Zechariah 1 – NIRV & ASCB

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.”

Asante Twi Contemporary Bible

Sakaria 1:1-21

Awurade Nkyɛn Ba Ho Frɛ

1Ɔbosome a ɛtɔ so nwɔtwe wɔ ɔhene Dario adedie afe a ɛtɔ so mmienu mu no, Awurade asɛm baa odiyifoɔ Sakaria a ɔyɛ Berekia babarima na ɔno nso yɛ Ido babarima nkyɛn sɛ:

2Awurade bo fuu mo tete agyanom. 3Enti, ka kyerɛ nkurɔfoɔ no sɛ: Sei na Asafo Awurade seɛ: ‘Monsane mmra me nkyɛn, na mɛsane aba mo nkyɛn,’ deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie. 4Monnyɛ sɛ mo tete agyanom, a adiyifoɔ a wɔdii ɛkan no pae mu ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Sei na Asafo Awurade seɛ: Monnane mfiri mo akwammɔne ne nneyɛeɛ bɔne ho,’ nanso wɔantie no na wɔanyɛ aso amma no. 5Mo tete agyanom wɔ he seesei? Na adiyifoɔ no, wɔte ase daa anaa? 6Na me nsɛm a menam mʼasomfoɔ adiyifoɔ so kaeɛ no, amma mo tete agyanom no so anaa?

“Afei wɔnuu wɔn ho na wɔkaa sɛ, ‘Asafo Awurade ayɛ yɛn deɛ ɛfata yɛn akwan ne nneyɛeɛ, sɛdeɛ ɔyɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛyɛ no.’ ”

Onipa A Ɔwɔ Ohwam Nnua No Mu

7Na ɛda a ɛtɔ so aduonu ɛnan wɔ ɔbosome a ɛtɔ so dubaako a wɔfrɛ no Sebat, wɔ ɔhene Dario adedie afe a ɛtɔ so mmienu so no, Awurade asɛm baa odiyifoɔ Sakaria a ɔyɛ Ido babarima Berekia babarima no nkyɛn.

8Anadwo no menyaa anisoadehunu, mehunuu ɔbarima bi a ɔte ɔpɔnkɔ kɔkɔɔ so wɔ mʼanim! Na ɔgyina ohwam nnua bi ntam wɔ bɔnhwa tiaa a emu dɔ mu. Na apɔnkɔ kɔkɔɔ, nnodoeɛ ne fitaa wɔ nʼakyi.

9Mebisaa sɛ, “Yeinom ase ne sɛn, me wura?” Ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔne me rekasa no buaa sɛ, “Mɛkyerɛ wo adekodeɛ a wɔyɛ.”

10Enti, ɔbarima a ɔgyina ohwam nnua ntam mu no kyerɛɛ aseɛ sɛ, “Wɔyɛ wɔn a Awurade asoma wɔn sɛ wɔnkɔ ewiase afanan nyinaa no.”

11Na wɔbɛka kyerɛɛ Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔgyina ohwam nnua no mu no sɛ, “Yɛakyin afa asase no so nyinaa, na yɛhunuu sɛ ewiase nyinaa wɔ ahomegyeɛ ne asomdwoeɛ.”

12Afei, Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ no kaa sɛ, “Asafo Awurade, ɛnkɔsi da bɛn na wobɛyi wʼahummɔborɔ afiri Yerusalem ne Yuda nkuro a wo bo afu wɔn mfirinhyia aduɔson yi so?” 13Enti, Awurade kaa abodwosɛm ne awerɛkyekyesɛm kyerɛɛ ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔne me kasaeɛ no.

14Afei ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔne me rekasa no kaa sɛ, “Pae mu ka saa asɛm yi: Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ: ‘Metwe Yerusalem ne Sion ho ninkunu yie, 15nanso, me bo afu aman a wɔn aso mu adwo wɔn no. Na anka me bo mfu wɔn bebree, nanso wɔmaa Israel amanehunu no boroo so.’

16“Enti, deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: ‘Mɛsane abɛhunu Yerusalem mmɔbɔ, na ɛhɔ na wɔbɛsane asi me fie. Na wɔbɛtwe susu ahoma mu wɔ Yerusalem so,’ deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.

17“Kɔ so pae mu ka sɛ, sei na Asafo Awurade seɛ: ‘Nnepa bɛbu so wɔ me nkuro yi so bio, na Awurade bɛkyekye Sion werɛ bio, na wafa Yerusalem.’ ”

Mmɛn Ɛnan Ne Adwumfoɔ Ɛnan

18Afei, memaa mʼani so, na mehunuu mmɛn ɛnan! 19Mebisaa ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔne me rekasa no sɛ, “Yeinom yɛ ɛdeɛn?”

Ɔbuaa me sɛ, “Saa mmɛn yi na ɛbɔɔ Yuda, Israel ne Yerusalem peteeɛ no.”

20Na Awurade kyerɛɛ me adwumfoɔ ɛnan. 21Mebisaa sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na yeinom rebɛyɛ?”

Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Mmɛn ɛnan no bɔɔ Yuda petee a obiara antumi amma ne tiri so, nanso adwumfoɔ yi aba sɛ wɔrebɛhunahuna wɔn, na woatutu aman no mmɛn a wɔmemaa so tiaa Yudaman na wɔbɔɔ nnipa no peteeɛ no.”