< Isaiah 3 >

1 For behold, the Lord, YHWH of Hosts, Is turning aside from Jerusalem and from Judah [Both] stay and staff: Every stay of bread and every stay of water;
Afei hwɛ, Awurade, Asafo Awurade, rebegyae nea ɔde ma wɔ Yerusalem ne Yuda nyinaa: aduan ne nsu a ɔde ma wɔn nyinaa.
2 Mighty and man of war, judge and prophet, And diviner and elderly,
Dɔmmarima ne akofo, otemmufo ne odiyifo, nkɔmhyɛni ne ɔpanyin,
3 Head of fifty, and accepted of faces, And counselor, and wise craftsmen, And discerning charmer.
aduonum so panyin ne nea ɔwɔ dibea, ɔfotufo, odwumfo nyansafo ne nkaberekyerefo onifirifo.
4 And I have made youths their heads, And sucklings rule over them.
“Mede mmerantewa bɛyɛ wɔn nnwuma so mpanyimfo; na mmofra adi wɔn so.”
5 And the people has exacted—man on man, Even a man on his neighbor, The youths enlarge themselves against the aged, And the lightly esteemed against the honored.
Nnipa bɛhyɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho so, ɔbarima betia ɔbarima, ɔyɔnko betia ne yɔnko. Mmabun bɛsɔre atia wɔn mpanyimfo, apapahwekwa betia onuonyamfo.
6 When one lays hold on his brother, Of the house of his father, [by] the garment, “Come, you are a ruler to us, And this ruin [is] under your hand.”
Ɔbarima beso ne nuanom mu baako mu wɔ nʼagya fi aka se, “Wowɔ atade, bɛyɛ yɛn dikanfo; wɔ kurow a adan mmubui siw yi so.”
7 He lifts up, in that day, saying, “I am not a binder up, And in my house is neither bread nor garment, You do not make me a ruler of the people.”
Nanso da no ɔbɛteɛ mu se, “Minni nea mede bɛyɛ. Minni aduan anaa ntama wɔ me fi; mfa me nyɛ nnipa no so kannifo.”
8 For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, For their tongue and their doings [are] against YHWH, To provoke the eyes of His glory.
Yerusalem retɔ ntintan, Yuda rehwe ase; wɔn nsɛm ne nneyɛe tia Awurade. Wommu nʼanuonyam a ɛwɔ wɔn mu no.
9 The appearance of their faces witnessed against them, And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, They have not hidden! Woe to their soul, For they have done evil to themselves.
Sɛnea wɔn anim te no di adanse tia wɔn; wɔda wɔn bɔne adi te sɛ Sodom; wɔmmfa nsie. Nnome nka wɔn! Wɔakɔfa amanehunu aba wɔn ho so.
10 Say to the righteous that [it is] good, Because they eat the fruit of their doings.
Ka kyerɛ atreneefo se ebesi wɔn yiye, efisɛ wobedi wɔn nneyɛe so aba.
11 Woe to the wicked—evil, Because the deed of his hand is done to him.
Nnome nka amumɔyɛfo! Amanehunu wɔ wɔn so! Wobetua wɔn nea wɔn nsa ayɛ no so ka.
12 My people—its exactors [are] sucklings, And women have ruled over it. My people—your eulogists are causing to err, And the way of your paths swallowed up.
Mmabun hyɛ me nkurɔfo so, mmea di wɔn so. Me nkurɔfo, mo akwankyerɛfo ma moyera; wɔma moman fi ɔtempɔn no so.
13 YHWH has stood up to plead, And He is standing to judge the peoples.
Awurade tena ase wɔ nʼasennii. Ɔma ne mu so bu nkurɔfo no atɛn.
14 YHWH enters into judgment With [the] elderly of His people, and its heads: “And you, you have consumed the vineyard, Plunder of the poor [is] in your houses.
Awurade bu atɛn de tia ne nkurɔfo mpanyimfo ne akannifo se, “Mo na moasɛe me bobeturo; apoobɔde a efi ahiafo nkyɛn wɔ mo afi mu.
15 Why? Why do you [do this]? You bruise My people, And you grind the faces of the poor.” A declaration of the Lord, YHWH of Hosts, And YHWH says:
Ase ne dɛn nti na modwerɛw me nkurɔfo na mode ahiafo anim twitwiw fam?” Sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.
16 “Because that daughters of Zion have been haughty, And they walk stretching out the neck, And deceiving [with] the eyes, They go walking and mincing, And they make a jingling with their feet,
Awurade kasa se, “Sion mmabea yɛ ahantan; wɔnantew toto wɔn kɔn, wɔdeda wɔn ani akyi, wotutu wɔn anammɔn ntiantia, na wɔn anan ase nkaa gyigye.
17 The Lord has also scabbed The crown of the head of daughters of Zion, And YHWH exposes their simplicity.
Enti Awurade bɛma tikuru abegu Sion mmea ti ho. Awurade bɛma wɔn ti so apa.”
18 In that day the Lord turns aside The beauty of the jingling ornaments, And of the embroidered works, And of the crescents,
Da no Awurade beyiyi wɔn afɛfɛde: nkaa, ntamabamma ne kɔnmuade,
19 Of the pendants, and the bracelets, and the veils,
asokaa, nkapo ne nkataanim,
20 Of the headdresses, and the ornaments of the legs, And of the bands, And of the perfume boxes, and the amulets,
Wɔn mmotiri, anan ase ntweaban, nkyekyeremu, nnuhuam ntoa ne nkabere,
21 Of the seals, and of the nose-rings,
nsɔwano mpɛtea ne hwenem nkaa,
22 Of the costly apparel, and of the mantles, And of the coverings, and of the purses,
ntade atenten pa, nguguso tiaa a enni nsa, ntade yuu ne sika nkotoku;
23 Of the mirrors, and of the linen garments, And of the hoods, and of the veils,
nhwehwɛ, sirikyi ntade, tinwi so nkaa ne mmati so nguguso.
24 And it has been, instead of spice is muck, And instead of a girdle, a rope, And instead of curled work, baldness, And instead of a stomacher a girdle of sackcloth.
Nkabɔne besi nea ɛyɛ huam anan mu; ntampehama besi nkatakɔnmu anan mu; ti a ɛso apa besi tinwi a wɔasiesie anan mu; atweaatam besi ntama pa anan mu; honam ani atwaatwa besi ahoɔfɛ anan mu.
25 For instead of glory, your men fall by sword, And your might in battle.
Wo mmarima bɛtotɔ afoa ano, wʼakofo wɔ ɔko mu.
26 And her openings have lamented and mourned, Indeed, she has been emptied, she sits on the earth!”
Sion apon betwa adwo, adi awerɛhow; onnibi, ɔbɛtena fam.

< Isaiah 3 >