Sakaria 8

1 Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio.

And the word of the Lord Almighty came, saying,

2 Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: “Metwe Sion ho ninkunu pa ara; metwe ne ho ninkunu anibere so.”

Thus saith the Lord Almighty; I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Sion with great jealousy, and I have been jealous for her with great fury.

3 Nea Awurade se ni, “Mɛsan akɔ Sion na makɔtena Yerusalem. Afei wɔbɛfrɛ Yerusalem Nokware Kuropɔn, na Asafo Awurade bepɔw no, wɔbɛfrɛ no Bepɔw Kronkron.”

Thus saith the Lord; I will return to Sion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a true city, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty a holy mountain.

4 Nea Asafo Awurade se ni: “Nkwakoraa ne mmerewa bɛtenatena Yerusalem mmɔnten so bio a obiara kura pema, esiane onyin nti.

Thus saith the Lord Almighty; There shall yet dwell old men and old women in the streets of Jerusalem, every one holding his staff in his hand for age.

5 Na mmarimaa ne mmeawa a wɔredi agoru bɛhyɛ kuropɔn no mmɔnten so ma.”

And the broad places of the city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.

6 Nea Asafo Awurade se ni: “Nkae no de, ɛbɛyɛ wɔn nwonwa saa bere no, na me nso ɛbɛyɛ me nwonwa ana?”

Thus saith the Lord Almighty; If it shall be impossible in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, shall it also be impossible in my sight? saith the Lord Almighty.

7 Nea Asafo Awurade se ni: “Megye me nkurɔfo afi aman a ɛwɔ apuei ne atɔe no so.

Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Behold, I [will] save my people from the east country, and the west country;

8 Mede wɔn bɛsan aba abɛtena Yerusalem; wɔbɛyɛ me nkurɔfo, na mayɛ wɔn Nyankopɔn wɔ nokware ne trenee mu.”

and I will bring them in, and cause [them] to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a God, in truth and in righteousness.

9 Nea Asafo Awurade se ni: “Mo a afei na morete nsɛm a adiyifo no kae no; adiyifo a na wɔwɔ hɔ bere a wɔtoo Asafo Awurade fi fapem no, monhyɛ mo ho den, na moatumi asi asɔredan no.

Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Let your hands be strong, [ye that] hear in these days these words out of the mouth of the prophets, from the day that the house of the Lord Almighty was founded, and from the time that the temple was built.

10 Bere no nnya nsoe no, na wontua apaade mma nnipa anaa mmoa. Atamfo nti, na obiara ntumi nkɔ nʼadwuma so asomdwoe mu, efisɛ na mede mpaapaemu aba wɔn mu.

For before those days the wages of men could not be profitable, and there could be no hire of cattle, and there could be no peace by reason of the affliction to him that went out or to him that came in: for I would have let loose all men, every one against his neighbour.

11 Nanso afei de, merenyɛ nkae yi sɛnea meyɛɛ kan no,” sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.

But now I [will] not do to the remnant of this people according to the former days, saith the Lord Almighty.

12 “Aba no benyin yiye, bobe bɛsow nʼaba, asase no bɛbɔ nʼaduan na ɔsoro nso bɛtɔ ne bosu. Mede saa nneɛma yi nyinaa bɛma nkae yi sɛ wɔn agyapade.

But I will shew peace: the vine shall yield her fruit, and the land shall yield her produce, and the heaven shall give its dew: and I will give as an inheritance all these things to the remnant of my people.

13 Mo, Yuda ne Israel, moayɛ nnome wɔ aman no mu, nanso megye mo na moayɛ nhyira. Munnsuro, na monhyɛ mo ho den.”

And it shall come to pass, as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Juda, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: be of good courage, and strengthen your hands.

14 Nea Asafo Awurade se ni: “Sɛnea meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mede atoyerɛnkyɛm bɛba mo so, na mannya ahummɔbɔ bere a mo agyanom fuw me bo no,

For thus saith the Lord Almighty; As I took counsel to afflict you when your fathers provoked me, saith the Lord Almighty, and I repented not:

15 saa ara na afei mayɛ mʼadwene sɛ mɛyɛ Yerusalem ne Yuda yiye. Munnsuro.

so have I prepared and taken counsel in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Juda: be ye of good courage.

16 Nea ɛsɛ sɛ moyɛ ni: Munni mo ho mo ho nokware. Mummu atɛntrenee wɔ mo asennii;

These [are] the things which ye shall do; speak truth every one with his neighbour; judge truth and peaceable judgment in your gates:

17 mommmɔ pɔw bɔne ntia mo ho mo ho, na monnnɔ ntam hunu. Mikyi saa nneɛma yi nyinaa,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.

and let none of you devise evil in his heart against his neighbour; and love not a false oath: for all these things I hate, saith the Lord Almighty.

18 Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio.

And the word of the Lord Almighty came to me, saying,

19 Nea Asafo Awurade se ni: “Asram anan, anum, ason ne du mu mmuadadi no bɛyɛ anigye ne ahosɛpɛwmmere, na ɛbɛyɛ anigye afahyɛ ama Yuda. Enti monnɔ nokware ne asomdwoe.”

Thus saith the Lord Almighty, The fourth fast, and the fifth fast, and the seventh fast, and the tenth fast, shall be to the house of Juda for joy and gladness, and for good feasts; and ye shall rejoice; and love ye the truth and peace.

20 Nea Asafo Awurade se ni, “Nnipa bebree ne wɔn a wɔtete nkuropɔn bebree so bɛba ara,

Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Yet shall many peoples come, and the inhabitants of many cities;

21 na nnipa a wofi kuropɔn baako so bɛkɔ foforo so akɔka se, ‘Momma yɛnkɔ mprempren ara nkɔsrɛ Awurade na yɛnhwehwɛ Asafo Awurade. Me de, merekɔ.’

and the inhabitants of five cities shall come together to one city, saying, Let us go to make supplication to the Lord, and to seek the face of the Lord Almighty; I will go also.

22 Na nnipa bebree ne aman akɛse bɛba Yerusalem abɛhwehwɛ Asafo Awurade no, na wɔakotow asrɛ no.”

And many peoples and many nations shall come to seek earnestly the face of the Lord Almighty in Jerusalem, and to obtain favour of the Lord.

23 Nea Asafo Awurade se ni: “Nna no mu, nnipa du a wɔka kasa ahorow na wofi aman ahorow so bɛba abeso Yudani atade mmuano mu, na wɔbɛka se, ‘Wo ne yɛn nkɔ, efisɛ yɛate sɛ Onyankopɔn ka wo ho.’”

Thus saith the Lord Almighty; In those days [my word shall be fulfilled] if ten men of all the languages of the nations should take hold—even take hold of the hem of a Jew, saying, We will go with thee; for we have heard that God is with you.