Sakaria 7

1 Ɔhene Dario adedie mfeɛ ɛnan so no, Awurade asɛm baa Sakaria nkyɛn ɔbosome a ɛtɔ so nkron a wɔfrɛ no Kislew no ɛda ɛtɔ so ɛnan 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-Elfoɔ 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 asɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ Asafo Awurade fie ne adiyifoɔ so mmisa sɛ, “Menkɔ so ntwa adwo, nni abuada wɔ ɔbosome a ɛtɔ so enum no mu, sɛdeɛ mayɛ no mfeɛ bebree a atwam no anaa?”

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 sɛ,

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

5 “Bisa asase no so nnipa nyinaa ne asɔfoɔ no sɛ, ‘Mfeɛ aduɔson a atwam no, sɛ modi abuada na motwa adwo wɔ abosome enum ne nsom mu a, na ɛyɛ ampa sɛ me enti na modi abuada no anaa?

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 Ɛberɛ a modidi na monom no, na ɛnyɛ mo ara na moyɛ de gye mo ani anaa?

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 kane adiyifoɔ so paee mu kaaeɛ, wɔ ɛberɛ a Yerusalem ne nkuro a atwa ne ho ahyia no wɔ asomdwoeɛ ne mpontuo no, ɛberɛ a na nnipa akɔtena Negeb ne atɔeɛ fam nkokoɔ no so anaa?’”

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 “Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ, ‘Mommu atɛn a ɛyɛ nokorɛ na monnya ahummɔborɔ ne ayamhyehyeɛ 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 akunafoɔ, nwisiaa, ahɔhoɔ ne ahiafoɔ so. Monnnwene bɔne mo akoma 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 wɔanntie; wɔde asobrakyeɛ danee wɔn akyi na wɔsisii 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 akoma den sɛ twerɛboɔ, na wɔantie mmara anaa nsɛm a Asafo Awurade nam ne Honhom so de somaa kane adiyifoɔ no. Ɛno enti, Asafo Awurade bo fuu yie.

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 “‘Mefrɛeɛ no, wɔannye me so, enti wɔfrɛ a merennye wɔn so,’ sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.

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 ntwahoframa bɔɔ wɔn petee aman nyinaa so ma wɔkɔyɛɛ ahɔhoɔ wɔ hɔ. Asase a wogyaaɛ no daa mpan a obiara ntwa mu wɔ hɔ. Sei na wɔyɛ maa asase fɛfɛɛfɛ no sɛeɛ.’”

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.