Sakaria 8

1 Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio.

And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying,

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

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, I am jealous for Zion with a great jealousy, and with great fury am I jealous for her.

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 hath said the Lord, I return unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called, The city of truth; and the mount of the Lord of hosts, The holy mount.

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

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Again shall there sit old men and old women in the streets of Jerusalem, and every one with his staff in his hand because of their multitude of years.

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

And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in her streets.

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

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, If it should be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes? saith the Lord of hosts.

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

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the country of the setting of the sun;

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

And I will bring them [back], that they may dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be unto me for a people, and I will be unto them for 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 hath said the Lord of hosts, Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words out of the mouth of the prophets, who [spoke] on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, when the temple was to be 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 there was no reward for man, nor any reward for beast; and for him that went out or came in there was no peace, because of the oppressor: and I let loose all men, every one against his neighbor.

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

But now I am no more as in the former days unto the residue of this people, saith the Lord of hosts.

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.

For the seed shall be undisturbed; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give her production, and the heavens shall give their dew: and I will bestow on the remnant of this people all these things.

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, that, in the same degree as ye have been a curse among the nations, O house of Judah, and house of Israel, so will I save you and ye shall be a blessing: fear not; let your hands be strong.

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 hath said the Lord of hosts, As I had purposed to do you evil, when your fathers incensed me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I bethought myself not:

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

So do I again purpose in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear ye not.

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

These are the things that ye shall do, Speak ye the truth every man to his neighbor; [with] truth and the judgment of peace judge ye 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 think evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love not a false oath, for all these are what I hate, saith the Lord.

18 Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio.

And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto 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 hath said the Lord of hosts, The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth [month], shall become to the house of Judah gladness and joy, and merry festivals: only love ye the truth and peace.

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

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, [A time] shall yet be! when there shall come people, 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 one [city] shall go to another, saying, Let us only go to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I too will likewise go.

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

And many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before 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 hath said the Lord of hosts, In those days [it shall happen], that ten men out of all the languages of the nations shall take hold—yea, they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, Let us go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.