Sakaria 8

1 Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio.

And the word of the LORD of hosts came [to me], saying,

2 Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ: “Metwe Sion ho ninkunu pa ara; metwe ne ho ninkunu anibereɛ so.”

Thus saith the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great fury.

3 Deɛ Awurade seɛ nie, “Mɛsane akɔ Sion na makɔtena Yerusalem. Afei wɔbɛfrɛ Yerusalem Nokorɛ Kuropɔn, na Asafo Awurade bepɔ no, wɔbɛfrɛ no Bepɔ Kronkron.”

Thus saith the LORD: I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts The holy mountain.

4 Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Nkɔkoraa ne mmerewa bɛtenatena Yerusalem mmɔntene so bio a obiara kura poma, ɛsiane onyini enti.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age.

5 Na mmarimaa ne mmaayewa a wɔredi agorɔ bɛhyɛ kuropɔn no mmɔntene so ma.”

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

6 Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Nkaeɛfoɔ yi deɛ, ɛbɛyɛ wɔn nwanwa saa ɛberɛ no, na me nso ɛbɛyɛ me nwanwa anaa?”

Thus saith the LORD of hosts: If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.

7 Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Mɛgye me nkurɔfoɔ afiri aman a ɛwɔ apueeɛ ne atɔeɛ no so.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country:

8 Mede wɔn bɛsane aba abɛtena Yerusalem; wɔbɛyɛ me nkurɔfoɔ, na mayɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn wɔ nokorɛ ne tenenee mu.”

and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

9 Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Mo a afei na morete nsɛm a adiyifoɔ no kaeɛ no; adiyifoɔ a na wɔwɔ hɔ ɛberɛ a wɔtoo Asafo Awurade fie fapem no, monhyɛ mo ho den, na moatumi asi asɔredan no.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, even the temple, that it might be built.

10 Ɛberɛ no nnya nsoeɛ no, na wɔntua apaadie ho ka mma nnipa anaa mmoa. Atamfoɔ enti, na obiara ntumi nkɔ nʼadwuma so asomdwoeɛ mu, ɛfiri sɛ na mede mpaapaemu aba wɔn mu.

For before those days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the adversary: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.

11 Nanso, afei deɛ, merenyɛ nkaeɛfoɔ yi sɛdeɛ meyɛɛ kane no,” sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.

But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.

12 “Aba no bɛnyini yie, bobe bɛso nʼaba, asase no bɛbɔ nʼaduane na ɔsoro nso bɛtɔ ne bosuo. Mede saa nneɛma yi nyinaa bɛma nkaeɛfoɔ yi sɛ wɔn agyapadeɛ.

For [there shall be] the seed of peace; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.

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

And it shall come to pass that, as ye were 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, [but] let your hands be strong.

14 Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Sɛdeɛ meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mede atoyerɛnkyɛm bɛba mo so, na mannya ahummɔborɔ ɛberɛ a mo agyanom fuu me bo no,

For thus saith the LORD of hosts: As I thought to do evil unto you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not;

15 saa ara na afei mayɛ mʼadwene sɛ, mɛyɛ Yerusalem ne Yuda yie. Monnsuro.

so again have I thought in these days to do good unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.

16 Deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ moyɛ nie: Monni mo ho mo ho nokorɛ. Mommu atɛntenenee wɔ mo asɛnniiɛ;

These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth with his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

17 mommmɔ po bɔne ntia mo ho mo ho, na monnnɔ ntam hunu. Mekyiri saa nneɛma yi nyinaa,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.

and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that 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 Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Abosome ɛnan, enum, nson ne edu mu mmuadadie no bɛyɛ anigyeɛ ne ahosɛpɛ mmerɛ, na ɛbɛyɛ anigyeɛ afahyɛ ama Yuda. Enti monnɔ nokorɛ ne asomdwoeɛ.”

Thus saith the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth [month], and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love truth and peace.

20 Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie, “Nnipa bebree ne wɔn a wɔtete nkuropɔn bebree so bɛba ara,

Thus saith the LORD of hosts: [It shall yet come to pass], that there shall come peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities:

21 na nnipa a wɔfiri kuropɔn baako so bɛkɔ foforɔ so akɔka sɛ, ‘Momma yɛnkɔ seesei ara nkɔsrɛ Awurade na yɛnhwehwɛ Asafo Awurade. Me deɛ, merekɔ.’

and the inhabitants of one [city] shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to entreat the favour of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.

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

Yea, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favour of the LORD.

23 Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Nna no mu, nnipa edu a wɔka kasa ahodoɔ na wɔfiri aman ahodoɔ so bɛba abɛsɔ Yudani atadeɛ mmuano mu na wɔbɛka sɛ, ‘Wo ne yɛn nkɔ, ɛfiri sɛ yɛate sɛ Onyankopɔn ka wo ho.’”

Thus saith the LORD of hosts: In those days [it shall come to pass], that ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, shall even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.