< Isaiah 42 >
1 Look! Here is my servant, the one I support; my chosen one who pleases me. I have placed my Spirit on him, and he will show the nations what is right.
“Me ɔsomfoɔ a mahyɛ no den nie, deɛ mayi noɔ na ɔsɔ mʼani; mede me Honhom bɛgu no so na ɔde atɛntenenee bɛbrɛ aman no.
2 He won't shout or cry out; he won't raise his voice in the street.
Ɔrenteam anaa ɔremma ne nne so. Ɔremma ne nne so wɔ mmɔntene so.
3 He won't break a damaged reed; he won't snuff out a smoldering wick. He will faithfully make sure everyone is treated fairly.
Demmire a ayɛ mmerɛ no, ɔremmu mu. Kanea ntoma a ɛnnɛre yie no, ɔrennum. Nokorɛ mu na ɔbɛda tenenee adi;
4 He won't give up or become discouraged until he has made sure that justice is upheld throughout the world. Even lands overseas will look forward to his teachings.
ɔrenhinhim na nʼabamu remmu kɔsi sɛ ɔde tenenee bɛba asase so. Ne mmara so na amanaman no de wɔn ani bɛtoɔ.”
5 This is what God the Lord says, the one who created the heavens and stretched them out, who made the earth and everything in it, who gives breath to the people on it, and life to those who live there:
Yei ne deɛ Onyankopɔn, Awurade no seɛ, deɛ ɔbɔɔ ɔsoro na ɔtrɛɛ mu, deɛ ɔtwee asase mu ne deɛ ɛfiri mu nyinaa, deɛ ɔma wɔn a wɔte so ahome, na ɔma wɔn a wɔnante soɔ no nkwa:
6 “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate what's right, and I will hold your hand. I will take care of you, and give you as a sign of my agreement with the people and as a light to the nations.
“Me, Awurade, mafrɛ wo tenenee mu; mɛsɔ wo nsa. Mɛhwɛ wo so na mede wo ayɛ apam ama nkurɔfoɔ no ne kanea ama amanamanmufoɔ,
7 You will make the blind see, set free those who are locked up, and lead those who sit in darkness out from prison.
na woabue ani a afira, na woayi nneduafoɔ afiri afiase na woagye wɔn a wɔda afiase amena mu, wɔn a wɔte esum kabii mu no.
8 I am the Lord—that is my name! I do not give my honor to anyone else; I do not give my praise to idols.
“Mene Awurade; me din ne no! Meremfa mʼanimuonyam mma obi anaa mʼayɛyie mma ahoni.
9 Notice that what I foretold has come true, as will the new things I'm saying to you now. I tell you what will happen before it does.”
Hwɛ, nneɛma dada no atwam, na nneɛma foforɔ no mepae mu ka; ansa na ɛbɛba mu no meka kyerɛ mo.”
10 Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing praise from everywhere on earth, you who sail on the sea and everything in it, you islands and everyone who lives in them.
Monto dwom foforɔ mma Awurade! Nʼayɛyie mfiri asase ano, mo a mokɔ ɛpo so ne deɛ ɛwo mu nyinaa, mo nsupɔ ne wɔn a wɔtete so nyinaa.
11 Let the people in the desert and its towns shout; let the people of the villages of Kedar cry out loud. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops.
Ma anweatam ne ɛso nkuro mma wɔn nne so; ma atenaeɛ a Kedar te soɔ no nsɛpɛ wɔn ho. Ma nnipa a wɔwɔ Sela nto anigye dwom; ma wɔn nteam mfiri mmepɔ no atifi!
12 Let them glorify the Lord and praise him in the islands.
Ma wɔnhyɛ Awurade animuonyam; na wɔmpae mu nka nʼayɛyie no wɔ nsupɔ no so.
13 Like a mighty warrior the Lord will march out, like a seasoned soldier he goes out with courage. He gives his war-cry, shouting as he battles and defeats his enemies.
Awurade bɛpue aba sɛ ɔkatakyie, te sɛ ɔkofoni no, ɔbɛhyɛ ne mmɔdemmɔ mu den; ɔde nteam bɛyɛ ɔkofrɛ na ɔbɛdi nʼatamfoɔ so nkonim.
14 “I didn't say anything for a long time, I kept quiet and restrained myself. But now like a woman giving birth, I will moan and gasp and pant.
“Mayɛ komm akyɛre, mayɛ dinn na mahyɛ me ho so. Nanso, afei, te sɛ ɔbaa a ɔrewoɔ no, meteam, mehome a ɛnsi so na mehome ɔherɛ so.
15 I will dry up the mountains and the hills, and make all their greenery wither. I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools.
Mɛsɛe mmepɔ ne nkokoɔ no na mahye ɛso afifideɛ nyinaa. Mɛdane nsubɔntene ma ayɛ nsupɔ, na mama atadeɛ awewe.
16 I will lead the blind along a road they don't know; I will guide them along paths they don't know. I will turn darkness into light before them, and smooth out the rough places. This is what I'm going to do for them; I won't let them down.
Mɛdi anifirafoɔ anim afa ɛkwan a wɔnnim so, akwan a wɔnnim so papa so na mɛkyerɛ wɔn kwan. Mɛma esum no ayɛ hann wɔ wɔn anim, na mayɛ mmea a ɛyɛ mmomkyi mmɔnka no tromtrom. Yeinom ne nneɛma a mɛyɛ; merennya wɔn mu.
17 But those who trust in idols and say to images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be rejected in humiliation and shame.
Na wɔn a wɔde wɔn ho to ahoni so, na wɔka kyerɛ nsɛsodeɛ sɛ, ‘Moyɛ yɛn anyame’ no, mɛpam wɔn animguaseɛ mu.”
18 Listen, you deaf people! Look and see, you blind people!
“Tie, wo ɔsotifoɔ; hwɛ, wo onifirani na hunu!
19 Who is blind like my servant? Who is deaf like my messenger that I send? Who is as blind as the people of the agreement? Who is as blind as the servant of the Lord?
Hwan ne ɔnifirafoɔ sɛ me ɔsomfoɔ, na ɔyɛ ɔsotifoɔ sɛ ɔbɔfoɔ a mesoma noɔ? Hwan na nʼani afira sɛ deɛ ɔde ne werɛ ahyɛ me mu? Anaa hwan na nʼani afira sɛ Awurade ɔsomfoɔ?
20 You've looked at many things but have not really seen; you've heard but never really listened.”
Woahunu nneɛma bebree, nanso amfa wo ho; Wʼasom da ɛkwan, nanso wonte hwee.”
21 Because the Lord does what is right he wanted to show how important and wonderful his instructions were.
Ɛsɔɔ Awurade ani ne tenenee enti sɛ ɔbɛma ne mmara ayɛ kɛseɛ na anya animuonyam.
22 But this people ended up robbed and raided, all of them trapped in holes or hidden in prisons. They have been stolen like loot, with no one to save them from being someone's prize, no one to say “Give them back!”
Nanso saa nnipa a wɔawia wɔn na wɔafo wɔn yi, wɔn nyinaa aka amena mu anaa wɔde wɔn asie wɔ nneduadan mu. Wɔayɛ wɔn afodeɛ na wɔnni obi a ɔbɛgye wɔn; wɔayɛ wɔn korɔnodeɛ na wɔnni obi a ɔbɛka sɛ, “Momfa wɔn nsane nkɔ.”
23 Who of you is going to listen to this, or pay attention later on?
Mo mu hwan na ɔbɛtie yei anaa ɔbɛdwene ho yie akyire yi?
24 Who let Jacob be taken as loot; who let Israel be taken by robbers? Wasn't it the Lord who we sinned against? The people weren't willing to follow his ways, and they refused to obey his law.
Hwan na ɔde Yakob maa sɛ ɔmmɛyɛ korɔnodeɛ, na ɔde Israel maa afomfoɔ? Ɛnyɛ Awurade a yɛayɛ bɔne atia no no? Ɛfiri sɛ wɔannante nʼakwan so; na wɔanni ne mmara so.
25 So he poured out his furious anger on them, and the violence of war. Even though they were surrounded by flames, but they still didn't understand. The fire burned them up, but they still did not take the situation seriously.
Enti ɔhwiee nʼabufuhyeɛ guu wɔn so, akodie mu basabasayɛ. Ɛde egyadɛreɛ bunkam wɔn so, nanso wɔante aseɛ. Ɛhyee wɔn, nanso amfa wɔn ho.