Isaiah 44
1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
“Na afei tie, Yakob me somfo, Israel, nea mapaw no.
2 Thus hath said the Lord thy Maker, and he that formed thee from the womb, who will help thee, Fear not, O my servant Jacob; and thou Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
Sɛɛ na Awurade se, nea ɔnwen wo, na ɔyɛɛ wo wɔ awotwaa mu, ɔno na ɔbɛboa wo: Nsuro Yakob, me somfo, Yeshurun, a mapaw no.
3 For [as] I pour water upon the thirsty [land], and rain-droppings upon the dry ground: [so] will I pour my spirit over thy seed, and my blessing over thy offspring.
Na mehwie nsu agu asase a awo no so, ne nsuten wɔ asase kesee so; mehwie me Honhom agu wo mma so, ne me nhyira agu wʼasefo so.
4 After they shall spring up [as] among grass, like willows by the water-courses.
Wobefifi sɛnea sare fifi wɔ mmoa adidibea, te sɛ mpampuro a ɛwɔ asuten ho.
5 This one will say, I belong to the Lord; and the other will call himself by the name of Jacob; and the other will inscribe himself with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
Obi bɛka se, ‘Meyɛ Awurade de’; ɔfoforo bɛfrɛ ne ho se Yakob; afoforo bɛkɔ so akyerɛw wɔn nsa ho se, ‘Awurade de,’ na wɔafa din Israel.
6 Thus hath said the Lord, the king of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts, I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no god.
“Sɛɛ na Awurade Israelhene ne Ogyefo, Asafo Awurade se: Mene odikanfo ne okyikafo; Onyankopɔn biara nni hɔ sɛ me.
7 And who, like me, will announce, and will tell it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the people of ancient times? and the future things, and those which are to happen, —let them foretell unto them.
Hena na ɔne me sɛ? Ma ɔmpae mu nka. Ma ɔnka na ɔnkyerɛ wɔ mʼanim nea asisi fi bere a migyee me tete nkurɔfo sii hɔ, ne nea ɛrebɛba. Yiw, ma ɔnhyɛ nea ɛreba ho nkɔm.
8 Have no dread, and do not despond; have I not long since informed thee, and have told it? and ye are my witnesses: Is there a god beside me? yea, there is no rock, whom I know not.
Mommma mo ho mpopo, munnsuro. Mampae mu anka eyi, manhyɛ ho amfi teteete ana? Mone me nnansefo. Onyankopɔn foforo bi ka me ho ana? Dabi, Ɔbotan foforo bi nni hɔ; minnim baako mpo.”
9 The makers of graven images are all vanity; and their costly idols cannot profit; and they are their own witnesses, that they see not and know not, in order that they may be ashamed.
Wɔn a wɔyɛ ahoni nyinaa nka hwee, na nneɛma a ɛsom wɔn bo no so nni mfaso. Wɔn a anka wɔkasa ma wɔn no ani afura; wonnim wɔn ankasa animguase ho hwee.
10 Who hath formed a god, or cast an image that profiteth nothing?
Hena na ɔbɔ onyame na ogu ohoni, a ne so mma no mfaso biara?
11 Behold, all his associates shall be ashamed, for the workmen themselves are but men: let them all be gathered, let them stand up, they shall be terrified, they shall be ashamed together.
Ɔno ne wɔn a wɔte sɛ no nyinaa anim begu ase; adwumfo nyɛ hwee sɛ nnipa. Momma wɔn nyinaa mmɔ mu nsɔre nnyina, ehu ne animguase na ɛbɛka wɔn.
12 The iron-smith [maketh] an axe and worketh it in the coals, and with hammers he fashioneth it, and worketh it with his powerful arm; he also, when he is hungry, loseth his strength: when he drinketh no water, he becometh faint.
Ɔtomfo fa nʼatonnade ɔde hyehyɛ nnyansramma mu; ɔde asae bobɔ so yɛ no ohoni, ɔde nʼabasa mu ahoɔden mmoroso na ɛyɛ; ɔkɔm de no na ɔyɛ mmrɛw; ɔnnom nsu nti ɔtɔ beraw.
13 The worker in wood stretcheth out the rule; he marketh it out with chalk; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, after the beauty of a child of earth, that it may dwell in a house.
Duadwumfo de hama susuw na ɔde kyerɛwdua sensan; na ɔde pɛe yiyi ho afei ɔde kɔmpaase hyɛ no agyirae. Osen na ɛyɛ sɛ onipa sɛso, ɛyɛ sɛ onipa wɔ nʼanuonyam nyinaa mu, sɛ wɔde besi abosonnan mu.
14 He felleth for himself cedars, and taketh cypress and oak, and he chooseth for himself the strongest among the trees of the forest; he planteth an ash, and the rain causeth it to grow.
Otwitwaa sida, anaasɛ ebia ɔfaa kwabɔhɔre anaa odum. Ɔma enyinii wɔ kwae mu, anaa oduaa ɔpepaw, na osu ma enyinii.
15 Then doth it serve a man for burning; and he taketh thereof, and warmeth himself; he also heateth therewith, and baketh bread; he also worketh out a god, and boweth himself; he maketh of it an image, and kneeleth down thereto.
Ɛyɛ nea onipa de sɔ ogya; ɔde bi ka ne ho hyew, ɔde bi sɔ ogya to brodo. Nanso ɔde bi sen onyame na ɔsɔre no; ɔyɛ ohoni na ɔkotow no.
16 The half thereof hath he burnt in fire; with the half thereof will he eat flesh; he will roast food, and be satisfied; he will also warm himself, and say, Aha, I am warm, I have felt the fire:
Ɔde dua no mu fa sɔ ogya; so na ɔnoa nʼaduan, ɔtoto ne nam wɔ so na wawe amee. Afei ɔka ne ho hyew na ɔka se, Aa! mahu ogya; me ho ayɛ me hyew.
17 And the residue thereof hath he made into a god, his graven image; he kneeleth down unto it, and boweth himself, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for my god art thou.
Nkae no ɔde yɛ onyame, ne ohoni; ɔkotow no na ɔsɔre no. Ɔbɔ no mpae se, “Gye me; wo ne me nyame.”
18 They know not, they understand not; for their eyes are daubed over, that they cannot see; their hearts, that they cannot understand.
Wonnim hwee, na wɔnte hwee ase; wɔatare wɔn ani so nti wonhu ade, wɔato wɔn adwene mu nti wɔnte hwee ase.
19 And he layeth it not to heart, and hath no knowledge, no understanding, to say, The half thereof have I burnt in fire; and I have also baked upon its coals bread; I [now] will roast flesh, and eat it: and shall I make of its residue an abomination, before a block of wood shall I kneel?
Obiara nna nnwen ho, obiara nni nimdeɛ anaa nhumu a ɔde bɛka se, “Mede fa sɔɔ ogya; na mpo metoo brodo wɔ ne nnyansramma so; metotoo nam wɔ so wee. Ɛsɛ sɛ mede nkae no yɛ akyiwade ana? Ɛsɛ sɛ mekotow gyentia ana?”
20 He pursueth ashes; a deceived heart hath turned him aside; and he cannot deliver his soul, and will not say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
Saa onipa no di nsõ, nnaadaa koma ma no to kwan; ɔrentumi nnye ne ho, anaa nka se, “Nea mikura wɔ me nsa nifa yi nyɛ atoro ana?”
21 Remember these things, O Jacob; and Israel, for thou art my servant: I have formed thee to be my servant, thou [art this]; O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten by me.
“Kae saa nneɛma yi, Yakob, efisɛ, woyɛ me somfo, Israel. Me na meyɛɛ wo, woyɛ me somfo; Ao Israel, me werɛ remfi wo.
22 I have blotted out, as a vapor, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
Mapra wo mfomso agu te sɛ omununkum ne wo bɔne te sɛ anɔpa bosu. San bra me nkyɛn, efisɛ magye wo.”
23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it; shout, ye lowest depths of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein; for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and on Israel will he glorify himself.
Momfa ahosɛpɛw nto dwom, ɔsorosoro, na Awurade na wayɛ eyi. Mommɔ ose, asase ase. Momma nnwonto so, mo mmepɔw, mo kwae ne emu nnua nyinaa, na Awurade agye Yakob, wada nʼanuonyam adi wɔ Israel.
24 Thus hath said the Lord, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that hath made all things; that hath stretched forth the heavens by myself alone; that hath spread abroad the earth from my own self;
“Sɛɛ na Awurade se, wo Gyefo a ɔnwen wo wɔ awotwaa mu no: “Mene Awurade, nea wayɛ nneɛma nyinaa, nea ɔno nko ara trɛw ɔsoro mu nea ɔno nko ara twee asase mu,
25 That frustrate the tokens of the liars, and confuseth diviners; that turneth the wise backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
nea ɔsɛe atoro adiyifo nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔma nkɔmhyɛfo yɛ nkwaseafo, nea otutu anyansafo adenim gu na ɔdan no nkwaseasɛm,
26 That fulfilleth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith of Jerusalem, It shall be inhabited; and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and their ruins will I raise up.
nea ɔma nʼasomfo nsɛm ba mu nea ɔhyɛ nʼasomafo nkɔmhyɛ mu ma, “nea ɔka fa Yerusalem ho se, ‘Wɔbɛtena mu,’ ne Yuda nkurow ho se, ‘Wɔbɛkyekye,’ ne mmubui ho se, ‘Mɛyɛ no foforo,’
27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and thy rivers will I dry up;
nea ɔka kyerɛ asubun se, ‘Yow, na mɛma wo nsuwa ayoyow,’
28 That saith of Cyrus, [He is] my shepherd, and all my pleasure shall he perform: even saying of Jerusalem, It shall be built; and the temple's foundation shall be laid.
nea ɔka wɔ Kores ho se, ‘Ɔyɛ me guanhwɛfo na obewie nea mepɛ nyinaa yɛ; ɔbɛka afa Yerusalem ho se, “Ma wɔnkyekyere bio,” na waka afa asɔredan no ho se, “Ma wɔnto ne fapem.”’”
