Zechariah 1 – NIRV & AKCB

New International Reader’s Version

Zechariah 1:1-21

The Lord Wants His People to Return to Him

1A message from the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet. Zechariah was the son of Berekiah. Berekiah was the son of Iddo. It was the eighth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia. Here is what Zechariah said.

2The Lord who rules over all was very angry with your people of long ago. 3And now he says to us, “Return to me. Then I will return to you,” announces the Lord. 4“Do not be like your people of long ago. The earlier prophets gave them my message. I said, ‘Stop doing what is evil. Turn away from your sinful practices.’ But they would not listen to me. They would not pay any attention,” announces the Lord. 5“Where are those people now? And what about my prophets? Do they live forever? 6I commanded my servants the prophets what to say. I told them what I planned to do. But your people refused to obey me. So I had to punish them.

“Then they had a change of heart. They said, ‘The Lord who rules over all has punished us because of how we have lived. He was fair and right to do that. He has done to us just what he decided to do.’ ”

A Vision of a Horseman Among Some Myrtle Trees

7A message from the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet. Zechariah was the son of Berekiah. Berekiah was the son of Iddo. The message came during the second year that Darius was king. It was the 24th day of the 11th month. That’s the month of Shebat.

8I had a vision at night. I saw a man sitting on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a valley. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.

9An angel was talking with me. I asked him, “Sir, what are these?”

He answered, “I will show you what they are.”

10Then the man standing among the myrtle trees spoke. He said, “They are the messengers the Lord has sent out. He told them to go all through the earth.”

11They brought a report to the angel of the Lord. He was standing among the myrtle trees. They said to him, “We have gone all through the earth. We’ve found the whole world enjoying peace and rest.”

12Then the angel of the Lord spoke up. He said, “Lord, you rule over all. How long will you keep from showing your tender love to Jerusalem? How long will you keep it from the towns of Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years.” 13So the Lord replied with kind and comforting words. He spoke them to the angel who talked with me.

14Then the angel said, “Announce this message. Say, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “I am very jealous for my people in Jerusalem and Zion. 15And I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry with my people. But the nations went too far and tried to wipe them out.”

16“ ‘So the Lord says, “I will return to Jerusalem. I will show its people my tender love. My temple will be rebuilt there. Workers will use a measuring line when they rebuild Jerusalem,” announces the Lord.

17“ ‘He says, “My towns will be filled with good things once more. I will comfort Zion. And I will choose Jerusalem again.” ’ ”

A Vision of Four Horns and Four Skilled Workers

18Then I looked up and saw four animal horns. 19I spoke to the angel who was talking with me. “What are these horns?” I asked.

He said, “They are the powerful nations that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”

20Then the Lord showed me four skilled workers. 21I asked, “What are they coming to do?”

He answered, “The horns are the powerful nations that scattered the people of Judah. That made Judah helpless. But these four skilled workers have come to terrify the horns. The workers will destroy the power of those nations. Those nations had used their power to scatter Judah’s people.”

Akuapem Twi Contemporary Bible

Sakaria 1:1-21

Awurade Nkyɛn Ba Ho Frɛ

1Ɔsram a ɛto so awotwe wɔ ɔhene Dario adedi afe a ɛto so abien mu no, Awurade asɛm baa odiyifo Sakaria a ɔyɛ Berekia babarima na ɔno nso yɛ Ido babarima nkyɛn se:

2Awurade bo fuw mo tete agyanom. 3Enti ka kyerɛ nkurɔfo no se: Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: ‘Monsan mmra me nkyɛn, na mɛsan aba mo nkyɛn,’ nea Asafo Awurade se ni. 4Monnyɛ sɛ mo tete agyanom, a adiyifo a wodii kan no pae mu ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, ‘Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: Monnan mfi mo akwammɔne ne nneyɛe bɔne ho,’ nanso wɔantie na wɔanyɛ aso amma no. 5Mo tete agyanom wɔ he mprempren? Na adiyifo no, wɔte ase daa ana? 6Na me nsɛm a menam mʼasomfo adiyifo so kae no, amma mo tete agyanom no so ana?

“Afei wonuu wɔn ho na wɔkae se, ‘Asafo Awurade ayɛ yɛn nea ɛfata yɛn akwan ne nneyɛe, sɛnea ɔyɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛyɛ no.’ ”

Onipa A Ɔwɔ Ohuamnnua No Mu

7Na da a ɛto so aduonu anan wɔ ɔsram a ɛto so dubaako a wɔfrɛ no Sebat, wɔ ɔhene Dario adedi afe a ɛto so abien so no, Awurade asɛm baa odiyifo Sakaria a ɔyɛ Ido babarima Berekia babarima no nkyɛn.

8Anadwo no minyaa anisoadehu, mihuu ɔbarima bi a ɔte ɔpɔnkɔ kɔkɔɔ so wɔ mʼanim! Na ogyina ohuamnnua bi ntam wɔ obon a mu dɔ mu. Na apɔnkɔ kɔkɔɔ, nnodoe ne fitaa wɔ nʼakyi.

9Mibisae se, “Eyinom ase ne dɛn, me wura?” Ɔbɔfo a ɔne me rekasa no buae se, “Mɛkyerɛ wo dekode a wɔyɛ.”

10Enti ɔbarima a ogyina ohuamnnua ntam no kyerɛɛ ase se, “Wɔyɛ wɔn a Awurade asoma wɔn sɛ wɔnkɔ wiase afanan nyinaa no.”

11Na wɔbɛka kyerɛɛ Awurade bɔfo a ogyina ohuamnnua no mu no se, “Yɛakyin afa asase no so nyinaa, na yehuu sɛ wiase nyinaa wɔ ahomegye ne asomdwoe.”

12Afei Awurade bɔfo no kae se, “Asafo Awurade, enkosi da bɛn na wubeyi wʼahummɔbɔ afi Yerusalem ne Yuda nkurow a wo bo afuw wɔn mfirihyia aduɔson ni no so?” 13Enti Awurade kaa akomatɔyamsɛm ne awerɛkyekyesɛm kyerɛɛ ɔbɔfo a ɔne me kasae no.

14Afei ɔbɔfo a ɔne me rekasa no kae se, “Pae mu ka saa asɛm yi: Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: ‘Metwe Yerusalem ne Sion ho ninkunu yiye, 15nanso me bo afuw aman a wɔn aso mu adwo wɔn no. Na anka me bo mfuw wɔn bebree, nanso wɔmaa Israel amanehunu no boroo so.’

16“Enti nea Awurade se ni: ‘Mɛsan abehu Yerusalem mmɔbɔ, na hɔ na wɔbɛsan asi me fi. Na wɔbɛtwe susuhama mu wɔ Yerusalem so,’ nea Asafo Awurade se ni.

17“Kɔ so pae mu ka se, sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: ‘Nnepa bebu so wɔ me nkurow yi so bio, na Awurade bɛkyekye Sion werɛ bio, na wafa Yerusalem.’ ”

Mmɛn Anan Ne Adwumfo Baanan

18Afei, memaa mʼani so, na mihuu mmɛn anan! 19Mibisaa ɔbɔfo a ɔne me rekasa no se, “Eyinom yɛ dɛn?”

Obuaa me se, “Saa mmɛn yi na ɛbɔɔ Yuda, Israel ne Yerusalem petee no.”

20Na Awurade kyerɛɛ me adwumfo anan. 21Mibisae se, “Dɛn na eyinom rebɛyɛ?”

Obuae se, “Mmɛn anan no bɔɔ Yuda petee a obiara antumi amma ne ti so, nanso adwumfo yi aba sɛ wɔrebehunahuna wɔn, na watutu aman no mmɛn a wɔmemaa so tiaa Yudaman na wɔbɔɔ nnipa no petee no.”