Zechariah 8

¹ Almighty God give Zechariah this message:

² “I don dey wait to help Jerusalem because of the deep love wey I get for her people, the kind love wey don make me vex with her enemy.

³ I go return to Jerusalem, and live for there on top Mount Zion, then dem go know say Jerusalem na my faithful city and Zion na my holy mountain.

⁴ And again old men and women, wey don old and wey dey use stick dey waka go dey sit for the corner of the city.

⁵ And boys and girls go full the city again and dey play.

⁶ This fit look impossible to those nation wey don leave, but for me e dey possible.

⁷ I go rescue my people from the land wey dem don take them,

⁸ And I go bring them back from east and west come dey live for Jerusalem, dem go be my people and I go be their God, wey dey rule over them faithfully and justly.

⁹ Almighty God talk say, Be strong! Una dey hear the same word wey the prophet don tell una when una don start the foundation to rebuild my Temple.

¹⁰ Before that time no one fit take man or animal, and no one dey safe from him enemy. Naso I make them dey fight each other.

¹¹ But I dey treat people wey remain for the nation differently now.

¹² Dem go sow their crop in peace. Their vines go bear grapes, the earth go produce crop, and plenty rain go fall. I go give all these blessings to my people wey remain for the nation.

¹³ Una people of Judah and Israel! People from other country dey curse one another say, disaster wey fall on Judah and Israel go fall on una! But I go save una, and those other country go tell one another say, ‘The same blessing wey fall on top Judah and Israel go fall on una! So make una dey strong and no fear.”

¹⁴ Almighty God talk say, “Una ancestor make me vex, and I destroy them. I decide say I no go change my mind.” Na wetin Almighty God talk be this.

¹⁵ But now I don change my mind. And for same way, I don decide to dey good to Jerusalem and people of Judah. So, make una no fear.

¹⁶ But na wetin una go do be this: make una dey speak truth to each other, dey do wetin dey right for court - the kind one wey dey bring peace.

¹⁷ Make una no plan to harm each other for secret. No lie under Oath, I no like lie, injustice, and war.”

¹⁸ I get this message from Almighty God.

¹⁹ He talk say “Una get special days of sadness and fasting for fourth month, fifth month, seventh month, and tenth month. Make these days of sadness change to days of happiness. Dem go be good and happy festivals. And una must love truth and peace.”

²⁰ Almighty God talk say, “For future, people from many cities go come Jerusalem.

²¹ People from different city go greet each other and say, ‘We dey go worship the God Almighty.’ And the other person go say, ‘I go like make I go with una!’”

²² Plenty people and many strong nations go come worship the Almighty God for Jerusalem and pray for him blessings.

²³ And God Almighty say, “For that time, plenty foreigners wey dey speak different language go come to a Jewish man, hold the tip of him robe, and ask say, ‘We hear say God dey with you. Shey we fit follow you go worship him?’”