< Isaiah 47 >

1 Come and take your seat in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; come down from your seat of power, and take your place on the earth, O daughter of the Chaldaeans: for you will never again seem soft and delicate.
“Siane kɔ, tena mfuturo mu, Ɔbabaa bunu Babilonia; tena fam. Worentena ahennwa so bio, Ɔbabaa Babiloniafoɔ. Wɔremfrɛ wo bio sɛ, ɔbaabereɛ a wɔkorɔkorɔ no bio.
2 Take the crushing-stones and get the meal crushed: take off your veil, put away your robe, let your legs be uncovered, go through the rivers.
Fa owiyammoɔ na yam esiam; yi wo nkatanimu no. Pagya wʼatadeɛ kɔ soro, na wo nan ho ngu hɔ, na fa nsuwansuwa no mu.
3 The shame of your unclothed condition will be seen by all: I will give punishment without mercy,
Wʼadagya bɛda adi na wʼanimguaseɛ so renkata. Mɛtɔ were; memfa obiara ho nkyɛ no.”
4 Says the Lord who takes up our cause; the Lord of armies is his name, the Holy One of Israel.
Yɛn Gyefoɔ, Asafo Awurade ne ne din, ɔno ne Israel Kronkronni.
5 Be seated in the dark without a word, O daughter of the Chaldaeans: for you will no longer be named, The Queen of Kingdoms.
“Tena ase dinn, kɔhyɛ esum mu, Ɔbabaa Babilonia; wɔremfrɛ wo bio sɛ ahennie ahodoɔ so hemaa.
6 I was angry with my people, I put shame on my heritage, and gave them into your hands: you had no mercy on them; you put a cruel yoke on those who were old;
Me bo fuu me nkurɔfoɔ, na meguu mʼagyapadeɛ ho fi; mede wɔn hyɛɛ wo nsa, na woanhunu wɔn mmɔbɔ. Nkɔkoraa koraa mpo wosoaa wɔn kɔnnua duruduru.
7 And you said, I will be a queen for ever: you did not give attention to these things, and did not keep in mind what would come after.
Wokaa sɛ, ‘Mɛkɔ so daa, ayɛ ɔhemmaa afebɔɔ.’ Nanso woannwene saa nneɛma yi ho na woansusu deɛ ɛbɛtumi asie ho.
8 So now take note of this, you who are given up to pleasure, living without fear of evil, saying in your heart, I am, and there is no one like me; I will never be a widow, or have my children taken from me.
“Afei tie, wo odwamanfoɔ, woredwodwo wo ho wɔ wo banbɔ mu na woka kyerɛ wo ho sɛ, ‘me ne no, na obiara nni hɔ sɛ me. Merenyɛ okunafoɔ da na merenni abawuo.’
9 But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day, the loss of children and of husband: in full measure they will come on you, for all your secret arts, and all your wonders.
Saa nneɛma mmienu yi bɛto wo prɛko pɛ, dakoro pɛ: abawuo ne kunayɛ. Saa nneɛma yi bɛba wo so pa ara, wʼabayisɛm bebrebe yi ne ntafowayie a emu yɛ den nyinaa akyi.
10 For you had faith in your evil-doing; you said, No one sees me; by your wisdom and knowledge you have been turned out of the way: and you have said in your heart, I am, and there is no other.
Wode wo ho ato wʼamumuyɛ so na waka sɛ, ‘Obiara nhunu me.’ Wo nyansa ne nimdeɛ ma wo fom kwan ɛberɛ a woka kyerɛ wo ho sɛ, ‘Me ne no, obiara nni hɔ ka me ho.’
11 Because of this evil will come on you, which may not be turned away for any price: and trouble will overtake you, from which no money will give salvation: destruction will come on you suddenly, without your knowledge.
Amanehunu bɛto wo, na worenhunu ɛkwan ko a wobɛfa so ayi afiri hɔ. Ɔhaw bi bɛba wo so a worentumi mfa mpatadeɛ nyi mfiri hɔ; atoyerɛnkyɛm a ɛnnaa ne ho adi nkyerɛɛ wo bɛba wo so mpofirim.
12 Go on now with your secret arts, and all your wonder-working, to which you have given yourself up from your earliest days; it may be that they will be of profit to you, or by them you may put fear into your attackers.
“Kɔ so yɛ wo ntafowayie ne wʼabayisɛm bebrebe a wode adi dwuma firi wo mmɔfraase no. Ebia wobɛdi nkonim, ebia wode ehu bɛba.
13 But your mind is troubled by the number of your guides: let them now come forward for your salvation: the measurers of the heavens, the watchers of the stars, and those who are able to say from month to month what things are coming on you.
Woabrɛ wɔ afotufoɔ bebrebe a woanya no mu! Ma wo nsoromma ho anyansafoɔ mmra anim, wɔn a wɔhwɛ nsoromma mu no ka deɛ ɛreba bosome biara mu no, ma wɔnnnye wo mfiri deɛ ɛreba wo so no mu.
14 Truly, they have become like dry stems, they have been burned in the fire; they are not able to keep themselves safe from the power of the flame: it is not a coal for warming them, or a fire by which a man may be seated.
Nokorɛm, wɔte sɛ nnyentia; ogya bɛhye wɔn. Na wɔntumi nnye wɔn ankasa ho mfiri egyadɛreɛ ano den no ho. Ogyasramma biara nni ha a ɛbɛka wo hye; ogya biara nni ha a wɔbɛtena ho ato.
15 Small profit have you had from those who, from your earliest days, got great profit out of you; they have gone in flight, every one straight before him, and you have no saviour.
Deɛ wɔbɛtumi ayɛ ama wo ara ne no, yeinom na wo ne wɔn abrɛ na wo ne wɔn anante firi mmɔfraase. Wɔn mu biara afa ne kwan; ɔbaako mpo nni hɔ a ɔbɛtumi agye woɔ.

< Isaiah 47 >