Isaiah 49
1 Listen to me, ye distant lands! Attend, ye nations from afar! Jehovah called me at my birth; In my very childhood he called me by 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 He made my mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of his hand did he hide me. He made me a polished shaft; In his quiver did he hide 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 He said to me, Thou art my servant; 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; For naught, for vanity, have I spent my strength; Yet my cause is with Jehovah, And my reward 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 thus saith Jehovah, Who formed me from my birth to be his servant To bring Jacob to him again, And that Israel might be gathered to him, —For I am honored in the eyes of Jehovah, And my God is 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 He said, It is a small tiling that thou shouldst be my servant, To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved of Israel; I will also make thee the light of the nations, That my salvation may reach the ends 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 saith Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, To him that is despised by men, abhorred by the people, To the servant of tyrants; Kings shall see, and stand up, Princes, and they shall pay homage, On account of Jehovah, who is faithful, The Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.
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 saith Jehovah; In the time of favor will I hear thee; In the day of deliverance will I help thee; I will preserve thee, and make thee a mediator for the people, To restore the land, to distribute the desolated 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 prisoners, Go forth! To them that are in darkness, Come to the light! They shall feed in the ways, And on all high places shall be their pasture.
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, neither shall they thirst; Neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; For he that hath compassion on them shall lead them; To 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 highway; And my roads shall be prepared.
Mɛyɛ me mmepɔ nyinaa akwan, na mʼakwantempɔn nso mɛma akorɔn.
12 Behold! these shall come from far; And behold! 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 ye heavens, and rejoice, O earth! Break forth into singing, ye mountains! For Jehovah comforteth his people, And hath compassion on 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 Zion saith, “Jehovah hath forsaken me; The Lord hath forgotten me.”
Nanso, Sion kaa sɛ, “Awurade agya me hɔ, Awurade werɛ afiri me.”
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, So as not to have compassion on the son of her womb? Yet, should they forget, I will never forget thee!
“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 thee on the palms of my hands; Thy walls are ever before my eyes.
Hwɛ, makrukyire wo din agu me nsa yam wʼafasuo wɔ mʼani so daa.
17 Thy children shall make haste; They that destroyed and laid thee waste shall depart from thee.
Mo mmammarima resane aba ntɛm so; na wɔn a wɔsɛe mo no refiri mo nkyɛn akɔ.
18 Lift up thine eyes around, and see! They all assemble themselves, and come to thee. As I live, saith Jehovah, Thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with a rich dress; Thou shalt bind them on thee, as a bride her jewels.
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 thy waste and desolate places, and thy land laid in ruins, Shall now be too narrow for the inhabitants; And they that devoured thee 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 Thou, that hast been childless, shalt yet hear thy sons exclaim: “The place is too narrow for me; make room for 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 And thou shalt say in thy heart, Who hath begotten me these? I surely was childless and unfruitful, An exile, and an outcast; who then hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, then, where were they?
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 saith the Lord Jehovah: I will lift up my hand to the nations, And set up my standard to the kingdoms; They shall bring thy sons in their arms, And thy daughters upon 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 thy nursing fathers, And queens thy nursing mothers; Upon their faces shall they bow down before thee, And lick the dust of thy feet. Thus shalt thou know that I am Jehovah; And they who trust in me shall not be put to shame.
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 away from the mighty? Or shall the spoil of the terrible be rescued?
Hwan na ɔbɛtumi agye afodeɛ afiri akofoɔ nsam; anaa hwan na ɔbɛtumi agye nnommumfoɔ afiri otirimuɔdenfoɔ nsam?
25 Yea, thus saith Jehovah, The prey shall be taken away from the mighty, And the spoil of the terrible shall be rescued; For with him that contendeth with thee will I contend, And I will save thy 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 cause thine oppressors to eat their own flesh; With their own blood shall they be drunk, as with new wine; And all flesh shall know that I Jehovah am thy saviour; That thy redeemer is 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.”
