< Isaiah 23 >
1 [I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Tyre [city]: You [sailors on] [APO] ships from Tarshish, weep, because [the harbor of] Tyre and all the houses [in the city] have been destroyed. The reports that you heard in Cyprus [island] about Tyre [are true].
Nkɔmhyɛ a ɛfa Tiro ho: Ao, Tarsis ahyɛn, montwa adwo! Ɛfiri sɛ wɔasɛe Tiro na anka no afie anaa ɛhyɛngyinabea. Wɔfiri Kipro asase so abɛka akyerɛ wɔn.
2 You people who live along the coast [near Tyre], and merchants of Sidon [city], mourn silently. Your sailors went across the seas [to many places like Tyre].
Monyɛ komm, mo nnipa a mowɔ supɔ no so ne mo Sidon adwadifoɔ a ɛpo so adwumayɛfoɔ ama mo ayɛ adefoɔ.
3 They sailed across deep seas to buy grain in Egypt and [other] crops that are grown along the Nile [River]. Tyre became the city where people from [all] nations bought and sold goods.
Nsuo akɛseɛ no so na aduane firi Sihor nam baeɛ; Nil ho nnɔbaeɛ na ɛyɛɛ Tirofoɔ toɔ, na ɔbɛyɛɛ amanaman adwadibea.
4 But now you people in Sidon should be ashamed, because [you trusted in Tyre], which has been a strong fortress [on an island] in the sea. [Tyre is like a woman who is saying], “[Now it is as though] I have not given birth to [any] children, or raised [any] sons or daughters.”
Animguaseɛ nka wo, Ao Sidon, ne wo, Ao ɛpo so aban, ɛfiri sɛ ɛpo akasa sɛ, “Menkyemee da na menwoo da; mentetee mmammarima anaa mmammaa da.”
5 When [the people of] Egypt hear what has happened to Tyre, they will grieve very much.
Sɛ asɛm no duru Misraim a, wɔn ho bɛdwiri wɔn wɔ nkra a ɛfiri Tiro no ho.
6 Sail to Tarshish [and tell them what happened]; weep, you people who live along the coast.
Montwa nkɔ Tarsis; montwa adwo, mo a mowɔ supɔ no so.
7 [The people in] the very old city [of Tyre] were [RHQ] previously joyful. Traders [PRS] from Tyre established colonies in many distant nations.
Yei ne mo ahosɛpɛ kuropɔn no? Yei ne teteete kuropɔn no a watu akɔtena akyirikyiri nsase soɔ no anaa?
8 People from Tyre appointed kings [over other places]; their traders were wealthy; they were [as powerful and wealthy as] [MET] kings. [So], who [RHQ] caused the people of Tyre to experience this disaster?
Hwan na ɔbɔɔ atirimpɔ yei de tiaa Tiro, deɛ ɔkyekyɛ ahenkyɛ, deɛ nʼadwadifoɔ yɛ ahene mma, na nʼadetɔnfoɔ agye din wɔ asase so?
9 It was the Commander of the armies of angels who did it; he did it in order to cause [you people in] Tyre not to be proud any more, to humiliate you men who are honored all over the world.
Asafo Awurade na ɔbɔɔ ne tirimpɔ sɛ, ɔbɛbrɛ animuonyam mu ahomasoɔ ase na wabrɛ wɔn a wɔagye din wɔ asase yi so nyinaa ase.
10 You people of Tarshish, you must grow crops in your land [instead of trading]; spread out over your land like [SIM] the Nile [River] spreads over the land [of Egypt] when it floods, because there is no harbor [in Tyre for your ships] now.
Yɛ wʼasase so adwuma te sɛ deɛ wɔyɛ wɔ Nil ho no Ao Ɔbabaa Tarsis, ɛfiri sɛ wonni hyɛngyinabea bio.
11 [It is as though] Yahweh stretched out his hand over the sea and shook the kingdoms of the earth. He commanded that in Phoenicia/Canaan all its fortresses must be destroyed.
Awurade apagya ne nsa wɔ ɛpo no so ama ahennie ahodoɔ a ɛwɔ hɔ no repopo. Wahyɛ Kanaan ho mmara sɛ, wɔnsɛe nʼaban.
12 He said to the people of Sidon, “You will never rejoice again, because you will be crushed; even if you flee to Cyprus [island], you will not escape destruction.”
Ɔkaa sɛ, “Wʼahurisidie no nso ha ara, Ao Ɔbabaa bunu Sidon a wɔadwera wo! “Sɔre, tware kɔ Kipro; ɛhɔ mpo worennya ahotɔ.”
13 Think about what happened in Babylonia: the people who were in that land have disappeared. [The armies of] Assyria have caused that land to become a place where wild animals from the desert live. The Assyrians built dirt ramps to the top of the walls [of the city of Babylon]; [then they entered the city and] tore down the palaces and caused the city to become [a heap of] rubble.
Monhwɛ Babiloniafoɔ asase no, saa nnipa a seesei wɔnka hwee no! Asiriafoɔ ayɛ no beaeɛ a anweatam so mmoa teɛ; wɔsisii wɔn ntua aban bebree, wɔdwirii nʼaban guiɛ ma ɛdanee mmubuiɛ.
14 [So] wail, you [sailors on the] ships of Tarshish, because the harbor [in Tyre where your ships stop] is destroyed!
Montwa adwo, Tarsis ahyɛn; wɔasɛe wʼaban!
15 For seventy years, which is as long as kings usually live, people will forget about Tyre. [But then it will be rebuilt]. What will happen there will be like what happened to a prostitute in this song:
Saa ɛberɛ no wɔrenkae Tiro mfeɛ aduɔson, a ɛyɛ ɔhene nkwanna. Nanso mfeɛ aduɔson akyi no, deɛ ɛbɛto Tiro no bɛyɛ sɛdeɛ ɛwɔ odwamanfoɔ no dwom mu no:
16 “You harlot, whom people had forgotten, play your harp well, and sing many songs, in order that people will remember you again.”
“Ma sankuten no so, pase fa kuropɔn no mu, Ao odwamanfoɔ a wɔnnkae wo; bɔ sankuten no yie, to nnwom bebree, sɛdeɛ wɔbɛkae wo.”
17 [It is true that] after seventy years Yahweh will restore Tyre. Their merchants will again earn a lot of money by buying things from and selling things to many [other] nations [HYP].
Mfeɛ aduɔson akyi, Awurade ne Tiro bɛdi. Ɔbɛsane akɔdi ne paa sɛ odwamanfoɔ na ɔne ahennie a ɛwɔ asase so nyinaa adi dwa.
18 [But] their profits will be given to Yahweh. [The merchants] will not hoard their money; instead, they will give it to Yahweh’s priests in order that they [can] buy food and nice clothes.
Nanso, deɛ ɔbɛnya ne ne mfasoɔ nyinaa, wɔde bɛto hɔ ama Awurade; wɔremmoaboa ano na wɔremfa nsie. Ne mfasoɔ no bɛkɔ wɔn a wɔsom wɔ Awurade anim, na wɔanya aduane bebree ne ntadeɛ pa.