< Isaiah 1 >
1 This is the vision that Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw about Judah and Jerusalem in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Esiawoe nye gbedeasi siwo Yesaya, Amoz ƒe vi, xɔ tso Yehowa gbɔ le ŋutega me, tso nu siwo ava dzɔ ɖe Yuda kple Yerusalem dzi la ŋuti. Exɔ gbedeasi siawo le Yuda fiawo, Uzia, Yotam, Ahaz kple Hezekia ŋɔli.
2 Heavens, listen! Earth, pay attention! For the Lord has spoken! I brought up children, I cared for them, but they have rebelled against me.
O! Dziƒo kple anyigba, miɖo to miase nya si gblɔm Yehowa le. Yehowa be: “Ɖevi siwo menyi hekplɔ wo kple beléle la dze aglã ɖe ŋunye.
3 An ox knows its owner, and a donkey knows its feeding trough; but my people don't know me, they don't understand me.
Nyitsu nyaa eƒe aƒetɔ, eye tedzi nyaa eƒe nuɖuƒe, ke Israel menyam o, eye nye amewo mese nye nyawo gɔme o.”
4 What a sinful nation—a people carrying such a load of guilt, an evil generation, corrupt children! They have abandoned the Lord. They have despised Israel's Holy One. They have become strangers. They have gone backwards.
O! Dukɔ si wɔ nu vɔ̃, ame siwo dzi nu vɔ̃ do agba ɖo, nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔlawo ƒe dzidzimeviwo, vi siwo nye nu tovo wɔlawo, wogbe nu le Yehowa gbɔ, wodo ŋunyɔ Israel ƒe kɔkɔetɔ la, eye wotrɔ megbe dee.
5 Are you wanting to be punished? Are you going to continue to rebel? The whole of your head is damaged, and your heart is totally giving out.
Nu ka ta miedi be woanɔ mia ƒoƒo dzi? Nu ka ta miegale aglãdzedze dzi? Miaƒe ta katã xɔ abi, eye miaƒe dzi katã hã xɔ abi.
6 You're injured from head to toe, bruised and sore, with open wounds that haven't been cleaned or bandaged or treated with olive oil.
Tso miaƒe afɔƒome va se ɖe miaƒe dzodome la, teƒe nyui aɖeke meli o, negbe abiwo, dodrowo, abi mumu siwo womeklɔ haɖe o alo ɖo amii loo alo bla o la koe li.
7 Your country has been devastated, your towns burned down, your fields stripped bare by foreigners right in front of you, as they turn it all into a wasteland.
Miaƒe anyigba zu gbegbe, wotɔ dzo miaƒe duwo le miawo ŋutɔ ƒe ŋkume, du bubu me tɔwo va ha miaƒe agblemenukuwo, eye wogblẽ miaƒe anyigba abe ale si amedzrowo wɔna ene.
8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shack in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under attack.
Zion nyɔnuvi tsi akogo abe agbadɔ si le waingble me ene, abe agblexɔe le dzamatregble me ene, eye abe du si ŋu futɔwo ɖe to ɖo ene.
9 If the Lord Almighty hadn't let a few of us survive, we would have become like Sodom and Gomorrah.
Ɖe menye Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ ye kpɔtɔ ame ʋɛ aɖewo ɖi na mi o la, anye ne woatsrɔ̃ Yudatɔwo katã, abe ale si wotsrɔ̃ ame sia ame le Sodom kple Gomora ene.
10 Listen to what the Lord has to say, you rulers of Sodom! Pay attention to the instructions of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
Mise Yehowa ƒe nya, mi Sodom dziɖulawo, milé fɔ ɖe míaƒe Mawu la ƒe se la ŋu, mi Gomoratɔwo!
11 What use are all your many sacrifices to me? asks the Lord. I am sick and tired of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of sacrificial animals. I don't delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats!
“Miaƒe vɔsa gbogboawo ɖe, nu ka wonye nam?” Yehowae gblɔe. “Miaƒe numevɔsa siwo miewɔna kple agbowo kple lã damiwo ƒe ami la, wu tsɔtsɔ nam. Nyitsuwo, alẽwo kple gbɔ̃wo ƒe ʋu medoa dzidzɔ nam o.
12 When you come to appear before me in worship, who asked you to proudly tramp around my courts?
Ne miedo ɖe nye ŋkume la, ame kae bia esia tso mia si be, mianɔ afɔɖi ƒom nye xɔxɔnuwo?
13 Don't bring me any more meaningless offerings; your incense is offensive to me. Your new moon festivals and Sabbath observations and your calling of special religious meetings—I can't stand them because they're evil, as are your solemn assemblies.
Midzudzɔ vɔsa gbɔlo siawo tsɔtsɔ vɛ! Miaƒe dzudzɔʋeʋĩwo dodo medoa dzidzɔ nam o. Nyemate ŋu atsɔ miaƒe takpekpe vɔ̃ɖi siwo nye dzinu yeyewo, Dzudzɔgbewo kple gbeƒãɖeɖe takpegbewo o.
14 I detest your new moon and yearly festivals with my whole being! They've become just a burden to me—I can't bear them anymore!
Melé fu miaƒe dzinu yeye ŋkekenyuiwo kple ŋkekenyui bubuawo. Wozu agba nam, eye nu ti kɔ nam le wo tsɔtsɔ me.
15 When you hold up your hands to me in prayer, I'll look away. Even though you pray many prayers, I won't pay attention to them, because your hands are full of blood.
Ne miele gbe dom ɖa, keke miaƒe abɔwo me la, maɣla nye ŋkume ɖe mi, eye ne mieli kɔ gbedodoɖa gleglegle hã la, nyemaɖo to mi o, elabena miaƒe asiwo ƒo ʋu.
16 Wash yourselves and clean yourselves up. Get rid of your sins—I don't want to see them! Stop doing evil!
“Mile tsi ne mia ŋuti nakɔ. Miɖe miaƒe nu vɔ̃ɖiwo ɖa le nye ŋkume! Midzudzɔ vɔ̃wɔwɔ,
17 Learn to do good; strive for justice, condemn those who oppress others; support the rights of orphans, take up cases to defend widows.
ne miasrɔ̃ nyuiwɔwɔ! Midi nuteƒewɔwɔ, eye mide dzi ƒo na ame siwo wote ɖe anyi. Miʋli tsyɔ̃eviwo ta, eye miaxɔ nya ɖe ahosiwo nu.
18 Come on, let's argue this out, says the Lord. Even though your sins are like scarlet, they will become white like snow. Even though they are red like crimson, they will become like wool.
“Miva, mina míade ŋugble ɖekae,” Yehowa gblɔe. “Togbɔ be miaƒe nu vɔ̃wo biã abe nyagãdzĩ ene hã la, woafu abe ɖetifu ene. Ne wobiã abe ʋu ene hã la, woafu abe alẽfu ɣi ene.
19 If you really want this, and if you do as you're told, then you yourselves will eat the best things that the land produces.
Ne mielɔ̃, eye mieɖo to la, miaɖu anyigba la ƒe nu nyuitɔwo.
20 But if you are defiant, and if you are rebellious, you'll be killed by the sword. This is what the Lord has declared!
Ke ne miesẽ to, dze aglã la, yi atsrɔ̃ mi.” Elabena Yehowa ƒe nue gblɔe.
21 The city that used to be faithful has turned into a prostitute! Once she operated on principles of justice and followed what was right, but now only murderers live there.
Tsã la, wokpɔa nuteƒewɔwɔ kple dzɔdzɔenyenye le eme, ezu hlɔ̃dolawo ƒe du.
22 Your silver has become worthless waste; you wine has been watered down.
Tsã la, klosalo si le keklẽm la wònye, ke azɔ la, elé ɣebia eye wòzu abe wain nyuitɔ si wotɔ tsii ene.
23 Your leaders are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and want to get kickbacks. They don't defend the rights of orphans, and refuse to take cases to help widows.
Wò dumegãwo zu aglãdzelawo kple fiafiwo xɔlɔ̃, wolɔ̃a zãnuxɔxɔ, eye wotia nunanawo yome. Womeʋlia tsyɔ̃eviwo ta o, eye ahosiwo ƒe nya medzɔna le woƒe ʋɔnu o.
24 So this is what the Lord says, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel: Ha! I will take satisfaction in punishing my enemies, by paying back those who hate me!
Eya ta ale Aƒetɔ, Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ, Israel ƒe Ŋusẽtɔ la gblɔe nye esi. “O! Makpɔ gbɔɖeme tso nye ketɔwo ƒe asi me, eye mabia hlɔ̃ nye futɔwo.
25 I will turn against you. I will refine you in a furnace, removing all impurities.
Matrɔ atsi tsitre ɖe mia ŋu, atsra mia me, eye maɖe nu kuklui siwo nye ɖiƒoƒo la ɖa le mia me.
26 I will give you good leaders as you used to have before, wise counselors as you had in the beginning. After that you will once again be called the City of Integrity, the Faithful City.
Emegbe la, maɖo ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo na mi abe tsã ene, eye mana aɖaŋudelawo mi abe ale si wònɔ le gɔmedzedzea me ene. Emegbe la, woayɔ mi be Dzɔdzɔenyenye kple Nuteƒewɔwɔ ƒe Du.”
27 Zion will be rescued by justice, those who repent by doing right.
Woaɖe Zion kple afia nyui tsotso, eye woaɖe eƒe dzimetrɔlawo kple dzɔdzɔenyenye.
28 But rebels and sinners will be destroyed together, and those who abandon the Lord will die.
Ke woagbã aglãdzelawo kple nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo siaa gudugudu, eye woatsrɔ̃ ame siwo gbe nu le Yehowa gbɔ.
29 You will be ashamed about how you enjoyed your pagan worship among the oak trees; you will be embarrassed because you chose the pleasure gardens of idols.
“Ŋu akpe mi le logoti siwo ŋu miekpɔa dzidzɔ le la ŋu; woade ŋukpe mo na mi le abɔ siwo mielɔ̃na la ta.
30 As a result you will become like an oak whose leaves have withered, a dried-out garden that has no water.
Miazu abe logoti aɖe si ƒe aŋgbawo yrɔ kple abɔ si me tsi aɖeke mele o la ene.
31 Your strong people will become like tinder, and their work will become like a spark. They will burn together, and nobody will be able to put out the flames.
Ame sesẽ la azu gbe ƒuƒu, eƒe dɔwɔwɔ azu dzoxi, wo ame eve la woabi, eye ame aɖeke mate ŋu atsii o.”