< Isaiah 44 >
1 And now hear, O Jacob, my servant, and Israel whom I have chosen.
“Na afei tie, Yakob me somfo, Israel, nea mapaw no.
2 Thus saith the Lord that made and formed thee, thy helper from the womb: Fear not, O my servant Jacob, and thou most righteous whom I have chosen.
Sɛɛ na Awurade se, nea ɔnwen wo, na ɔyɛɛ wo wɔ awotwaa mu, ɔno na ɔbɛboa wo: Nsuro Yakob, me somfo, Yeshurun, a mapaw no.
3 For I will pour out waters upon the thirsty ground, and streams upon the dry land: I will pour out my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy stock.
Na mehwie nsu agu asase a awo no so, ne nsuten wɔ asase kesee so; mehwie me Honhom agu wo mma so, ne me nhyira agu wʼasefo so.
4 And they shall spring up among the herbs, as willows beside the running waters.
Wobefifi sɛnea sare fifi wɔ mmoa adidibea, te sɛ mpampuro a ɛwɔ asuten ho.
5 One shall say: I am the Lord’s, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand, To the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
Obi bɛka se, ‘Meyɛ Awurade de’; ɔfoforo bɛfrɛ ne ho se Yakob; afoforo bɛkɔ so akyerɛw wɔn nsa ho se, ‘Awurade de,’ na wɔafa din Israel.
6 Thus saith the Lord the king of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts: I am the brat, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God.
“Sɛɛ na Awurade Israelhene ne Ogyefo, Asafo Awurade se: Mene odikanfo ne okyikafo; Onyankopɔn biara nni hɔ sɛ me.
7 Who is like to me? let him call and declare: and let him set before me the order, since I appointed the ancient people: and the things to come, and that shall be hereafter, let them shew unto them.
Hena na ɔne me sɛ? Ma ɔmpae mu nka. Ma ɔnka na ɔnkyerɛ wɔ mʼanim nea asisi fi bere a migyee me tete nkurɔfo sii hɔ, ne nea ɛrebɛba. Yiw, ma ɔnhyɛ nea ɛreba ho nkɔm.
8 Fear ye not, neither be ye troubled, from that time I have made thee to hear, and have declared: you are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me, a maker, whom I have not known?
Mommma mo ho mpopo, munnsuro. Mampae mu anka eyi, manhyɛ ho amfi teteete ana? Mone me nnansefo. Onyankopɔn foforo bi ka me ho ana? Dabi, Ɔbotan foforo bi nni hɔ; minnim baako mpo.”
9 The makers of idols are all of them nothing, and their best beloved things shall not profit them. They are their witnesses, that they do not see, nor understand, that they may be ashamed.
Wɔn a wɔyɛ ahoni nyinaa nka hwee, na nneɛma a ɛsom wɔn bo no so nni mfaso. Wɔn a anka wɔkasa ma wɔn no ani afura; wonnim wɔn ankasa animguase ho hwee.
10 Who hath formed a god, and made a graven thing that is profitable for nothing?
Hena na ɔbɔ onyame na ogu ohoni, a ne so mma no mfaso biara?
11 Behold, all the partakers thereof shall be confounded: for the makers are men: they shall all assemble together, they shall stand and fear, and shall be confounded together.
Ɔno ne wɔn a wɔte sɛ no nyinaa anim begu ase; adwumfo nyɛ hwee sɛ nnipa. Momma wɔn nyinaa mmɔ mu nsɔre nnyina, ehu ne animguase na ɛbɛka wɔn.
12 The smith hath wrought with his file, with coals, and with hammers he hath formed it, and hath wrought with the strength of his arm: he shall hunger and faint, he shall drink no water, and shall be weary.
Ɔtomfo fa nʼatonnade ɔde hyehyɛ nnyansramma mu; ɔde asae bobɔ so yɛ no ohoni, ɔde nʼabasa mu ahoɔden mmoroso na ɛyɛ; ɔkɔm de no na ɔyɛ mmrɛw; ɔnnom nsu nti ɔtɔ beraw.
13 The carpenter hath stretched out his rule, he hath formed it with a plane: he hath made it with corners, and hath fashioned it round with the compass: and he hath made the image of a man as it were a beautiful man dwelling in a house.
Duadwumfo de hama susuw na ɔde kyerɛwdua sensan; na ɔde pɛe yiyi ho afei ɔde kɔmpaase hyɛ no agyirae. Osen na ɛyɛ sɛ onipa sɛso, ɛyɛ sɛ onipa wɔ nʼanuonyam nyinaa mu, sɛ wɔde besi abosonnan mu.
14 He hath cut down cedars, taken the holm, and the oak that stood among the trees of the forest: he hath planted the pine tree, which the rain hath nourished.
Otwitwaa sida, anaasɛ ebia ɔfaa kwabɔhɔre anaa odum. Ɔma enyinii wɔ kwae mu, anaa oduaa ɔpepaw, na osu ma enyinii.
15 And it hath served men for fuel: he took thereof, and warmed himself: and he kindled it, and baked bread: but of the rest he made a god, and adored it: he made a graven thing, and bowed down before it.
Ɛyɛ nea onipa de sɔ ogya; ɔde bi ka ne ho hyew, ɔde bi sɔ ogya to brodo. Nanso ɔde bi sen onyame na ɔsɔre no; ɔyɛ ohoni na ɔkotow no.
16 Part of it he burnt with fire, and with part of it he dressed his meat: he boiled pottage, and was filled, and was warmed, and said: Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.
Ɔde dua no mu fa sɔ ogya; so na ɔnoa nʼaduan, ɔtoto ne nam wɔ so na wawe amee. Afei ɔka ne ho hyew na ɔka se, Aa! mahu ogya; me ho ayɛ me hyew.
17 But the residue thereof he made a god, and a graven thing for himself: he boweth down before it, and adoreth it, and prayeth unto it, saying: Deliver me, for thou art my God.
Nkae no ɔde yɛ onyame, ne ohoni; ɔkotow no na ɔsɔre no. Ɔbɔ no mpae se, “Gye me; wo ne me nyame.”
18 They have not known, nor understood: for their eyes are covered that they may not see, and that they may not understand with their heart.
Wonnim hwee, na wɔnte hwee ase; wɔatare wɔn ani so nti wonhu ade, wɔato wɔn adwene mu nti wɔnte hwee ase.
19 They do not consider in their mind, nor know, nor have the thought to say: I have burnt part of it in the fire, and I have baked bread upon the coals thereof: I have broiled flesh and have eaten, and of the residue thereof shall I make an idol? shall I fall down before the stock of a tree?
Obiara nna nnwen ho, obiara nni nimdeɛ anaa nhumu a ɔde bɛka se, “Mede fa sɔɔ ogya; na mpo metoo brodo wɔ ne nnyansramma so; metotoo nam wɔ so wee. Ɛsɛ sɛ mede nkae no yɛ akyiwade ana? Ɛsɛ sɛ mekotow gyentia ana?”
20 Part thereof is ashes: his foolish heart adoreth it, and he will not save his soul, nor say: Perhaps there is a lie in my right hand.
Saa onipa no di nsõ, nnaadaa koma ma no to kwan; ɔrentumi nnye ne ho, anaa nka se, “Nea mikura wɔ me nsa nifa yi nyɛ atoro ana?”
21 Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for thou art my servant. I have formed thee, thou art my servant, O Israel, forget me not.
“Kae saa nneɛma yi, Yakob, efisɛ, woyɛ me somfo, Israel. Me na meyɛɛ wo, woyɛ me somfo; Ao Israel, me werɛ remfi wo.
22 I have blotted out thy iniquities as a cloud, and thy sins as a mist: return to me, for I have redeemed thee.
Mapra wo mfomso agu te sɛ omununkum ne wo bɔne te sɛ anɔpa bosu. San bra me nkyɛn, efisɛ magye wo.”
23 Give praise, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath shewn mercy: shout with joy, ye ends of the earth: ye mountains, resound with praise, thou, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and Israel shall be glorified.
Momfa ahosɛpɛw nto dwom, ɔsorosoro, na Awurade na wayɛ eyi. Mommɔ ose, asase ase. Momma nnwonto so, mo mmepɔw, mo kwae ne emu nnua nyinaa, na Awurade agye Yakob, wada nʼanuonyam adi wɔ Israel.
24 Thus saith the Lord thy redeemer, and thy maker, from the womb: I am the Lord, that make all things, that alone stretch out the heavens, that establish the earth, and there is none with me.
“Sɛɛ na Awurade se, wo Gyefo a ɔnwen wo wɔ awotwaa mu no: “Mene Awurade, nea wayɛ nneɛma nyinaa, nea ɔno nko ara trɛw ɔsoro mu nea ɔno nko ara twee asase mu,
25 That make void the tokens of diviners, and make the soothsayers mad. That turn the wise backward, and that, make their knowledge foolish.
nea ɔsɛe atoro adiyifo nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔma nkɔmhyɛfo yɛ nkwaseafo, nea otutu anyansafo adenim gu na ɔdan no nkwaseasɛm,
26 That raise up the word of my servant and perform the counsel of my messengers, who say to Jerusalem: Thou shalt be inhabited: and to the cities of Juda: You shall be built, and I will raise up the wastes thereof.
nea ɔma nʼasomfo nsɛm ba mu nea ɔhyɛ nʼasomafo nkɔmhyɛ mu ma, “nea ɔka fa Yerusalem ho se, ‘Wɔbɛtena mu,’ ne Yuda nkurow ho se, ‘Wɔbɛkyekye,’ ne mmubui ho se, ‘Mɛyɛ no foforo,’
27 Who say to the deep: Be thou desolate, and I will dry up thy rivers.
nea ɔka kyerɛ asubun se, ‘Yow, na mɛma wo nsuwa ayoyow,’
28 Who say to Cyrus: Thou art my shepherd, and thou shalt perform all my pleasure. Who say to Jerusalem: Thou shalt be built: and to the temple: Thy foundations shall be laid.
nea ɔka wɔ Kores ho se, ‘Ɔyɛ me guanhwɛfo na obewie nea mepɛ nyinaa yɛ; ɔbɛka afa Yerusalem ho se, “Ma wɔnkyekyere bio,” na waka afa asɔredan no ho se, “Ma wɔnto ne fapem.”’”