Isaiah 58

1 Give a roar from the throat! Don't hold back! Shout out like a trumpet! Announce to my people how rebellious they are; denounce to the descendants of Jacob their sins.

“Monteɛ mu dennen, monnnyae. Momma mo nne so sɛ torobɛnto. Mompae mu nka me nkurɔfo atuatew nkyerɛ wɔn na monka Yakobfi nso nnebɔne nkyerɛ no.

2 Every day they come to me, pleased to know my ways as if they were a nation that does what is right and follow the laws of their God! They ask me to treat them right; they like to be close to their God.

Da biara da wɔhwehwɛ me; ayɛ sɛ wɔpere sɛ wobehu mʼakwan, te sɛ wɔyɛ ɔman a wɔyɛ nea ɛteɛ na wɔmpoo ne Nyankopɔn ahyɛde. Wobisa me hɔ gyinae a ɛteɛ na ayɛ sɛ wɔpɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn bɛn wɔn.

3 “Didn't you see that we fasted?” they ask. “Didn't you notice how we denied ourselves?” That's because whenever you fast you still do whatever you want, and you treat your workers badly.

Wɔka se, ‘Adɛn nti na yɛadi mmuada na woanhu yi? Adɛn nti na yɛabrɛ yɛn ho ase, na woanhwɛ yi?’ “Nanso mo mmuada da no, moyɛ nea mopɛ na musisi mo adwumayɛfo nyinaa.

4 Can't you see that when you're fasting you quarrel and argue, and end up having a vicious fist-fight? When you fast like this you can't expect your prayers to be heard on high!

Ntɔkwaw ne akasakasa na mode wie mo mmuadadi, ne akuturuku a mode bobɔ mo ho. Morentumi nni mmuada sɛnea moyɛ no nnɛ yi na moahwɛ anim sɛ wɔbɛte mo nne wɔ ɔsoro.

5 Is this the kind of fast I want when people act out their humility by bowing their heads down like a reed and by lying around in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day the Lord appreciates?

Eyi ne mmuadadi a mepɛ ana? Da koro pɛ a onipa de brɛ ne ho ase no ana? Ɛne sɛ obi si ne ti ase te sɛ mfea na ɔtena atweaatam so ne nsõ mu nko ara ana? Eyi na mofrɛ no mmuadadi, da a ɛsɔ Awurade ani yi ni ana?

6 No, this is the fast I want: set free those who have been unjustly imprisoned, untie the cords of the yoke used to burden people, set free those who are oppressed, and get rid of every form of abuse.

“Saa mmuadadi yi na mepɛ: sɛ mubeyiyi ntɛnkyew nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn na moasan konnua ahama, sɛ mubegyaa wɔn a wɔhyɛ wɔn so na moabubu konnua biara.

7 Share your food with the hungry, take the poor and homeless into your house. When you see people naked, give them clothes, and don't reject your own relatives.

So ɛnsɛ sɛ mo ne wɔn a ɔkɔm de wɔn kyɛ mo aduan na moma ohiani a ɔnenam no baabi tena; na muhu nea ɔda adagyaw a mumfura no ntama na munnyi mo ani mfi mo ankasa mo nkurɔfo ne mo abusuafo so ana?

8 Then your light will shine out like the dawn, and you will be healed quickly; your salvation will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will go behind you.

Ɛno na mo hann bepue te sɛ ahemadakye, na mo ayaresa aba ntɛm so; afei mo trenee bedi mo anim, na Awurade anuonyam bɛbɔ mo kyidɔm.

9 Then when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out for help, the Lord will say, “I'm here.” If you get rid of oppression among you, if you stop pointing the finger and slandering others,

Afei mobɛfrɛ, na Awurade begye mo so; mobɛteɛ mu ahwehwɛ mmoa, na ɔbɛka se: Mini. “Sɛ muyi nhyɛso konnua, nsa a moteɛ wɔ nnipa so ne ntwatoso fi hɔ,

10 if you dedicate yourselves to helping the hungry and give the poor what they need, then your light will shine out in the darkness, and your night will be like the sun at noon.

na sɛ mohaw mo ho ma wɔn a ɔkɔm de wɔn na moma wɔn a wɔhyɛ wɔn so no nea ehia wɔn a, ɛno de, mo akanea bɛhyerɛn wɔ sum mu, na mo anadwo bɛyɛ sɛ owigyinae.

11 The Lord will always lead you; he will give you all you need in you in a desolate land; he will make you strong again. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that never runs dry.

Awurade bɛkyerɛ mo kwan bere biara; ɔbɛma mo nea ehia mo wɔ asase wosee so na ɔbɛhyɛ mo nipadua den. Mobɛyɛ sɛ turo a wogugu so nsu yiye, sɛ asuwa a mu nsu nyow da.

12 Some among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will restore generations-old foundations. You will be called the Repairer of the Break in the Wall, the Restorer of Life's Pathways.

Mo nkurɔfo bɛsan asi teteete nnwiriwii no, na wɔato fapem a akyɛ no; wɔbɛfrɛ mo Nea Osiesie Afasu a Abubu no, Nea Ogye Atenae Si Hɔ.

13 If you make sure you don't break the Sabbath by doing whatever you please on my holy day, if you say the Sabbath brings you pleasure and the Lord's day is to be honored, and if you honor it by leaving aside your own ways, by not doing whatever you please, and by avoiding everyday chatting,

“Sɛ mohwɛ mo anammɔntu so yiye Homeda na moanyɛ nea mopɛ wɔ me da kronkron no, sɛ mofrɛ Homeda no anigye da na mudi Awurade da kronkron no ni na moamfa mo ara mo akwan so na moanyɛ nea mopɛ anaa moanka nsɛnhunu a,

14 then you'll find the Lord is the one who truly makes you happy, and I will give you high positions on the earth and give you what I promised to Jacob, your forefather. I, the Lord, have spoken.

ɛno de mubenya anigye wɔ Awurade mu na mɛma mo anantew asase no sorɔnsorɔmmea so na moato pon wɔ mo agya Yakob agyapade so.” Awurade na waka.