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?
Adehunu a ɛfa Yerusalem, Anisoadehunu Bɔnhwa no ho: Ɛdeɛn na ɛha mo seesei, a mo nyinaa aforo kɔ adan atifi yi,
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].
Ao Kuro a basabasayɛ ahyɛ no ma, Ao hooyɛ ne ahosɛpɛ kuropɔn? Ɛnyɛ akofena ano na wʼatɔfoɔ hweree wɔn nkwa, na wɔanwuwu wɔ ɔko ano nso?
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.
Mo adikanfoɔ nyinaa abɔ mu adwane; wɔamfa tadua ankyekyere wɔn. Mo a wɔkyere mo nyinaa wɔfaa mo nneduafoɔ; mo a modwanee wɔ ɛberɛ a na atamfoɔ no wɔ akyirikyiri.
4 That is why I said, “Allow me to cry alone; do not try to comfort me [about my people being slaughtered].”
Enti mekaa sɛ, “Momfiri me so na mentwa adwo. Monnkyekye me werɛ wɔ me nkurɔfoɔ sɛeɛ ho.”
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.
Awurade, Asafo Awurade wɔ da bi ma hooyɛ, ntiatiasoɔ ne ehu wɔ Anisoadehunu Bɔnhwa no mu; ɛda a wɔde bubu afasuo na wɔde su kyerɛ mmepɔ.
6 The armies from Elam and Kir [in Media] will attack, driving chariots and carrying shields.
Elam fa bɛmma no ka ne nteaseɛnamkafoɔ ne apɔnkɔ ho; Kir pagya kyɛm no.
7 Our beautiful valleys will be filled with [our enemies’] chariots and the men who drive the chariots will stand outside [our city] gates.
Nteaseɛnam ayɛ mo bɔnhwa fɛfɛ no ma, na wɔde apɔnkɔsotefoɔ agyinagyina kuropɔn apono no ano.
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”.
Wɔayi Yuda ho banbɔ no. Na da no wode wʼani too akodeɛ a ɛwɔ Kwaeɛ mu Ahemfie no so;
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].
wohunuu sɛ Dawid Kuropɔn no akwan bebree deda ne banbɔ mu. Woboaa nsuo ano wɔ Aseɛ Abura mu.
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.
Wokanee adan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no na wodwirii afie de boaa ɔfasuo no ahoɔden.
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.
Woyɛɛ nsukoraeɛ wɔ afasuo mmienu no ntam maa nsuo a ɛwɔ Abura Dada mu, nanso woanhwehwɛ Onipa ko a ɔyɛeɛ, na woammu Onipa a ɔhyehyɛeɛ yei adaadaa no.
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.
Awurade, Asafo Awurade, frɛɛ wo saa da no sɛ su na twa adwo, ɔkaa sɛ yi wo tirinwi na fira ayitoma.
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!”
Nanso hwɛ, woka sɛ anigyeɛ ne ahosɛpɛ wɔ hɔ; wokunkum anantwie ne nnwan; wowe ɛnam na woboro nsã! Woka sɛ, “Momma yɛnnidi na yɛnnom, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔkyena yɛbɛwu!”
14 [So] the Commander of the armies of angels revealed this to me: “I will never forgive my people for sinning like this!”
Awurade, Asafo Awurade ayi me asotire sɛ, “Wɔremfa saa bɔne yi nkyɛ wo da kɔsi wo wu da,” sɛdeɛ Awurade, Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.
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:
Yei ne deɛ Awurade, Asafo Awurade seɛ, “Kɔ, kɔka kyerɛ saa ɔsomfoɔ yi, Sebna a ɔhwɛ ahemfie no so sɛ,
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?
Ɛdeɛn na woreyɛ wɔ ha na hwan na ɔmaa wo kwan sɛ bɔ wo damena wɔ ha, worebɔ wo damena wɔ baabi a ɛkorɔn na woretwa wo homebea wɔ ɔbotan mu?
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,
“Hwɛ yie, na Awurade rebɛsɔ wo mu den ato wo atwene, Ao wo ɔhoɔdenfoɔ.
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.
Ɔbɛbobɔ wo, ama woayɛ kurukuruwa, na wato wo atwene ɔman kɛseɛ bi so. Ɛhɔ na wobɛwu na wo teaseɛnam fɛfɛ no aka hɔ, wo a woyɛ ahohora ma wo wura efie!
19 Yahweh will force you to quit working in the palace; you will be demoted from your important position.
Mɛgye wʼadwuma afiri wo nsa mu na wɔayi wo afiri wo dibea so.
20 Then I will summon Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who has served serve me [well], to replace you.
“Saa ɛda no, mɛfrɛ me ɔsomfoɔ Eliakim a ɔyɛ Hilkia babarima.
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.
Mede wʼatadeɛ yuu bɛhyɛ no na mede wʼabowomu abobare nʼasene mu na mede wo tumi ahyɛ ne nsa. Ɔbɛyɛ agya ama wɔn a wɔtete Yerusalem ne Yuda efie.
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.
Mede Dawid efie safoa bɛma no; deɛ ɔbɛbue no, obiara rentumi nto mu; na deɛ ɔbɛto mu nso, obiara rentumi mmue.
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.
Mɛbɔ ne so sɛ pɛɛwa ama watim. Ɔbɛyɛ animuonyam adwa ama nʼagya efie.
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.'”
Nʼabusua animuonyam nyinaa bɛgyina ne so: nʼasefoɔ ne mma nana, ne nkuku ne nkaka, firi nwowaa so kɔsi nhina nyinaa so.
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.”
“Saa ɛda no,” sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie, “pɛɛwa a wɔabɔ so ama atim no bɛtu ahwe fam na adesoa a ɛsɛn so no nso asɛe, Awurade akasa!”
