Isaiah 22
1 [I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Jerusalem, about the valley where [Yahweh showed me] this vision. Why is everyone foolishly running up to their [flat] rooftops?
Esiae nye nyagblɔɖi ɖe ŋutega balime la ŋu. Nu kae ɖe mi ɖe nu hafi mi katã miede xɔwo tame?
2 Everyone in the city [seems to] be shouting. [There are a lot of] corpses [in the city], [but they] were not killed by [their enemies’] swords. They did not die in battles; [instead, they died from diseases and hunger].
O! Hoowɔwɔ ƒe du, ʋunyaʋunya kple aglotutu ƒe du, nu kae le wɔwòm? Wò ame kukuwo la, menye yi nu wotsi o, eye menye aʋa hãe wotsi o.
3 All the leaders of the city fled. [But then] they were captured because they did not have bows [and arrows to defend themselves]. Your [soldiers tried to] flee while the enemy [army] was still far away, but they also were captured.
Wò dumegãwo katã si dzo; wotsɔ wo ɖokuiwo na futɔwo, eye womeʋli wo ɖokui ta o. Togbɔ be wosi dzo esi futɔ la megogo wo kura o hã la, wolé wò amewo katã, eye wozu aboyomewo.
4 That is why I said, “Allow me to cry alone; do not try to comfort me [about my people being slaughtered].”
Eya ta megblɔ be, “Miɖe kɔ ɖa le ŋunye, eye mina mɔm mafa avi vevie. Migafa akɔ nam ɖe nye ameawo ƒe tsɔtsrɔ̃ ta o”,
5 The Commander of the armies of angels has [chosen] a time when there will be a great uproar, [soldiers] marching, and people being terrified in the valley [where I received this] vision. [It will be a time when our city] walls will be battered down and [the people’s] cries [for help] will be heard in the mountains.
elabena Aƒetɔ Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la ɖo ŋkeke ɖi na ʋunyaʋunya, nuwo fanyafanya kple ŋɔdzi le ŋutega balime la, ŋkeke si dzi woamu gliwo aƒu anyi, eye ɣli aɖi le towo tame.
6 The armies from Elam and Kir [in Media] will attack, driving chariots and carrying shields.
Elam kpla daku, eƒe tasiaɖam kple sɔdolawo kpe ɖe eŋuti, eye Kir ɖe nu le eƒe akpoxɔnu ŋu.
7 Our beautiful valleys will be filled with [our enemies’] chariots and the men who drive the chariots will stand outside [our city] gates.
Ale tasiaɖamwo yɔ wò balime nyuitɔ, eye woɖe sɔdolawo ɖe wò agbowo nu.
8 The walls that protect [the cities in] Judah will fall down. You [people of Jerusalem] will run to get the weapons [that are stored in the building called] “the Hall of the Forest”.
Ale Aƒetɔ la ɖe Yuda ƒe akpoxɔnuwo katã ɖa, eye Yuda di xɔ si wotu ɖe ave me, si me aʋawɔnuwo nɔ la vevie gbe ma gbe.
9 You will see that there are many breaks/holes in the walls of Jerusalem. You will store water in the lower pool [in the city].
Miekpɔ be gbagbãƒe geɖewo le David ƒe du la ŋu, eya ta mielɔ tsi ɖe anyigbeta la me.
10 You will inspect the houses in Jerusalem, and [some of] them you will tear down to use the stones to repair the [city] wall.
Miexlẽ xɔ siwo le Yerusalem, hegbã woƒe gliwo be miagbugbɔ wo aglã.
11 Between the walls [of the city] you will build a reservoir to [store] water from the old pool. But you will never request help from the one who made the city; you have never depended on Yahweh, who planned this city long ago.
Mieɖe tsiʋe gã aɖe ɖe gli eveawo dome, helɔ tsi le ta xoxo la me kɔ ɖe eme, gake miebia ame si wɔe la ta se o, alo miede bubu ame si wɔ ɖoɖo ɖe eŋu tso blema ke la ŋu o.
12 The Commander of the armies of angels told you to weep and mourn; he told you to shave your heads and to wear rough sackcloth to show that you were sorry for the sins that you had committed.
Aƒetɔ Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la, di tso mia si le ŋkeke ma dzi be, miafa avi, afa konyi, alũ ta kolikoli.
13 But instead of doing that, you were happy and celebrating; you slaughtered cattle and sheep, [in order to cook their] meat and eat it and drink wine. You said, “Let’s eat and drink [all that we want to], because [it is possible that] we will die tomorrow!”
Ke mikpɔ ɖa, miele dzidzɔ kpɔm, le aglo tum. Miewu nyiwo, tso alẽwo; mieɖu lã, mieno wain, eye miegblɔ be, “Mina miaɖu nu, ano nu, elabena etsɔ miele kuku ge!”
14 [So] the Commander of the armies of angels revealed this to me: “I will never forgive my people for sinning like this!”
Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la, gblɔ nam be, “Womatsɔ nu vɔ̃ sia ake mi o va se ɖe miaƒe kugbe.” Aƒetɔ Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe.
15 The Commander of the armies of angels said this [to me]: “Go to Shebna, the official who supervises the workers in the palace, and give this message to him:
Ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la, gblɔ nye esi, “Tso nàyi Sebna, nuwo dzikpɔla, ame si le aƒea nu la gbɔ, nàgblɔ nɛ be,
16 '[Who do you think you are?] Who gave you the authority to build a beautiful tomb where you will be buried, chiseling it out of the rocky cliff high above this valley?
‘Nu ka wɔm nèle le afi sia, eye ame kae ɖe mɔ na wò be naɖe yɔdo na ɖokuiwò ɖe afi sia hafi nèle yɔdo ɖem ɖe kɔkɔƒe, eye nèle kpe gbãm be nàwɔ wò dzudzɔƒe ɖe agakpewo tome?’
17 You [think that you are] [IRO] a great man, but Yahweh is about to hurl you away. [It will be as though] he will seize you,
“Kpɔ nyuie, elabena esusɔ vie Yehowa ƒe asi nasu dziwò, eye wòatsɔ wò aƒu gbe. O! Ŋutsu kalẽtɔ.
18 and roll/crumple you into a ball and throw you away into a large distant land. You will die [and be buried] there, and your beautiful chariots will stay there [in the hands of your enemies]. And [because of what happens to you], your master, [the king], will be [very] ashamed/disgraced.
Aŋlɔ wò nogoe abe abo ene, eye wòatsɔ wò aƒu gbe ɖe anyigba gã aɖe dzi. Afi ma nàku ɖo, eye afi ma wò tasiaɖam ɖablawo atsi. Wò ame si nye ŋukpe na wò aƒetɔ ƒe aƒe.
19 Yahweh will force you to quit working in the palace; you will be demoted from your important position.
Maɖe wò ɖa le wò zi dzi, eye woaxɔ wò nɔƒe kɔkɔ la le asi wò.
20 Then I will summon Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who has served serve me [well], to replace you.
“Gbe ma gbe la, mayɔ nye dɔla Eliakim, Hilkia ƒe vi.
21 I will allow him to wear your robe, and to fasten your sash around him, and I will give to him the authority that you had. He will be like [MET] a father to the people of Jerusalem and [all the other] towns in Judah.
Matsɔ wò awu ʋlaya ado nɛ; atsɔ wò alidziblanu abla ali dzi nɛ, eye maxɔ wò nɔƒe atsɔ nɛ. Anye fofo na Yerusalemtɔwo kple Yuda ƒe aƒe la.
22 I will give to him authority [MTY] over [what happens in] the palace where King David [lived]; when he decides something [MET], no one will be able to oppose it; when he refuses to do something, no one will be able to force him to do it.
Matsɔ David ƒe aƒe ƒe safui la aɖo abɔta nɛ. Nu sia nu si wòʋu la, ame aɖeke mate ŋu atui o, eye nu sia nu si wòtu la, ame aɖeke mate ŋu aʋui o.
23 I will cause his family to be greatly respected, because I will put him firmly in his position [as supervisor of the workers in the palace], like [SIM] a nail that is firmly hammered into a wall.
Maƒoe ɖe to abe tsyoti ene le teƒe sesẽ aɖe. Anye fiazikpui si ŋu bubu le na fofoa ƒe aƒe.
24 Others will enable him to have much responsibility, with the result that all the members of his family, even the most insignificant ones, will be honored.'”
Eƒe ƒome la katã ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe anɔ eya amea dzi, ɖe viawo kple eƒe dzidzimeviwo dzi. Anɔ nu siwo katã ŋu dɔ wowɔna le aƒe me la dzi; tso agbawo dzi va se ɖe tsinokpluwo dzi.”
25 [But] the Commander of the armies of angels also says, “[Shebna is like] [MET] a peg that is firmly fastened to the wall. But there will be a time when I will [remove him from his position]; he will lose his power/influence, and everything that he promoted [MET] will fail. [That will surely happen] because [I], Yahweh, have said it.”
Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gblɔ be, “Le ŋkeke ma dzi la, tsyoti si woƒo ɖe teƒe sesẽ la aho. Woalãe, wòamu adze anyi, eye agba si wotsɔ ku ɖe eŋu la hã akaka.” Yehowae gblɔe.
