Isaiah 41
1 Listen to me in silence, you people who live in lands beyond the sea. Let the nations regain their strength. Then let them come and speak, and let us join together for judgment.
“Monyɛ komm wɔ mʼanim, mo nsupɔw! Ma aman no nhyɛ wɔn ho den! Ma wɔmmra ha mmɛkasa; momma yɛmmɔ mu nhyia wɔ asennii hɔ.
2 Who has encouraged this one from the east who is called into God's service to do what is right? He gives him nations, and helps him trample kings underfoot. He makes them like dust with his sword, and turns them into chaff with his bow, blown before him on the wind.
“Hena na wakanyan nea ofi apuei no, afrɛ no trenee mu sɛ ɔmmɛsom no? Ɔde aman hyɛ ne nsa na ɔbrɛ ahemfo ase wɔ nʼanim. Ɔde nʼafoa ma wɔdan mfutuma, ɔde ne bɛmma ma wɔdan ntɛtɛ a mframa bɔ hwete.
3 He chases them down, and goes on unharmed, not following the usual routes.
Ɔtaa wɔn na ɔkɔ nʼanim a biribiara nti ne ho, wɔ kwan a ɔmfaa so da no so.
4 Who has achieved and done this, calling into existence each generation from the beginning of time? I, the Lord, the first and the last, I am the one.
Hena na wayɛ eyi akosi awiei, afrɛ awo ntoatoaso afi mfiase? Me Awurade, meka adikanfo ne akyikafo ho, Mene ɔno ara.”
5 The islands watch in fear, the distant lands tremble. They get together and consult.
Nsupɔw no ahu na wɔbɔ hu; nsase ano ho popo. Wotwiw bɛn, na wɔba anim;
6 They all help each other, encouraging one another to “Be strong!”
na obiara boa ne yɔnko na ɔka kyerɛ ne nua se, “Yɛ den!”
7 The craftsman encourages the goldsmith; the one who beats out the metal with a hammer encourages the one hitting the anvil, saying the soldering is good. They nail the idol down so it won't fall over.
Odwumfo hyɛ sikadwumfo nkuran, na nea ɔde asae yɛ no trontrom boa nea ɔbɔ atommo so. Ɔka fa nea ɔsɔw no ho se, “Eye pa ara.” Ɔbobɔ ohoni no mu nnadewa sɛnea ɛrentu nhwe fam.
8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, the ones I have chosen, descendants of my friend Abraham,
“Nanso wo, Israel, me somfo, Yakob, nea mayi no no, mo, mʼadamfo Abraham asefo.
9 I brought you back from distant lands, I called you back from faraway places, telling you, “You are my servants.” I have chosen you, and I have not abandoned you.
Mefaa wo fii nsase ano, fii nʼakyirikyiri ntwea so, na mefrɛɛ wo. Mekae se, ‘Woyɛ me somfo’; mapaw wo na mempoo wo ɛ.
10 Don't be afraid, for I am with you! Don't be frightened for I, your God, will make you strong, and I will certainly help you. I will support you with my strong hand, acting for what is right.
Enti nsuro, na mene wo wɔ hɔ; mma wo werɛ nhow, na mene wo Nyankopɔn. Mɛhyɛ wo den, na mɛboa wo; mede me trenee nsa nifa bɛma wo so.
11 See—everyone who is angry with you will be ashamed and disgraced. Those who fight against you will end up as nothing and die.
“Wɔn a wɔn bo afuw wo no nyinaa, ampa ara wɔn ani bewu na wɔn anim agu ase; wɔn a wɔsɔre tia wo no rensɛ hwee na wobewuwu.
12 Even though you look for your enemies, you won't find them. Those who attack you will become absolutely nothing.
Ɛwɔ mu sɛ wobɛhwehwɛ wʼatamfo de, nanso worenhu wɔn. Wɔn a wotu wo so sa no rensɛ hwee koraa.
13 For I the Lord will grab you by the hand and tell you, “Don't be afraid! I myself will help you.
Na mene Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn, nea okura wo nsa nifa mu na ɔka kyerɛ wo se, Nsuro; mɛboa wo.
14 Don't be frightened, Jacob, you little worm, you people of Israel, for I will help you,” declared the Lord your Savior, the Holy One of Israel.
Nsuro, osunson Yakob, Israel a wusua, na me ankasa mɛboa wo,” Awurade na ose, wo gyefo, Israel Ɔkronkronni no.
15 Look! I will make you into a new and sharp threshing device, with many pointed teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush the hills, turning them into chaff.
“Hwɛ, mede wo bɛyɛ nhuwso apa, a ɛyɛ amono, ano yɛ nnam na ɛwɔ ɛse bebree. Wubehuhuw mmepɔw no so na woadwiriw wɔn, na woama nkoko ayɛ sɛ ntɛtɛ.
16 You will throw them into the air, the wind will carry them away, and a storm will scatter them. Then you will be happy in the Lord, and boast about the Holy One of Israel.
Wubehuhuw wɔn so, mframa bɛma wɔn so, na ahum abɔ wɔn akɔ. Nanso wʼani begye wɔ Awurade mu na woahyɛ Israel Ɔkronkronni no anuonyam.
17 The poor and needy search for water, but don't find any—their tongues are dry with thirst. I, the Lord, will respond to them; I, the God of Israel, won't abandon them.
“Ohiani ne mmɔborɔni kyin pɛ nsu, nanso bi nni hɔ; osukɔm ama wɔn tɛkrɛma so ayow. Nanso me Awurade, mɛma wɔn mmuae. Me, Israel Nyankopɔn, merennyaw wɔn.
18 I will open up rivers in the desolate highlands and springs in the valleys. I will make pools in the wilderness and springs in the desert.
Mɛma nsubɔnten ateɛ wɔ sorɔnsorɔmmea a awu no so, na nsuti apue wɔ abon mu. Mɛdan nweatam ayɛ no mmura, na nsase a awo adan nsuti bebree.
19 I will plant cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees in the desert. I will place evergreens in the desert, firs and box trees together.
Meduadua wɔ nweatam so, sida, ɔkanto, ohuam ne ngonnua. Meduadua ɔpepaw wɔ asase wosee so asɛsɛ ne kwabɔhɔre abɔ mu,
20 In this way everyone can see and know, they can think about it and draw the conclusion that the it is the Lord who has done this, that the Holy One of Israel made it happen.
sɛnea nnipa behu na wɔate, na wɔasusuw ho na wɔate ase sɛ, Awurade nsa na ayɛ saa ade yi, Israel ɔkronkronni no na ɔma ɛbae.
21 “Now you submit your case,” says the Lord. “Present your evidence,” says the King of Jacob.
“Bɔ wo nkuro,” Awurade na ose. “Kyerɛkyerɛ wʼasɛm mu,” Yakob Hene na ose.
22 “Let them come and tell us what's about to happen. Let them explain the things of the past, so that we can think about them and discover the final outcome. Or they can tell us about the future.
“Fa wʼahoni no bra na wɔmmɛka nea ebesi nkyerɛ yɛn. Wɔmmɛka sɛnea na kan nneɛma no te nkyerɛ yɛn, sɛnea yebedwen ho afa na yɛahu nea ebefi mu aba. Anaasɛ wɔmpae mu nka nneɛma a ebesi nkyerɛ yɛn.
23 Predict what's coming so we can know for sure that you are gods. At least do something, good or bad, to impress us when we see it.
Monka yɛn nea ebesi daakye, na ama yɛahu sɛ moyɛ anyame. Monyɛ biribi, sɛ eye anaa enye, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a yɛn werɛ bɛhow na ehu aka yɛn.
24 But look at you! You're nothing, and you can't do anything! Anyone who chooses you is disgusting!
Nanso, monnka hwee, na mo nnwuma so nni mfaso; nea ɔfa mo no yɛ akyiwade.
25 I have encouraged the one who comes from the north. He is from the east, and will respect me. He will tread on rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter treading on clay.
“Makanyan obi a ofi atifi fam na ɔreba, nea ofi owia apuei na ɔbɔ me din. Otiatia ahemfo so te sɛ dɔte a wɔde si dan, te sɛ ɔnwemfo a ɔrewɔw dɔte.
26 Who announced this beforehand so that we could know about it? Who let us know in the past, so that now we could say: ‘He was right’? None of you announced it, none of you predicted it, and nobody heard you say a word!
Hena na ɔkaa eyi ho asɛm fii mfiase, sɛnea anka ɛbɛma yɛahu, anaa waka ato hɔ, sɛnea yebetumi aka se, ‘Ne de no ye’? Obiara anka eyi, obiara anni kan anka, obiara ante nsɛm biara amfi wo nkyɛn.
27 I was the first to announce to Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ I was the one who brought to Jerusalem the good news.
Me na midii kan ka kyerɛɛ Sion, ‘Hwɛ, woni!’ Memaa Yerusalem ɔsomafo a ɔde asɛmpa ba.
28 I look at these idols, and find there is no one who can say anything. None of them can give advice; when I ask them something, they can't even answer.
Mehwɛ, nanso obiara nni hɔ, obiara nni wɔn mu a obetu wɔn fo, sɛ mibisa wɔn a, obiara ntumi mma mmuae.
29 Look at them! They're all evil, deceptive things. They can't do anything! They're just idols full of hot air!”
Hwɛ, wɔn nyinaa yɛ atorofo! Wɔn nneyɛe nka hwee; wɔn nsɛsode yɛ mframa ne basabasayɛ nko ara.
