Isaiah 49

1 Listen, O isles, to me; and listen, you people, from far; The LORD has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother has he made mention of my name.

Montie me, mo mpoano aman; monyɛ aso mo akyirikyiri aman ansa na wɔrebɛwo me no, Awurade frɛɛ me ɔbɔɔ me din ansa na wɔrewo me.

2 And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand has he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver has he hid me;

Ɔyɛɛ mʼano sɛ akofena nnamnnam, Ɔde me hintaa ne nsa ase nwunu mu; ɔde me yɛɛ agyan a ano yɛ nnam na ɔde me hyɛɛ ne bɔha mu.

3 And said to me, You are my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Woyɛ me ɔsomfoɔ, Israel, wo mu na mɛda mʼanimuonyam adi.”

4 Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

Nanso mekaa sɛ, “Mabrɛ agu masɛe mʼahoɔden kwa, mannya mu hwee nanso mede me ho ato Awurade so na mʼakatua wɔ me Onyankopɔn nkyɛn.”

5 And now, says the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

Na afei, Awurade akasa: deɛ ɔnwonoo me wɔ awotwaa mu sɛ memmɛyɛ ne ɔsomfoɔ na memfa Yakob nsane mmra ne nkyɛn na me mmoaboa Israel ano mma no no. Awurade ahyɛ me animuonyam na me Onyankopɔn ayɛ mʼahoɔden.

6 And he said, It is a light thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.

Ɔka sɛ, “Wobɛyɛ me ɔsomfoɔ a wode Yakob mmusuakuo bɛsane aba, na wode Israelfoɔ a mede wɔn asie nso bɛsane aba. Nanso, mɛma woayɛ amanamanmufoɔ nyinaa kanea, ɛnam wo so na wɔbɛgye ewiasefoɔ nyinaa nkwa.”

7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose you.

Sei na Awurade seɛ, Ɔgyefoɔ ne Israel Ɔkronkronni no de asɛm yi kɔma deɛ ɔman no buu no animtia na wɔkyirii no, deɛ ɔyɛ sodifoɔ ɔsomfoɔ no: “Ahene bɛhunu wo na wɔasɔre ahenemma bɛhunu wo na wɔakoto wo ɛsiane Awurade a ɔyɛ nokwafoɔ, Israel ɔkronkronni a wayi woɔ no enti.”

8 Thus says the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day of salvation have I helped you: and I will preserve you, and give you for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

Sei na Awurade seɛ: “Ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ mu no, mɛbua wo, na nkwagyeɛ da no, mɛboa wo; mɛkora wo na mede wo ayɛ apam ama nkurɔfoɔ no, de agye asase no asi hɔ akyekyɛ agyapadeɛ ahodoɔ a asɛe no bio.

9 That you may say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

Wobɛka akyerɛ nneduafoɔ sɛ, ‘Momfiri mmra!’ ne wɔn a wɔwɔ esum mu sɛ, ‘Momfa mo ho nni!’ “Wɔbɛdidi wɔ akwan ho. Wɔbɛnya adidibea wɔ kokoɔ bonini biara so.

10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that has mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

Ɛkɔm renne wɔn na osukɔm nso renne wɔn; anweatam so hyeɛ ne owia ano hyeɛ renka wɔn. Deɛ ɔwɔ ayamhyehyeɛ ma wɔn no bɛkyerɛ wɔn kwan na ɔde wɔn akɔ nsutire ho.

11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

Mɛyɛ me mmepɔ nyinaa akwan, na mʼakwantempɔn nso mɛma akorɔn.

12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, see, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.

Hwɛ, wɔfiri akyirikyiri bɛba ebinom bɛfiri atifi fam, ebinom bɛfiri atɔeɛ fam ebinom nso bɛfiri Sinin mantam mu.”

13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD has comforted his people, and will have mercy on his afflicted.

Momfa anigyeɛ nteam, Ao ɔsoro; di ahurisie, Ao asase; monto nnwom, Ao mmepɔ! Na Awurade kyekye ne nkurɔfoɔ werɛ, na ɔbɛhunu nʼamanehunufoɔ mmɔbɔ.

14 But Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.

Nanso, Sion kaa sɛ, “Awurade agya me hɔ, Awurade werɛ afiri me.”

15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yes, they may forget, yet will I not forget you.

“Ɔbaa werɛ bɛtumi afiri ne ba a ɔtua nufoɔ ano a ɔrennya ayamhyehyeɛ mma ɔba a waturu no anaa? Ebia ne werɛ bɛfiri, na me werɛ remfiri wo!

16 Behold, I have graven you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.

Hwɛ, makrukyire wo din agu me nsa yam wʼafasuo wɔ mʼani so daa.

17 Your children shall make haste; your destroyers and they that made you waste shall go forth of you.

Mo mmammarima resane aba ntɛm so; na wɔn a wɔsɛe mo no refiri mo nkyɛn akɔ.

18 Lift up your eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live, says the LORD, you shall surely clothe you with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on you, as a bride does.

Momma mo ani so na monhwɛ mo ho nhyia; mo mmammarima nyinaa reboa wɔn ho ano aba mo nkyɛn. Sɛ mete ase yi” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ, “mode wɔn bɛyɛ ahyehyɛdeɛ ama mo ho mode wɔn bɛfira sɛ ayeforɔkunu.

19 For your waste and your desolate places, and the land of your destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed you up shall be far away.

“Ɛwom sɛ wɔsɛee mo yɛɛ mo pasaa maa mo asase daa mpan deɛ, nanso, afei nnipa bɛhyɛ mo so ma, ama aboro mo so, na wɔn a wɔsɛee mo no bɛkɔ akyirikyiri.

20 The children which you shall have, after you have lost the other, shall say again in your ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.

Mmɔfra a wɔwoo wɔn wɔ mo nnabɔne mu no bɛka ama moate sɛ, ‘Ɛha sua ma yɛn dodo; momma yɛn asase no bi nka ho na yɛntena so.’

21 Then shall you say in your heart, Who has begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?

Na wobɛka wɔ wʼakoma mu sɛ, ‘Hwan na ɔwoo yeinom maa me? Na meyɛ ɔwerɛhoni ne obonini; wɔtuu me kɔɔ asase foforɔ so na wɔpoo me. Hwan na ɔtetee yeinom? Wɔgyaa me nko ara na yeinom, ɛhe na wɔfiri baeɛ?’”

22 Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.

Sei na Asafo Awurade seɛ: “Hwɛ, mɛnyama amanamanmufoɔ, mɛpagya me frankaa no akyerɛ nkurɔfoɔ no. Wɔbɛturu mo mmammarima wɔ wɔn nsa so aba na wɔbɛsoa mo mmammaa wɔ wɔn mmatire so.

23 And kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers: they shall bow down to you with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

Ahemfo bɛyɛ mo agyanom nsiananmu, na wɔn ahemaa ayɛ maamenom a wɔbɛhwɛ mo. Wɔbɛkoto mo a wɔn anim butubutu fam; wɔbɛtafere mo nan ase mfuturo. Afei mobɛhunu sɛ me ne Awurade; Wɔn a wɔn ani da me so no, merenni wɔn hwammɔ.”

24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

Hwan na ɔbɛtumi agye afodeɛ afiri akofoɔ nsam; anaa hwan na ɔbɛtumi agye nnommumfoɔ afiri otirimuɔdenfoɔ nsam?

25 But thus says the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contends with you, and I will save your children.

Nanso, sei na Awurade seɛ: “Aane, mɛgye nnommumfoɔ afiri akofoɔ nsam na mɛgye afodeɛ afiri otirimuɔdenfoɔ nsam; me ne wɔn a wɔne mo nya no bɛnya na mɛgye mo mma nkwa.

26 And I will feed them that oppress you with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am your Savior and your Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Mema wɔn a wɔhyɛ mo so no awe wɔn ankasa honam; wɔn mogya bɛbo wɔn sɛdeɛ wɔanom nsã. Afei adasamma nyinaa bɛhunu sɛ me, Awurade, me ne wʼAgyenkwa no, mo Gyefoɔ, Yakob Otumfoɔ No.”