Isaiah 49
1 Give ear, O sea-lands, to me; and take note, you peoples from far: I have been marked out by the Lord from the first; when I was still in my mother's body, he had my name in mind:
Montie me, mo mpoano aman; monyɛ aso mo akyirikyiri aman ansa na wɔrebɛwo me no, Awurade frɛɛ me ɔbɔɔ me din ansa na wɔrewo me.
2 And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shade of his hand he has kept me; and he has made me like a polished arrow, keeping me in his secret place;
Ɔyɛɛ mʼano sɛ akofena nnamnnam, Ɔde me hintaa ne nsa ase nwunu mu; ɔde me yɛɛ agyan a ano yɛ nnam na ɔde me hyɛɛ ne bɔha mu.
3 And he said to me, You are my servant, Israel, in whom my glory will be seen;
Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Woyɛ me ɔsomfoɔ, Israel, wo mu na mɛda mʼanimuonyam adi.”
4 And I said, I have undergone weariness for nothing, I have given my strength for no purpose or profit: but still the Lord will take up my cause, and my God will give me my reward.
Nanso mekaa sɛ, “Mabrɛ agu masɛe mʼahoɔden kwa, mannya mu hwee nanso mede me ho ato Awurade so na mʼakatua wɔ me Onyankopɔn nkyɛn.”
5 And now, says the Lord, who made me his servant when I was still in my mother's body, so that I might make Jacob come back to him, and so that Israel might come together to him: and I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord, and my God became my strength.
Na afei, Awurade akasa: deɛ ɔnwonoo me wɔ awotwaa mu sɛ memmɛyɛ ne ɔsomfoɔ na memfa Yakob nsane mmra ne nkyɛn na me mmoaboa Israel ano mma no no. Awurade ahyɛ me animuonyam na me Onyankopɔn ayɛ mʼahoɔden.
6 It is not enough for one who is my servant to put the tribes of Jacob again in their place, and to get back those of Israel who have been sent away: my purpose is to give you as a light to the nations, so that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.
Ɔka sɛ, “Wobɛyɛ me ɔsomfoɔ a wode Yakob mmusuakuo bɛsane aba, na wode Israelfoɔ a mede wɔn asie nso bɛsane aba. Nanso, mɛma woayɛ amanamanmufoɔ nyinaa kanea, ɛnam wo so na wɔbɛgye ewiasefoɔ nyinaa nkwa.”
7 The Lord who takes up Israel's cause, even his Holy One, says to him whom men make sport of, who is hated by the nations, a servant of rulers: Kings will see and get up from their places, and chiefs will give worship: because of the Lord who keeps faith; even the Holy One of Israel who has taken you for himself.
Sei na Awurade seɛ, Ɔgyefoɔ ne Israel Ɔkronkronni no de asɛm yi kɔma deɛ ɔman no buu no animtia na wɔkyirii no, deɛ ɔyɛ sodifoɔ ɔsomfoɔ no: “Ahene bɛhunu wo na wɔasɔre ahenemma bɛhunu wo na wɔakoto wo ɛsiane Awurade a ɔyɛ nokwafoɔ, Israel ɔkronkronni a wayi woɔ no enti.”
8 This is the word of the Lord: I have given ear to you at a good time, and I have been your helper in a day of salvation: and I will keep you safe, and will make you a glory for the people, putting the land in order, and giving them the heritages which now are waste;
Sei na Awurade seɛ: “Ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ mu no, mɛbua wo, na nkwagyeɛ da no, mɛboa wo; mɛkora wo na mede wo ayɛ apam ama nkurɔfoɔ no, de agye asase no asi hɔ akyekyɛ agyapadeɛ ahodoɔ a asɛe no bio.
9 Saying to those who are in chains, Go free; to those who are in the dark, Come out into the light. They will get food by the way wherever they go, and have grass-lands on all the dry mountain-tops.
Wobɛka akyerɛ nneduafoɔ sɛ, ‘Momfiri mmra!’ ne wɔn a wɔwɔ esum mu sɛ, ‘Momfa mo ho nni!’ “Wɔbɛdidi wɔ akwan ho. Wɔbɛnya adidibea wɔ kokoɔ bonini biara so.
10 They will not be in need of food or drink, or be troubled by the heat or the sun: for he who has mercy on them will be their guide, taking them by the springs of water.
Ɛkɔm renne wɔn na osukɔm nso renne wɔn; anweatam so hyeɛ ne owia ano hyeɛ renka wɔn. Deɛ ɔwɔ ayamhyehyeɛ ma wɔn no bɛkyerɛ wɔn kwan na ɔde wɔn akɔ nsutire ho.
11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways will be lifted up.
Mɛyɛ me mmepɔ nyinaa akwan, na mʼakwantempɔn nso mɛma akorɔn.
12 See, these are coming from far; and these from the north and the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
Hwɛ, wɔfiri akyirikyiri bɛba ebinom bɛfiri atifi fam, ebinom bɛfiri atɔeɛ fam ebinom nso bɛfiri Sinin mantam mu.”
13 Let your voice be loud in song, O heavens; and be glad, O earth; make sounds of joy, O mountains, for the Lord has given comfort to his people, and will have mercy on his crushed ones.
Momfa anigyeɛ nteam, Ao ɔsoro; di ahurisie, Ao asase; monto nnwom, Ao mmepɔ! Na Awurade kyekye ne nkurɔfoɔ werɛ, na ɔbɛhunu nʼamanehunufoɔ mmɔbɔ.
14 But Zion said, The Lord has given me up, I have gone from his memory.
Nanso, Sion kaa sɛ, “Awurade agya me hɔ, Awurade werɛ afiri me.”
15 Will a woman give up the child at her breast, will she be without pity for the fruit of her body? yes, these may, but I will not let you go out of my memory.
“Ɔbaa werɛ bɛtumi afiri ne ba a ɔtua nufoɔ ano a ɔrennya ayamhyehyeɛ mma ɔba a waturu no anaa? Ebia ne werɛ bɛfiri, na me werɛ remfiri wo!
16 See, your name is marked on my hands; your walls are ever before me.
Hwɛ, makrukyire wo din agu me nsa yam wʼafasuo wɔ mʼani so daa.
17 Your builders are coming quickly; your haters and those who made you waste will go out of you.
Mo mmammarima resane aba ntɛm so; na wɔn a wɔsɛe mo no refiri mo nkyɛn akɔ.
18 Let your eyes be lifted up round about, and see: they are all coming together to you. By my life, says the Lord, truly you will put them all on you as an ornament, and be clothed with them like a bride.
Momma mo ani so na monhwɛ mo ho nhyia; mo mmammarima nyinaa reboa wɔn ho ano aba mo nkyɛn. Sɛ mete ase yi” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ, “mode wɔn bɛyɛ ahyehyɛdeɛ ama mo ho mode wɔn bɛfira sɛ ayeforɔkunu.
19 For though the waste places of your land have been given to destruction, now you will not be wide enough for your people, and those who made you waste will be far away.
“Ɛwom sɛ wɔsɛee mo yɛɛ mo pasaa maa mo asase daa mpan deɛ, nanso, afei nnipa bɛhyɛ mo so ma, ama aboro mo so, na wɔn a wɔsɛee mo no bɛkɔ akyirikyiri.
20 The children to whom you gave birth in other lands will say in your ears, The place is not wide enough for me: make room for me to have a resting-place.
Mmɔfra a wɔwoo wɔn wɔ mo nnabɔne mu no bɛka ama moate sɛ, ‘Ɛha sua ma yɛn dodo; momma yɛn asase no bi nka ho na yɛntena so.’
21 Then you will say in your heart, Who has given me all these children? when my children had been taken from me, and I was no longer able to have others, who took care of these? when I was by myself, where then were these?
Na wobɛka wɔ wʼakoma mu sɛ, ‘Hwan na ɔwoo yeinom maa me? Na meyɛ ɔwerɛhoni ne obonini; wɔtuu me kɔɔ asase foforɔ so na wɔpoo me. Hwan na ɔtetee yeinom? Wɔgyaa me nko ara na yeinom, ɛhe na wɔfiri baeɛ?’”
22 This is the word of the Lord God: See, I will make a sign with my hand to the nations, and put up my flag for the peoples; and they will take up your sons on their beasts, and your daughters on their backs.
Sei na Asafo Awurade seɛ: “Hwɛ, mɛnyama amanamanmufoɔ, mɛpagya me frankaa no akyerɛ nkurɔfoɔ no. Wɔbɛturu mo mmammarima wɔ wɔn nsa so aba na wɔbɛsoa mo mmammaa wɔ wɔn mmatire so.
23 And kings will take care of you, and queens will give you their milk: they will go down on their faces before you, kissing the dust of your feet; and you will be certain that I am the Lord, and that those who put their hope in me will not be shamed.
Ahemfo bɛyɛ mo agyanom nsiananmu, na wɔn ahemaa ayɛ maamenom a wɔbɛhwɛ mo. Wɔbɛkoto mo a wɔn anim butubutu fam; wɔbɛtafere mo nan ase mfuturo. Afei mobɛhunu sɛ me ne Awurade; Wɔn a wɔn ani da me so no, merenni wɔn hwammɔ.”
24 Will the goods of war be taken from the strong man, or the prisoners of the cruel one be let go?
Hwan na ɔbɛtumi agye afodeɛ afiri akofoɔ nsam; anaa hwan na ɔbɛtumi agye nnommumfoɔ afiri otirimuɔdenfoɔ nsam?
25 But the Lord says, Even the prisoners of the strong will be taken from him, and the cruel made to let go his goods: for I will take up your cause against your haters, and I will keep your children safe.
Nanso, sei na Awurade seɛ: “Aane, mɛgye nnommumfoɔ afiri akofoɔ nsam na mɛgye afodeɛ afiri otirimuɔdenfoɔ nsam; me ne wɔn a wɔne mo nya no bɛnya na mɛgye mo mma nkwa.
26 And the flesh of your attackers will be taken by themselves for food; and they will take their blood for drink, as if it was sweet wine: and all men will see that I the Lord am your saviour, even he who takes up your cause, the Strong One of Jacob.
Mema wɔn a wɔhyɛ mo so no awe wɔn ankasa honam; wɔn mogya bɛbo wɔn sɛdeɛ wɔanom nsã. Afei adasamma nyinaa bɛhunu sɛ me, Awurade, me ne wʼAgyenkwa no, mo Gyefoɔ, Yakob Otumfoɔ No.”
