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 came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius that the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, in Kislev;

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

When they had sent unto Beth-el Sherezer and Regem-melech, and his men, to make entreaty before 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?”

[And] to say unto the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Shall I weep in the fifth month with abstinence, as I have done already these many years?

4 Afei Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,

Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto 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?

Say unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, as followeth, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh [month], already these seventy years, did ye in anywise fast for me, yea, for me?

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

And if ye do eat, and if ye do drink, are ye not yourselves those that eat, and yourselves those that drink?

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 which the Lord hath proclaimed by means of the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, with her cities round about her, when [men] inhabited the south, and the lowlands?

8 Na Awurade asɛm baa Sakaria nkyɛn bio:

And the word of the Lord came unto 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 hath said the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true justice, and show kindness and mercy every man to his brother;

10 Monnhyɛ akunafoɔ, nwisiaa, ahɔhoɔ ne ahiafoɔ so. Monnnwene bɔne mo akoma mu mma mo ho mo ho.’

And defraud not the widow, or the fatherless, the stranger, or the poor; and imagine not evil in your heart one against the other.

11 “Nanso wɔanntie; wɔde asobrakyeɛ danee wɔn akyi na wɔsisii wɔn aso.

But they refused to listen, and turned away rebelliously the shoulder, and stopped their ears, so as not to 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 their heart they rendered as an adamant, so as not to hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent through his spirit, by means of the former prophets: wherefore came a great anger from the Lord of hosts.

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

And it is come to pass, that as he proclaimed, and they would not hear: so had they to call, and I would not hear, saith 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 resolved to scatter them with a storm-wind among all the nations that they had not known; and the land was left desolate after them, without any one to pass through it forward or backward; and the pleasant land have they changed into a desert.