Isaiah 8

1 And the Lord said to me: Take thee a great book, and write in it with a man’s pen. Take sway the spoils with speed, quickly take the prey.

Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Fa nhoma mmobɔwee kɛse no na fa kyerɛwdua biara kyerɛw so.

2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses, Urias the priest, and Zacharias the son of Barachias.

Na mɛfrɛ ɔsɔfo Uria ne Yeberekia babarima Sakaria sɛ me dansefo nokwafo aba.”

3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore a son. And the Lord said to me: Call his name, Hasten to take away the spoils: Make haste to take away the prey.

Afei mekɔɔ nkɔmhyɛnibea no ho, na onyinsɛnee, woo ɔbabarima. Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Frɛ no Maher-Salal-Has-Bas.

4 For before the child know to call his father and his mother, the strength of Damascus, and the spoils of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of the Assyrians.

Ansa na abarimaa no betumi aka, ‘Mʼagya’ anaasɛ ‘me na’ no, Asiriahene bɛba abɛfa Damasko ahode ne Samaria asade nyinaa akɔ.”

5 And the Lord spoke to me again, saying:

Awurade kasa kyerɛɛ me bio se,

6 Forasmuch as this people hath cast away the waters of Siloe, that go with silence, and hath rather taken Basin, and the son of Romelia:

“Esiane sɛ saa nkurɔfo yi apo Siloa nsu a ɛsen brɛoo na wodi ahurusi wɔ Resin ne Remalia babarima no ho nti,

7 Therefore behold the Lord will bring upon them the waters of the river strong and many, the king of the Assyrians, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and shall overflow all his banks,

Awurade reyɛ de Asubɔnten no yiri kɛse no atia wɔn, Asiriahene ne ne kɛseyɛ nyinaa. Ebeyiri afa nʼabon nyinaa mu, na abu afa ne konkɔn so

8 And shall pass through Juda, overflowing, and going over shall reach even to the neck. And the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Emmanuel.

na apra abɛfa Yuda, akɔntɔn afa ho, ateɛ afa mu abɛdeda kɔn mu. Na atrɛtrɛw akata asase no nyinaa so Immanuel.”

9 Gather yourselves together, O ye people, and be overcome, and give ear, all ye lands afar off: strengthen yourselves, and be overcome, gird yourselves, and be overcome.

Momma ɔko nteɛmu so, mo aman na wɔnnwerɛw mo! Muntie mo akyirikyiri aman. Munsiesie mo ho mma ɔko, na wɔnnwerɛw mo! Munsiesie mo ho mma ɔko, na wɔnnwerɛw mo!

10 Take counsel together, and it shall be defeated: speak a word, and it shall not be done: because God is with us.

Hwehwɛ ɔkwan a wobɛfa so, nanso wɔbɛsɛe no; da wo nsusuwii adi, nanso ɛrennyina, efisɛ Onyankopɔn ne yɛn wɔ hɔ.

11 For thus saith the Lord to me: As he hath taught me, with a strong arm, that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:

Awurade de ne nsa dennen no too me so, ka kyerɛ me, bɔɔ me kɔkɔ se mennantew saa nkurɔfo yi kwan so. Ɔkae se,

12 Say ye not: A conspiracy: for all that this people speaketh, is a conspiracy: neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

“Mommfrɛ no tirisopam biribiara a saa nkurɔfo yi frɛ no tirisopam no; Munnsuro nea wosuro, na momma ɛmmɔ mo hu.

13 Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself: and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Asafo Awurade nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wubu no ɔkronkron, ɔno na ɛsɛ sɛ wusuro no, ɔno na ne ho yɛ hu,

14 And he shall be a sanctification to you. But for a stone or stumbling, and for a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel, for a snare and a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

ɔbɛyɛ kronkronbea: nanso Israel ne Yuda de, ɔbɛyɛ hintibo ne ɔbotan a ɛma wɔhwe ase. Na ne nnipa a wɔwɔ Yerusalem de, ɔbɛyɛ afiri a ebeyi wɔn.

15 And very many of them shall stumble and fall, and shall be broken in pieces, and shall be snared, and taken.

Wɔn mu bebree bɛwatiri; wɔbɛhwe ase a wɔrensɔre bio, wobesum wɔn afiri na ayi wɔn.”

16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

Kyekyere kɔkɔbɔ adanse no sɔw mmara no ano ma mʼasuafo.

17 And I will wait for the Lord, who hath hid his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

Mɛtwɛn Awurade a wayi nʼani afi Yakobfi so mede me werɛ bɛhyɛ ne mu.

18 Behold I and my children, whom the Lord hath given me for a sign, and for a wonder in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwelleth in mount Sion.

Me ne mma a Awurade de wɔn ama me no ni. Yɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne ne agyiraehyɛde wɔ Israel, na yefi Asafo Awurade a ɔte Sion Bepɔw so no nkyɛn.

19 And when they shall say to you: Seek of pythons, and of diviners, who mutter in their enchantments: should not the people seek of their God, for the living of the dead?

Sɛ nnipa tu mo fo sɛ monkohu samanfrɛfo ne nnunsifo a wɔkasa aso mu na emu ntew a, adɛn nti na wommmisa wɔn Nyankopɔn? Adɛn nti na mubisa ade wɔ awufo nkyɛn ma ateasefo?

20 To the law rather, and to the testimony. And if they speak not according to this word, they shall not have the morning light.

Sɛ wɔannyina mmara ne adanse yi so anka asɛm yi a, wunni adekyee mu hann.

21 And they shall pass by it, they shall fall, and be hungry: and when they shall be hungry, they will be angry, and curse their king, and their God, and look upwards.

Wɔde ahohiahia ne ɔkɔm bɛnantenantew asase no so; na sɛ wɔtɔ beraw a, wɔn bo befuw na wɔbɛma wɔn ani so adome wɔn hene ne wɔn Nyankopɔn.

22 And they shall look to the earth, and behold trouble and darkness, weakness and distress, and a mist following them, and they cannot fly away from their distress.

Afei wɔbɛhwɛ asase no so, na wubehu ahohiahia ne sum a ɛyɛ hu, na wɔde wɔn bɛhyɛn sum kabii mu.