Zechariah 7
1 When Darius had been the emperor for almost four years, on December 7, Yahweh gave me [another] message.
Le Fia Darius ƒe ƒe enelia me, le dzinu asiekɛlia si nye Kislev ƒe ŋkeke enea gbe la, Yehowa ƒe gbe va na Zekaria.
2 The people of Bethel [city] sent two men, Sharezer and Regem-Melech, along with some other men, [to the temple of Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels, ] to request that Yahweh bless them.
Ame siwo le Betel la dɔ Sarezer, Regen Melek kple wo ŋutimewo be woaɖe kuku na Yehowa
3 They also asked the priests at Yahweh’s temple and the prophets [this question]: “For many years, during the fifth month [and during the seventh month of each year], we have mourned and (fasted/abstained from eating food). Should we [continue to do that]?”
to nunɔlawo kple nyagblɔɖila siwo le Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la ƒe gbedoxɔ me la dzi be, “Ɖe wòhiã be mafa avi, atsi nu adɔ le ɣleti atɔ̃lia me abe ale si mewɔnɛ ƒe geɖe siwo va yi la enea?”
4 Then the Commander of the armies of angels gave me a message.
Tete Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la ƒe gbe va nam be,
5 [He said], “Tell [RHQ] the priests and all the [other] people of Judah that during the past 70 years, when they mourned and fasted during the fifth and seventh months [of each year], it was not really [RHQ] me, [Yahweh], whom they were [honoring].
“Bia ame siwo katã le anyigba la dzi kple Osɔfoawo be, ‘Esi mietsi nu dɔ, fa avi le ɣleti atɔ̃lia kple adrelia me le ƒe blaadre siwo va yi me la, nyee mietsi nua dɔ na vavã?
6 And when they ate and drank, it was really [RHQ] to [benefit] themselves.
Esi mienɔ nu ɖum, nɔ nu nom la, ɖe menye na miawo ŋutɔ ƒe dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ koe oa?
7 That is certainly [RHQ] what I continually told the former prophets to proclaim [to the people], when Jerusalem and the nearby towns were prosperous and filled with people, and people [also] lived in the desert area to the south and in the foothills [to the west].”
Ɖe menye nya siawoe Yehowa gblɔ to nyagblɔɖila siwo do ŋgɔ la dzi, esi Yerusalem kple du siwo ƒo xlãe godoo la nɔ ŋutifafa kple dzidzedzekpɔkpɔ me, eye gbegbe kple ɣetoɖoƒetogbɛwo zu amenɔƒe oa?’”
8 Yahweh gave another message to me, saying
Yehowa ƒe gbe gava na Zekaria be,
9 “[Tell the people that] this is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: ‘Do what is just/right, and act kindly and mercifully toward each other.
“Ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gblɔe nye esi: ‘Midrɔ̃ ʋɔnu dzɔdzɔe, mikpɔ nublanui, eye mianyo dɔ me na mia nɔewo.
10 Do not (oppress/treat cruelly) widows or orphans or foreigners or poor people. Do not even think about doing evil to anyone else.’”
Migate ahosiwo alo tsyɔ̃eviwo, amedzrowo alo ame dahewo ɖe anyi o. Migaɖo nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔwɔ ɖe mia nɔewo ŋu o.’
11 But the people refused to pay attention [to what Yahweh said]. They turned their backs [to him], and put their hands over their ears in order to not hear [what he said].
“Mia fofowo gbe toɖoɖo gbedeasi sia, wolia ʋume kpakoo, eye wotsɔ asibidɛ xe to me be yewomagase nye nya la o.
12 They were very stubborn [IDM], and they would not listen to the laws [that God gave to Moses] or the messages that the Commander of the armies of angels told his Spirit to give to the prophets who were now dead. So the Commander of the armies of angels was very angry.
Wona woƒe dziwo sẽ abe hlihãkpe ene, elabena womedi be yewoase nye Yehowa Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la ƒe nyawo kple se siwo metsɔ na wo to nye Yehowa ƒe Gbɔgbɔ kple nyagblɔɖila siwo nɔ anyi tsã la dzi o. Esia ta nye Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la, medo dɔmedzoe ɖe wo ŋuti ɖo.
13 The Commander of the armies of angels says, “When I called/spoke [to the people], they would not listen. So when they called/prayed [to me], I did not listen.
“‘Meyɔ wo, gake wogbe tɔtɔ, eya ta esi wodo ɣli yɔm la, nye hã metrɔ megbe de wo,’ Yehowa Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe.
14 And I caused them to be scattered among many nations, where they were strangers. [It was as though] [MET] a whirlwind [picked them up and carried them away from their country]. The country/land that they [were forced to] leave was ruined, with the result that no one could [live there or even] travel through it. [It was previously] a delightful land, but they caused it to become (desolate/like a desert).”
‘Mekaka wo kple yali ɖe dukɔwo katã dome, afi si wozu amedzrowo le. Woƒe anyigba si wogblẽ ɖe megbea la zu aƒedo, afi si ame aɖeke mate ŋu ayi o. Aleae wowɔ anyigba nyui la wòzu gbegbe nye esi.’”
