I have done these many years?”

4 Afei Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,

So the word of Yahweh 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 and say, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, were you truly fasting for me?

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

When you ate and drank, did you not eat and drink 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?’”

Were these not the same words that Yahweh proclaimed by the mouth of the former prophets, when you still inhabited Jerusalem and the surrounding cities in prosperity and were settled in the Negev, and the foothills to the west?'”

8 Na Awurade asɛm baa Sakaria nkyɛn bio:

The word of Yahweh 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.

“Yahweh of hosts says this, 'Judge with true justice, covenant faithfulness, and mercy. Let each man do this for his brother.

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

About the widow and orphan, the foreigner, and the poor person—do not oppress them, and let none of you plot any harm against another in your heart.'

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

But they refused to pay attention and set their shoulders stubbornly. They stopped up their ears so 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.

They made their hearts as hard as rock so they would not hear the law or the words of Yahweh of hosts. He had sent these messages to the people by his Spirit in earlier times, by the mouth of the prophets. But the people refused to listen, so Yahweh of hosts was very angry with them.

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

It happened that when he called, they did not listen. In the same way,” said Yahweh of hosts, “they will call out to me, but I will not listen.

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.’”

For I will scatter them with a whirlwind to all the nations that they have not seen, and the land will be desolate after them. For no one will pass through the land or return to it since the people have made their delightful land into a wasteland.”