Isaiah 21

1 The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweeping on, it cometh from the wilderness, from a dreadful land.

Nkɔmhyɛ a ɛfa Babilonia, anweatam no a ɛda Po no ho: Sɛdeɛ twahoframa a ɛbɔ fa anafoɔ fam asase so no yɛ no, saa ara na ɔtohyɛsoɔni bi firi anweatam so reba. Ɔfiri asase a ɛyɛ hunabɔbrim so.

2 A grievous vision is declared unto me: 'The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam! besiege, O Media! All the sighing thereof have I made to cease.'

Wɔde anisoadehunu a ɛyɛ nwanwa akyerɛ me: Ɔfatwafoɔ bi redi hwammɔ. Ɔfomfoɔ bi refa afodeɛ. Elam reto ahyɛ ɔman bi so! Media rebɔ pampim! Mede apinisie a Babilonia de baeɛ no nyinaa bɛba awieeɛ.

3 Therefore are my loins filled with convulsion; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail; I am bent so that I cannot hear; I am affrighted so that I cannot see.

Yei ama ɔyea bi abɛhyɛ me mu, ɔyea aka me, te sɛ ɔbaa a awoɔ aka no; deɛ meteɛ no enti mentumi nnyina me nan so, deɛ mehunu no ama me ho adwiri me.

4 My heart is bewildered, terror hath overwhelmed me; the twilight that I longed for hath been turned for me into trembling.

Mʼakoma bɔ paripari, ehu ma me ho popo; na ɛhan a mepɛɛ sɛ mehunu no abɛyɛ adeɛ a ɛbɔ me hu.

5 They prepare the table, they light the lamps, they eat, they drink — 'Rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.'

Wɔto ɛpono, wɔde kuntu akɛtɛ sesɛ fam, wɔdidi, na wɔnom! Monsɔre mo asraafoɔ mpanimfoɔ, momfa ngo nsrasra mo akyɛm ho!

6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me: Go, set a watchman; let him declare what he seeth!

Yei ne deɛ Awurade ka kyerɛ me: “Fa ɔwɛmfoɔ kɔgyina hɔ na ɔnka deɛ ɔhunu nkyerɛ wo.

7 And when he seeth a troop, horsemen by pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.

Sɛ ɔhunu nteaseɛnam ne apɔnkɔ akuakuo, wɔn a wɔtete mfunumu so ne wɔn a wɔtete nyoma so a, ɔnwɛn nʼaso wɛn pa ara.”

8 And he cried as a lion: 'Upon the watch-tower, O Lord, I stand continually in the daytime, and I am set in my ward all the nights.'

Na ɔwɛmfoɔ no teaam sɛ, “Me wura da biara megyina ɔwɛn aban no so anadwo biara, megyina hɔ.

9 And, behold, there came a troop of men, horsemen by pairs. And he spoke and said: 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.'

Hwɛ, ɔbarima bi a ɔte teaseɛnam mu na ɔreba yi ɔne apɔnkɔ dɔm. Na ɔwɛmfoɔ no kaa sɛ, ‘Babilonia ahwe ase, wahwe ase! Nʼanyame ne nʼahoni nyinaa abubu agu fam!’”

10 O thou my threshing, and the winnowing of my floor, that which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

Ao, me nkurɔfoɔ a wɔadwera mo wɔ ayuporeeɛ ase meka deɛ mateɛ kyerɛ mo, deɛ ɛfiri Asafo Awurade, deɛ ɛfiri Israel Onyankopɔn hɔ.

11 The burden of Dumah. One calleth unto me out of Seir: 'Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?'

Nkɔmhyɛ a ɛfa Duma ho: Obi frɛ me firi Seir, “Ɔwɛmfoɔ, berɛ bɛn na adeɛ bɛkye? Ɔwɛmfoɔ, aka nnɔnhwere ahe ansa na adeɛ akye?”

12 The watchman said: 'The morning cometh, and also the night — if ye will inquire, inquire ye; return, come.'

Ɔwɛmfoɔ no bua sɛ, “Adeɛ rekye, nanso adeɛ bɛsa. Sɛ wobɛbisa bio a sane bra bɛbisa.”

13 The burden upon Arabia. In the thickets in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanites.

Adehunu a ɛfa Arabia ho: Mo Dedan akwantufoɔ a mosoɛ wɔ Arabia adɔtɔ ase,

14 Unto him that is thirsty bring ye water! The inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitive with his bread.

Momfa nsuo mmrɛ wɔn a sukɔm de wɔn; mo a motete Tema, mommrɛ adwanefoɔ aduane.

15 For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

Wɔdwane firi akofena a watwe tadua a wɔakuntun mu ne ɔko a ɛgyina mu ano.

16 For thus hath the Lord said unto me: 'Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail;

Yei ne deɛ Awurade ka kyerɛ me, “Afe baako mu no, sɛdeɛ wɔkan ɔpaani mfeɛ no, Kedar kɛseyɛ to bɛtwa.

17 and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished; for the LORD, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.'

Na agyantofoɔ a wɔbɛka ne Kedar akofoɔ bɛyɛ kakraa bi.” Deɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, aka nie.