Isaiah 44
1 But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, the one I've chosen.
“Na, afei, Ao Yakob me ɔsomfoɔ, Israel, deɛ mapa no.
2 This is what the Lord says, the one who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Don't be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, the one I've chosen.
Sei na Awurade seɛ, deɛ ɔnwonoo wo, na ɔyɛɛ wo wɔ awotwaa mu, ɔno na ɔbɛboa wo: Nsuro, Ao Yakob, me ɔsomfoɔ, Yeshurun, a mapa noɔ.
3 For I'm going to pour out water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground. I'm going to pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.
Na mɛhwie nsuo agu asase a awo no so, ne asutene wɔ asase kesee so; mɛhwie me Honhom agu wo mma so, ne me nhyira agu wʼasefoɔ so.
4 They will grow up among the grass, like willows beside streams.
Wɔbɛfifiri sɛdeɛ ɛserɛ fifiri wɔ mmoa adidibea, te sɛ mpampuro a ɛwɔ asutene ho.
5 One of them will say, “I belong to the Lord,” while another will call himself by the name Jacob, and yet another will write on his hand, “Belonging to the Lord,” and will name himself Israel.
Obi bɛka sɛ, ‘Meyɛ Awurade dea’; ɔfoforɔ bɛfrɛ ne ho sɛ Yakob; bio ɔfoforɔ bɛtwerɛ ne nsa ho sɛ, ‘Awurade dea,’ na wafa edin Israel.
6 This is what the Lord says, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me.
“Sei na Awurade Israelhene ne Ɔgyefoɔ, Asafo Awurade seɛ: Mene Ahyɛaseɛ ne Awieeɛ; Onyankopɔn biara nni hɔ sɛ me.
7 Who is like me? Let them announce it, make a declaration, and demonstrate it before me. For I was the one who long ago established a people and predicted its future. Let them predict what's going to happen.
Hwan na ɔne me sɛ? Ma ɔmpae mu nka. Ma ɔnka na ɔnkyerɛ wɔ mʼanim deɛ asisi firi ɛberɛ a megyee me tete nkurɔfoɔ sii hɔ, ne deɛ ɛrebɛba, aane, ma ɔnhyɛ deɛ ɛreba ho nkɔm.
8 Don't tremble, don't be afraid! Didn't I tell you long ago what I was going to do? Didn't I explain it? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? There is no other Rock—I don't know any!
Mommma mo ho mpopo, monnsuro. Mampae mu anka yei, manna no adi teteete anaa? Mone mʼadansefoɔ. Onyankopɔn foforɔ bi ka me ho anaa? Dabi, Ɔbotan foforɔ bi nni hɔ; mennim obiara.”
9 All those who make idols are stupid; these things they love so much don't bring them any benefit. Those people who believe in idols can't see this, and they don't know anything, making them look foolish.
Wɔn a wɔyɛ ahoni nyinaa nka hwee, na nneɛma a ɛsom wɔn bo no ho nni mfasoɔ. Wɔn a anka wɔkasa ma wɔn no ani afira; wɔnnim wɔn ankasa animguaseɛ ho hwee.
10 Who makes a god, who molds an idol that's no use to them?
Hwan na ɔsene onyame na ɔgu ohoni, a ne ho mma no mfasoɔ biara?
11 Everyone who makes idols should be ashamed of themselves. Idol-makers are just human beings! Bring them all together and have them stand up, trembling in shame.
Ɔno ne wɔn a wɔte sɛ no nyinaa anim bɛgu ase; adwumfoɔ nyɛ hwee sɛ nnipa. Momma wɔn nyinaa mmɔ mu nsɔre nnyina, ehu ne animguaseɛ na ɛbɛka wɔn.
12 The blacksmith makes an iron tool for woodcarving. Working over hot coals, he hammers it into shape as hard as he can. He gets hungry and loses his strength, and because he doesn't drink he grows weak.
Ɔtomfoɔ fa nʼatondadeɛ ɔde hyehyɛ egyasramma mu; ɔde asaeɛ bobɔ so yɛ no ohoni, ɔde nʼabasamu ahoɔden mmorosoɔ na ɛyɛ; ɛkɔm de no na ɔyɛ mmrɛ; ɔnnom nsuo enti ɔtɔ baha.
13 The woodworker measures out a piece of wood, and draws an image on it. He carves it with a chisel and uses a compass to make an outline. He creates an idol that looks like a person, someone beautiful, to be put in a shrine.
Duadwumfoɔ de ahoma susu na ɔde twerɛdua sensane; na ɔde fitiɛ yiyi ho afei ɔde kɔmpase hyɛ no agyiraeɛ. Ɔsene na ɛyɛ sɛ onipa sɛso, ɛyɛ sɛ onipa wɔ nʼanimuonyam nyinaa mu, sɛ wɔde bɛsi abosonnan mu.
14 He chops down cedars, or takes a cypress or an oak. He lets them grow strong in the forest. He plants a fir tree, and the rain makes it grow.
Ɔtwitwaa ntweneduro, anaasɛ ebia ɔfaa kwabɔhɔrɔ anaa odum. Ɔmaa ɛnyiniiɛ wɔ kwaeɛ mu, anaa ɔduaa pepeaa, na osutɔ ma ɛnyiniiɛ.
15 Some wood he burns, to keep him warm and to bake his bread. Then he uses some of the same wood to make a god to worship, an idol he bows down to!
Ɛyɛ deɛ onipa de sɔ ogya; ɔde ebi ka ne ho hye, ɔde bi sɔ ogya to burodo. Nanso ɔde ebi sene onyame nso na ɔsɔre no; ɔyɛ ohoni na ɔkoto no.
16 So he burns part of the wood to roast his meat to eat, and to warm him up, and says, “Ah! Look at that fire that keeps me warm!”
Ɔde dua no mu fa sɔ ogya; ɛso na ɔnoa nʼaduane, ɔtoto ne nam wɔ so na wawe amee. Afei ɔka ne ho hye na ɔka sɛ, Aa! Mahunu ogya; me ho ayɛ me hye.
17 Then he uses the rest of the wood to make himself a god, an idol he bows down to in worship and prays to, saying, “Save me, for you are my god!”
Nkaeɛ no ɔde yɛ onyame, ne honi; ɔkoto no na ɔsɔre no. Ɔbɔ no mpaeɛ sɛ, “Gye me; wone me nyame.”
18 How ignorant they are, how dumb! Their eyes have been plastered over so they can't see, their minds closed so they don't have insight.
Wonnim hwee, na wɔnte hwee ase; wɔasram wɔn ani so enti wɔnhunu adeɛ, wɔato wɔn adwene mu enti wɔnte hwee ase.
19 They can't think things over, they don't have the wisdom or the understanding to say, “Some of the wood I burned in the fire—I used it to bake my bread and roast my meat to eat. The rest of it I used to make a disgusting idol, and I bow down in worship to a block of wood.”
Obiara nna nnwene ho, obiara nni nimdeɛ anaa nhunumu a ɔde bɛka sɛ, “Mede ɛfa sɔɔ ogya; na mpo metoo burodo wɔ ne gyaframa so; metotoo nam wɔ so weeɛ. Ɛsɛ sɛ mede nkaeɛ no yɛ akyiwadeɛ anaa? Ɛsɛ sɛ mekoto gyentia anaa?”
20 He is feeding on ashes, seduced by the deceptive thinking of his mind. He can't save himself, and he doesn't even ask, “Isn't this idol I'm holding just a lie?”
Nsõ na ɔdie, nnaadaa akoma ma no yera kwan; ɔrentumi nye ne ho, anaa ɔrentumi nka sɛ, “Deɛ mekura wɔ me nsa nifa yi nnyɛ atorɔ anaa?”
21 “Remember all this, Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant. I made you, Israel, you are my servant. I won't forget you.
“Kae saa nneɛma yi, Ao, Yakob, ɛfiri sɛ, woyɛ me ɔsomfoɔ, Ao Israel. Me na meyɛɛ wo, woyɛ me ɔsomfoɔ; Ao Israel, me werɛ remfiri wo.
22 I have wiped away your acts of rebellion as if they were like a cloud, your sins as if they were like the mist. Come back to me, for I have set you free.”
Mapra wo mfomsoɔ agu te sɛ ɛbɔ ne wo bɔne te sɛ anɔpa bosuo. Sane bra me nkyɛn, ɛfiri sɛ magye wo.”
23 Sing in celebration, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; cry out loud, you depths of the earth. Shout with joy, you mountains, you forests and every tree. For the Lord has set Jacob free, and his glory is shown in Israel!
Momfa ahosɛpɛ nto dwom, Ao ɔsorosoro, na Awurade na wayɛ yei. Mommɔ ose, Ao, asase ase. Momma nnwontoɔ so, mo mmepɔ, mo kwaeɛ ne emu nnua nyinaa, na Awurade agye Yakob, wada nʼanimuonyam adi wɔ Israel.
24 This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer, who shaped you in the womb: “I am the Lord, the Creator of everything. I alone made the heavens, and I myself formed the earth.
“Sei na Awurade seɛ, wo Gyefoɔ a ɔnwonoo wo wɔ awotwaa mu no: “Mene Awurade, deɛ wayɛ nneɛma nyinaa, deɛ ɔno nko ara trɛɛ ɔsoro mu deɛ ɔno nko ara twee asase mu,
25 I am the one who proves the signs of false prophets are wrong. I am the one who makes fools of fortune-tellers. I turn the wisdom of the wise upside-down, and make their knowledge ridiculous.
deɛ ɔsɛe atorɔ adiyifoɔ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ na ɔma nkɔmhyɛfoɔ yɛ nkwaseafoɔ; deɛ ɔtutu anyansafoɔ adenim guo na ɔdane no nkwaseasɛm,
26 But I confirm the messages given by my servants, and fulfill what my messengers say. They state, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited again, the towns of Judah will be rebuilt, your ruins will be repaired.’
deɛ ɔma nʼasomfoɔ nsɛm ba mu deɛ ɔhyɛ nʼasomafoɔ nkɔmhyɛ no mu ma, “deɛ ɔka fa Yerusalem ho sɛ, ‘Wɔbɛtena ne mu,’ ne Yuda nkuro ho sɛ, ‘Wɔbɛkyekyere,’ ne mmubuiɛ ho sɛ, ‘Mɛyɛ no foforɔ,’
27 When I order deep waters, ‘Dry up!’ I will make sure the rivers dry up!
deɛ ɔka kyerɛ nsubunu sɛ, ‘We, na mɛma wo asutene awewe,’
28 When I say to Cyrus, ‘You are my shepherd,’ he will carry out everything I wish. He will give the order, ‘Jerusalem shall be rebuilt,’ and he will say, ‘the Temple shall be restored.’”
deɛ ɔka wɔ Kores ho sɛ, ‘Ɔyɛ me dwanhwɛfoɔ na ɔbɛwie deɛ mepɛ nyinaa yɛ; ɔbɛka afa Yerusalem ho sɛ, “Ma wɔnkyekyere bio,” na waka afa asɔredan no ho sɛ, “Ma wɔnto ne fapem.”’”
