Isaiah 49

1 Listen, O islands, to Me, And attend, O peoples, from afar, YHWH has called Me from the womb, From the bowels of My mother He has 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 makes My mouth as a sharp sword, He has hid Me in the shadow of His hand, And He makes Me for a clear arrow, He has hid Me in His quiver.

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 He says to me, “You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I beautify Myself.”

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

4 And I said, “I labored in vain, I consumed my power for emptiness and vanity, But my judgment [is] with YHWH, And my wage 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,” said YHWH, who is forming Me from the belly—His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him (Though Israel is not gathered, Yet I am honored in the eyes of YHWH, And My God has been 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 says, “It has been a light thing That You are My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to bring back the preserved of Israel, And I have given You for a light to the nations, To 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 said YHWH, Redeemer of Israel, His Holy One, To the despised in soul, To the detested of a nation, To the Servant of rulers: “Kings see, and have risen, princes, and worship, For the sake of YHWH, who is faithful, The Holy of Israel, and He chooses 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 said YHWH: “In a time of good pleasure I answered You, And in a day of salvation I helped You, And I keep You, and give You, For a covenant of the people, To establish the earth, To cause to inherit desolate inheritances.

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 To say to the bound, Go out, To those in darkness, Be uncovered. They feed on the ways, And their pasture is 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 do not hunger, nor thirst, Nor do mirage and sun strike them, For He who is pitying them leads them, And tends them by fountains of waters.

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 have made all My mountains for a way, And My highways are lifted up.

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

12 Behold, these come in from afar, And behold, these from the north, and from the sea, 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 rejoice, O earth, And break forth, O mountains, with singing, For YHWH has comforted His people, And He pities His afflicted ones.

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

14 And Zion says, “YHWH has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.”

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

15 “Does a woman forget her suckling, The loved one—the son of her womb? Indeed, these forget—but I do 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 carved you on the palms of the hand, Your walls [are] continually before Me.

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

17 Those building you have hurried, Those destroying you, and laying you waste, go out from you.

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

18 Lift up your eyes, [look] around and see, All of them have been gathered, They have come to you. [As] I live,” a declaration of YHWH! “Surely you put on all of them as an ornament, And you bind them on like a bride.

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 Because your ruins, and your desolate places, And the land of your ruins, Are now surely restricted because of inhabitants, And those consuming you have been far off.

“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 Again the sons of your bereavement say in your ears: The place is too narrow for me, Come near to me—and I 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 And you have said in your heart: Who has begotten these for me? And I [am] bereaved and barren, A captive, and turned aside, And who has nourished these? Behold, I was left by myself, these—where [are] they from?”

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 said Lord YHWH: “Behold, I lift up My hand to nations, And I raise up My ensign to peoples, And they have brought your sons in the bosom, And your daughters are carried on the shoulder.

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 have been your nursing fathers, And their princesses—your nursing mothers; Face to the earth—they bow down to you, And they lick up the dust of your feet, And you have known that I [am] YHWH, That those expecting Me are not ashamed.”

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 Is prey taken from the mighty? And the captive of the righteous delivered?

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

25 For thus said YHWH: “Even the captive of the mighty is taken, And the prey of the terrible is delivered, And I strive with your striver, and I save your sons.

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 have caused your oppressors to eat their own flesh, And they drink their own blood as new wine, And all flesh has known that I, YHWH, Your Savior, and your Redeemer, [Am] 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.”