< Sakaria 9 >

1 Nkɔmhyɛ: Awurade asɛm tia Hadrak asase na ɛbɛka Damasko ɛfiri sɛ, nnipa ne Israel mmusuakuo nyinaa ani wɔ Awurade so.
[This is another] message [that I received] from Yahweh. [Yahweh said, ] “I watch [MTY] everyone, especially the tribes of Israel; [so] I will [punish the people in] the Hadrach [region] and in Damascus [city] [because of what they did to the people of Israel].
2 Na ɛbɛka Hamat a ɔne no bɔ hyeɛ; ɛbɛka Tiro ne Sidon, ɛwom sɛ wɔyɛ anyansafoɔ.
[I will also punish the people in] nearby Hamath [city]. I will also [punish the people in] Tyre and Sidon [cities], even though they are [considered to be] [IRO] very wise.
3 Tiro asi abandenden ama ne ho; waboa dwetɛ ano te sɛ mfuturo, ne sikakɔkɔɔ ano te sɛ dɔteɛ a ɛwɔ mmɔntene so.
[The people in] Tyre built a high wall [around their city]. They piled up [huge amounts of] silver and gold as though they were [piles of] dirt in the streets.
4 Nanso, Awurade bɛgye nʼahodeɛ nyinaa na wasɛe ne tumi a ɔwɔ wɔ ɛpo so, na wɔde ogya bɛhye no dworobɛɛ.
But [I], Yahweh, will cause their precious possessions to be taken away and all their ships to be destroyed, and their city will be destroyed by a fire.
5 Askelon bɛhunu na wasuro Gasa de ɔyea bɛnukanuka ne mu, na Ekron nso saa ara, ɛfiri sɛ nʼanidasoɔ bɛsa. Gasa bɛhwere ne ɔhene na wɔbɛgya Askelon afituo.
[The people in Ashkelon city] will see that [happen], and they will become very afraid. [The people in] Gaza [city] will shake because of being terrified, and [the people in Ekron city] will shake too, because they will no longer expect [to prosper]. The king of [the city of] Gaza will be killed, and [the city of] Ashkelon will be deserted.
6 Ananafoɔ bɛtena Asdod, na mɛtwa Filistifoɔ ahantan agu.
Foreigners will occupy Ashdod [city]. I will cause the [people in all those cities of] Philistia to no longer be proud.
7 Mɛyi mogya afiri wɔn ano, akyiwadeɛ nnuane nso mɛyi afiri wɔn ano. Nkaeɛfoɔ no bɛyɛ yɛn Onyankopɔn dea wɔbɛyɛ Yuda ntuanofoɔ, na Ekron bɛyɛ sɛ Yebusifoɔ.
I will no longer allow them to eat [MTY] meat that still has blood in it, and I will forbid them to eat [MTY] food that I [MTY] have not allowed them to eat [because it was offered to idols]. [At that time, ] the people [in Philistia] who survive will worship me, and they will become [my people, like] the people of Judah are. The Philistine people of Ekron will also become my people like [SIM] the people of Jebus did [when they were conquered].
8 Nanso mɛbɔ me Fie ho ban wɔ wɔn a wɔtetɛ bɔ korɔno ho. Ɔhyɛsofoɔ biara ntumi mfa me nkurɔfoɔ so bio, ɛfiri sɛ afei merewɛn.
I will protect my temple, and I will not allow any [enemy soldiers] to enter it. No [enemies] will harm my people again, because I will be watching [over my people] carefully.
9 Di ahurisie Ao, Ɔbabaa Sion! Team, Ɔbabaa Yerusalem! Hwɛ, wo ɔhene reba wo nkyɛn. Ɔtene na ɔwɔ nkwagyeɛ, ɔdwo, na ɔte afunumu so, afunumu ba so na ɔteɛ.
Rejoice very much, [you people of] Jerusalem [APO, DOU] and shout joyfully, because your king will be coming to you. He is righteous and victorious; [but he will be] gentle, and [he will be] riding on a donkey, on a young female donkey.
10 Mɛgye nteaseɛnam afiri Efraim ne akofoɔ apɔnkɔ afiri Yerusalem, na akodie tadua no wɔbɛbubu mu. Ɔbɛpae mu aka asomdwoeɛ nsɛm akyerɛ aman no. Nʼahennie bɛfiri ɛpo akɔka ɛpo ɛbɛfiri Asubɔnten no akɔpem nsase ano.
I will get rid of the chariots in the Ephraim [region that are used in battles] and [all] the war horses in Jerusalem. [All] the bows used in wars will be broken. [Your king] will proclaim that he will cause things to go well and peacefully in the nations. He will rule [the area] from the [Mediterranean] Sea to the [Dead] Sea, and from the [Euphrates] River to the most distant places on the earth.
11 Na wo deɛ, ɛsiane me ne wo mogya apam no enti, mɛyi wo nneduafoɔ afiri amena a nsuo nni mu.
As for you [my people of Jerusalem], because of the blood [of the animals that were sacrificed to make] my agreement with you, I will free your people who were forced to go to other countries where [it was as though they were kept] in a waterless pit.
12 Monsane nkɔ mʼaban mu, Ao nneduafoɔ a mowɔ anidasoɔ; seesei mpo merebɔ mo nkaeɛ sɛ mɛhyɛ mo anan mu mmɔho.
[You people who were] prisoners [in those countries] who [still] confidently expect [God to help you], return to [Judah], where you will be safe. This day I declare that I will give you two blessings for [each of the troubles that you have experienced].
13 Mɛkoa Yuda sɛdeɛ mekoa me tadua na mede Efraim bɛhyɛ mu. Mɛkanyane wo mmammarima, Ao Sion, atia wo Hela mmammarima, na mɛyɛ wo sɛ ɔkofoɔ akofena.
I will cause Judah to be like [MET] my bow, and I will cause Israel to be [like] [MET] my arrow. I will enable you young men of Jerusalem to fight against the soldiers of Greece; you will be like [SIM] a warrior’s sword.”
14 Afei Awurade bɛda ne ho adi wɔn so; nʼagyan bɛtwa yerɛ te sɛ anyinam. Otumfoɔ Awurade bɛhyɛn totorobɛnto no; ɔbɛbɔ nsra wɔ atɔeɛ fam ahum mu,
[Some day] Yahweh will appear [in the sky] above his people, and the arrows that he shoots will be like [SIM] lightning. Yahweh [our] Lord will blow his trumpet, and he will march [fiercely] like [MET] the storms from the south.
15 Asafo Awurade bɛyɛ ɛkyɛm ama wɔn. Wɔde ahwimmoɔ bɛsɛe na wɔde adi nkonim. Wɔbɛnom na wɔabobɔ mu sɛdeɛ wɔanom nsã; wɔbɛyɛ ma te sɛ kuruwa a wɔde pete afɔrebukyia ntweaso.
The Commander of the armies of angels will protect [his people]; [the soldiers of Judah] will attack and defeat [their enemies who attack them] using slingshots. [Those soldiers of Judah] will drink and celebrate and shout like [SIM] people who are drunk; they will be as full [of wine] as the bowl that holds [the blood of the animals that are sacrificed] and [which is then] sprinkled on the corners of the altar.
16 Awurade wɔn Onyankopɔn, bɛgye wɔn saa ɛda no sɛ odwanhwɛfoɔ gye ne nnwan. Wɔbɛtwa nyinam nyinam wɔ nʼasase so, sɛ aboɔdemmoɔ a ɛbobɔ ahenkyɛ ho.
On that day, Yahweh our God will save his people [like a shepherd saves] his flock [of sheep from danger]. In their land, they will be like [SIM] jewels that sparkle on a crown.
17 Sɛdeɛ wɔn ho bɛtwa na wɔn ho ayɛ fɛ afa! Aduane bɛma mmeranteɛ anyini ahoɔden so na nsã foforɔ bɛma mmabaawa anyini saa ara.
They will be delightful and beautiful. The young men will become strong from [eating] grain, and the young women will [become strong] from [drinking] new wine.

< Sakaria 9 >