Zechariah 11
1 [You people of] [APO] Lebanon [should] open your gates, [because you will not be able to stop] fire from burning your cedar [trees]!
Buebue wʼapon, Lebanon, na ogya mmɛhyew wo sida!
2 Your cypress/pine [trees] [APO] should [also] wail because the cedar [trees] have been cut down. Those glorious/great trees have been destroyed. The oak trees in the Bashan [region] should also wail, because the other trees in the forest have been cut down.
Twa adwo, wo ɔpepaw, na sida ahwe ase; wɔasɛe nnua a ɛwɔ anuonyam no! Twa adwo Basan adum; wɔabubu kwaeberentuw no mu nnua no!
3 And listen to the shepherds crying because the fertile pastures have been ruined. Listen to the lions roar; they roar because the delightful forest [where they live] near the Jordan [River] has been ruined.
Tie nguanhwɛfo agyaadwo; wɔasɛe wɔn adidibea frɔmfrɔm no! Tie gyata no mmubomu; Yordan ho nkyɛkyerɛ fɛɛfɛ no asɛe!
4 This is what Yahweh my God said [to me]: “[I want you to] become a shepherd for a flock [of sheep that are about] to be slaughtered.
Sɛɛ na Awurade me Nyankopɔn se: “Fa nguankuw a wɔrebekum wɔn no kɔ adidibea.
5 The people who are going to buy the sheep will kill the sheep, and they will not be punished. Those who are selling the sheep say, ‘[I] praise Yahweh, [because] I will become rich!’ Even the shepherds do not feel sorry for the sheep.
Atɔfo no kunkum nguan no na wɔntwe wɔn aso. Wɔn a wɔtɔn nguan no ka se, ‘Monkamfo Awurade, mayɛ ɔdefo!’ Na nguan no ahwɛfo no mpo nnya ahummɔbɔ mma wɔn.
6 And similarly, I no longer feel sorry for the people of this country. I am going to allow many of them [HYP] to be captured by other people or by their king. Those who capture them will ruin this country, and I will not rescue any [of the people].”
Merenhu asase no so nnipa mmɔbɔ bio,” sɛnea Awurade se ni. “Mede obiara bɛhyɛ ne yɔnko ne hene nsa. Wɔbɛhyɛ asase no so, na merennye obiara mfi wɔn nsam.”
7 So I became the shepherd of a flock [of sheep that were about] to be slaughtered [for their meat to be sold] to the dealers. [I took good care of the sheep, even the ones that were the weakest sheep. Then] I took two [shepherds’] /walking sticks). I named the one [staff] ‘Kindness’ and the other [staff] ‘Union’. And I took good care of the sheep.
Enti mede nguankuw a wɔrekokum wɔn no kɔɔ adidibea, ne titiriw ne wɔn a wɔayɛ mmɔbɔ no. Afei mefaa pema abien, na mefrɛɛ baako Adɔe na baako nso Nkabom na mede wɔn kɔɔ adidi.
8 But the three shepherds [who had been working with me] detested me, and I became impatient with them. Within one month I (dismissed/got rid of) those shepherds.
Ɔsram baako mu, mepam nguanhwɛfo abiɛsa no. Nguankuw no ampɛ me, na wɔmaa me brɛe
9 So I said [to the dealers], “I will no [longer] be the shepherd. I will allow the ones that are dying to die. I will allow the ones that are getting lost to get lost. And I will not prevent those that remain from destroying each other.”
na mekae se, “Merenyɛ mo hwɛfo bio. Wɔn a wɔrewu nwu, na wɔn a wɔreyera nso nyera. Na ma wɔn a aka no nso nkyekyere wɔn ho wɔn ho nwe.”
10 Then I took the staff that I had named ‘Kindness’ and I broke it. [That showed that Yahweh] was annulling/canceling the agreement that he had made with all the people-groups.
Afei mefaa me pema a mefrɛ no Adɔe no bubuu mu de sɛee apam a me ne aman no nyinaa ayɛ no.
11 So that agreement was ended immediately. And the men who bought and sold sheep who were watching me knew [by seeing what I was doing] that I was giving them a message from Yahweh.
Wɔsɛee no da no ara, na wɔn a wɔrehu amane wɔ nguankuw no mu a na wɔrehwɛ me no hui se, ɛyɛ Awurade asɛm.
12 I told them, “If you think it is what you should do, pay me [for taking care of the sheep]. If you do not think that is what you should do, do not pay me.” So they paid me [only] 30 pieces of silver.
Na meka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Sɛ ɛbɛyɛ yiye a muntua me ka, na sɛ ɛnte saa nso a, momma ɛntena hɔ.” Enti, wotuaa dwetɛ mpɔw aduasa maa me.
13 Then Yahweh said to me, “[That is a ridiculously small amount of money that they have paid you]! [So] throw it to the man who makes clay pots!” So I took the silver to the temple of Yahweh, and I threw it in the chest where the offerings/money is kept.
Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Tow ma ɔnwemfo no,” ɛbo a ɛsɔ ani a wɔatwa ama me no. Enti, mefaa dwetɛ mpɔw aduasa no, na metow maa ɔnwemfo a ɔwɔ Awurade fi mu no.
14 Then I broke my second staff, [the one that I named] ‘Union’. That [indicated that] Judah and Israel would no longer be united.
Afei mibuu me pema a ɛto so abien a wɔfrɛ no Nkabom no mu, de sɛee onuayɛ a ɛda Yuda ne Israel ntam no.
15 Then Yahweh said to me, “Take again the things that a foolish shepherd uses,
Afei, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Fa oguanhwɛfo kwasea no nneɛma no bio.
16 because I am going to appoint a new king for the people, [one who will not take care of my people. He will be like a foolish shepherd]: [MET] He will not take care of those who are dying, those who are very young, those who have been injured, or those who do not have enough food. Instead, he will [treat them very cruelly, like a shepherd who would] [MET] kill and eat the best sheep and tear off their hoofs.
Na merebɛma oguanhwɛfo bi asɔre asase no so a ɔrenhwehwɛ nea wayera, ɔrenhwehwɛ nguantenmma no akyi kwan, ɔrensa nea wapira yare, ɔremma nea ɔwɔ ahoɔden aduan, na mmom, ɔbɛwe nguan a wɔadɔ no nam, na watwitwa wɔn tɔte.
17 But terrible things will happen to that foolish/useless king who abandons the people [MET] over whom he rules. [His enemies] will strike his arm and his right eye with their swords. [The result will be that] he will have no strength in his arm, and his right eye will become completely blind.”
“Nnome nka oguanhwɛfo a ne so nni mfaso, na oguan gya nguankuw no! Afoa ntwa ne basa, ne nʼaniwa nifa. Ne basa no nwu koraa, nʼaniwa nifa no mfura koraa!”
