Isaiah 49

1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; YHWH hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

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

Ɔyɛɛ mʼano sɛ afoa nnamnam, Ɔde me hintaw ne nsa ase nwini mu; ɔde me yɛɛ agyan a ano yɛ nnam na ɔde me hyɛɛ ne boha mu.

3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Ɔka kyerɛɛ me se, “Woyɛ me somfo, Israel, wo mu na mɛda mʼanuonyam adi.”

4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with YHWH, and my work with my Elohim.

Nanso mekae se, “Mabrɛ agu masɛe mʼahoɔden kwa, mannya mu hwee nanso nea ɛwɔ me wɔ Awurade nsam na mʼakatua wɔ me Nyankopɔn nkyɛn.”

5 And now, saith YHWH 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 YHWH, and my Elohim shall be my strength.

Na afei, Awurade kasa se, nea ɔnwen me wɔ awotwaa mu sɛ memmɛyɛ ne somfo sɛ memfa Yakob nsan mmra ne nkyɛn na me mmoaboa Israel ano mma no no, wahyɛ me anuonyam wɔ Awurade ani so na me Nyankopɔn ayɛ mʼahoɔden.

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

Ɔka se, “Ɛyɛ ade ketewa bi ma wo sɛ wobɛyɛ me somfo sɛ wode Yakob mmusuakuw bɛsan aba na wode Israelfo a mede wɔn asie bɛsan aba. Mɛma moayɛ amanamanmufo nyinaa kanea, ɛnam mo so na wobegye wiasefo nyinaa nkwa.”

7 Thus saith YHWH, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of YHWH that is faithful, and he Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

Sɛɛ na Awurade se, Ogyefo ne Israel ɔkronkronni no de kɔma nea aman buu no animtiaa na wokyii no, ahemfo somfo no; “Ahene behu wo na wɔasɔre ahenemma behu wo na wɔakotow wo esiane Awurade a ɔyɛ ɔnokwafo, Israel ɔkronkronni a wayi wo no nti.”

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

Sɛɛ na Awurade se: “Bere a ɛsɛ mu no, mebua wo, na nkwagyeda no, mɛboa wo; mɛkora wo na mede wo ayɛ apam ama nkurɔfo no, de agye asase no asi hɔ akyekyɛ agyapade ahorow a asɛe no bio,

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

wobɛka akyerɛ nneduafo se, ‘Mumfi mmra!’ ne wɔn a wɔwɔ sum mu se, ‘Momfa mo ho nni!’ “Wobedidi wɔ akwan ho wobenya adidibea wɔ koko kesee biara so.

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

Ɔkɔm renne wɔn na osukɔm nso renne wɔn; nweatam so hyew ne owia ano hyew renka wɔn, nea ɔwɔ ayamhyehye ma wɔn no bɛkyerɛ wɔn kwan na ɔde wɔn akɔ nsuaniwa ho.

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

Mɛyɛ me mmepɔw nyinaa akwan, na mʼatempɔn nso mɛma akrɔn.

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

Hwɛ, wufi akyirikyiri bɛba ebinom befi atifi fam, ebinom befi atɔe fam ebinom nso befi Sinin mantam mu.”

13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for YHWH hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

Momfa anigye nteɛ mu, ɔsoro; di ahurusi, asase; mompae mu nnwonto mu, mmepɔw! Na Awurade kyekye ne nkurɔfo werɛ, na obehu nʼamanehunufo mmɔbɔ.

14 But Zion said, YHWH hath forsaken me, and my master hath forgotten me.

Nanso Sion kae se, “Awurade agyaw me hɔ, Awurade werɛ afi me.”

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

“Ɛna werɛ betumi afi ne ba a otua nufu ano a ɔrennya ayamhyehye mma ɔba a waturu no no ana? Ebia ne werɛ befi, na me werɛ remfi wo!

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Hwɛ, makurukyerɛw wo din agu me nsa yam wʼafasu wɔ mʼani so daa.

17 Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.

Mo mmabarima resan aba ntɛm so; na wɔn a wɔsɛe mo no refi mo nkyɛn akɔ.

18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith YHWH, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.

Momma mo ani so nhwɛ mo ho nhyia; mo mmabarima nyinaa reboa wɔn ho ano aba mo nkyɛn. Sɛ mete ase yi” sɛnea Awurade se, “mode wɔn bɛyɛ ahyehyɛde ama mo ho mubefura wɔn sɛ ayeforokunu.

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

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

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

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

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

Na wobɛka wɔ wo koma mu se, ‘Hena na ɔwoo eyinom maa me? Na meyɛ ɔwerɛhowni ne obonin; wotuu me kɔɔ asase foforo so na wɔpoo me. Hena na ɔtetew eyinom? Wogyaw me nko ara na eyinom, he na wofi bae?’”

22 Thus saith the Master YHWH, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: “Hwɛ, menyama amanamanmufo, mɛma me frankaa no so akyerɛ nkurɔfo no wobeturu wo mmabarima wɔ wɔn nsa so aba na wɔbɛsoa wo mmabea wɔ wɔn mmati so.

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

Ahemfo bɛyɛ mo agyanom nsiananmu, na wɔn ahemmea ayɛ ɛnanom a wɔbɛhwɛ mo. Wɔbɛkotow mo a wɔn anim butubutuw fam; wɔbɛtaforo mo nan ase mfutuma. Afei mubehu sɛ mene Awurade. Wɔn a wɔn ani da me so no, merenni wɔn huammɔ.”

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

Wobetumi agye asade afi akofo nsam; anaa wobetumi agye nnommumfo afi otirimɔdenfo nsam?

25 But thus saith YHWH, 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 contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

Nanso, sɛɛ na Awurade se: “Yiw, wobegye nnommumfo afi akofo nsam na wɔagye asade afi otirimɔdenfo nsam; me ne wɔn a wɔne wo nya no benya na megye wo mma nkwa.

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

Mema wɔn a wɔhyɛ wo so no awe wɔn ankasa honam; wɔn mogya bɛbow wɔn sɛnea wɔanom nsa. Afei adesamma nyinaa behu sɛ me, Awurade, me ne wʼAgyenkwa no, wo Gyefo, Yakob Tumfo No.”