Isaiah 28
1 Terrible things will happen to [Samaria city, the capital of Israel]! It is on a hill above a fertile valley; the people who live there, who get drunk by drinking too much wine, are very proud; it is a beautiful and glorious city, but some day that beauty will disappear like [MET] a flower that wilts and dries up.
Nnome nka nhwiren abotiri a ɛyɛ Efraim asabowfo ahohoahoade no nhwiren a ɛrepa, nʼahoɔfɛ a ɛho wɔ nyam, a ɛda asasebere bon so. Nnome nka kuropɔn no, nea nnipa a nsa asɛe wɔn no de hoahoa wɔn ho no.
2 Listen to this: Yahweh will cause a great army to attack Samaria. Their soldiers will be like [SIM] a huge hailstorm [or] a very strong wind; they will be everywhere, like the water of a huge flood, and they will smash to the ground [the buildings in Samaria].
Hwɛ, Awurade wɔ obi a ɔwɔ tumi ne ahoɔden. Ɔte sɛ mparuwbo ne mframa a ɛsɛe ade ɔte sɛ osu a ɛne mframa nam, ne osuhweam a ɛhyɛ suka ma ɔbɛtow no ahwe fam ahoɔden so.
3 The people of Samaria are proud, but everything that the drunks who live there think is wonderful/glorious will be trampled on by their enemies.
Saa nhwiren abotiri no a ɛyɛ Efraim asabowfo ahohoahoade no, wobetiatia so.
4 [Yes], Samaria is beautiful, set on a hill above a fertile valley, but that beauty will disappear like [MET] a flower that wilts and dries up. Whenever someone sees a good fig at the beginning of the season [when figs become ripe], he quickly picks and eats it; [similarly, when the enemies of Israel see all the beautiful things in Samaria], [they will quickly conquer the city and take away all those things].
Saa nhwiren a ɛrepa, nʼahoɔfɛ a ɛho wɔ nyam, a ɛda asasebere bon so no, bɛyɛ sɛ borɔdɔma a ɛbere ansa na otwabere adu, sɛ obi hu na ɔte a odi no ntɛm so.
5 At that time, the Commander of the armies of angels will be [like] a glorious wreath of flowers for [us] Israeli people who are still alive [after being exiled].
Saa da no Asafo Awurade bɛyɛ Anuonyam ahenkyɛw, nhwiren abotiri fɛfɛ ama ne nkurɔfo nkae no.
6 He will cause our judges to want to do what is fair/just when they decide people’s cases. He will enable the soldiers who stand at the city gates to strongly defend [the city when our enemies attack it].
Ɔbɛyɛ atɛntrenee honhom ama otemmufo a ɔte agua mu. Ɔbɛyɛ ahoɔden farebae ama wɔn a wɔpam atamfo wɔ nkurow apon ano.
7 [But now, ] our leaders stagger/stumble because they have drunk a lot of wine and [other] alcoholic drinks. The priests and prophets also stagger because of drinking a lot of wine and other alcoholic drinks. They are not able to think right; they see visions but they cannot understand what they mean; they are unable to decide things correctly.
Na eyinom nso nsa ma wɔtɔ ntintan na bobesa ma wohinhim; bobesa ma asɔfo ne adiyifo tɔ ntintan na nsa ma wɔn ani so yɛ wɔn totɔtotɔ; na wohinhim wɔtɔ ntintan bere a wɔrenya anisoadehu, na wɔn ano fomfom wɔ adwenkyerɛ mu.
8 All their tables are covered with [their] vomit; filth is everywhere.
Ɔfe agugu apon nyinaa so, na baabiara ayɛ fi.
9 They ridicule Yahweh saying, “Who does he think that he is teaching? Why is he talking to us like this? [Does he think that] we are little children who have recently been weaned?
“Hena na ɔpɛ sɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛ no? Na hena nso na ɔrekyerɛ nʼasɛm ase akyerɛ no? Mmofra a wɔatwa wɔn nufu, wɔn a wotwaa wɔn nufu nkyɛe no ana?
10 [He continually tells us], ‘Do this, do that;’ first he tells us one rule, then another rule, he tells us only one line at a time.”
Na ɛyɛ: Yɛ eyi, anaa eyi mmara foforo akyi mmara; ɛha kakra, ɛhɔ kakra.”
11 So now, Yahweh will need to force them to listen to [Assyrians] speaking to them in a language that they do not understand.
Eye, na afei ananafo ano ne kasa foforo na Onyankopɔn de bɛkasa akyerɛ saa nkurɔfo yi,
12 Yahweh told his people [long ago], “[This is] a place where you can rest; you are exhausted [from all your travels through the desert], but you will be able to rest [in this land].” But they refused to pay attention to what he said.
Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Ha ne ahomegyebea no, momma abrɛfo no nhome; ahodwobea nso ni,” nanso wɔantie no.
13 So Yahweh continues to tell the people of Samaria, one line at a time, “Do this, do that,” first one rule and then another rule. But because [of their ignoring what God said], they will be attacked and defeated; they will be wounded and snared and captured.
Enti afei wɔbɛfa Awurade asɛm a ɔde ma wɔn no sɛ: Yɛ eyi anaa eyi, mmara foforo akyi mmara; ha kakra, hɔ kakra, sɛnea wɔrekɔ no ɛbɛma wɔapini wɔn akyi; wobepirapira, na wɔatɔ afiri mu, na wɔakyere wɔn.
14 Because of [what will happen in Samaria], you rulers in Jerusalem who make fun of me, listen to this message from Yahweh:
Ɛno nti, muntie Awurade asɛm, mo fɛwdifo a mudi saa nkurɔfo yi so wɔ Yerusalem.
15 You [boast] saying, “We have made an alliance with [the leaders of Egypt], so we will not be killed [in battles]; we will never go to the place where the dead people are. When the [army of Assyria] attacks us, they will never defeat us, because we have made [an agreement with Egypt] to protect us!” [But that agreement consists of] a lot of lies [DOU]. (Sheol h7585)
Mohoahoa mo ho se, “Yɛne owu ayɛ apam, yɛne ɔda ayɛ nhyehyɛe sɛ asotwe a ano yɛ den ba a, ɛrentumi nka yɛn, efisɛ yɛde atoro ayɛ yɛn guankɔbea ne nnaadaa ayɛ yɛn hintabea.” (Sheol h7585)
16 Therefore, Yahweh [our] Lord says this: “Listen to this! I am going to place in Jerusalem [someone who is like] [MET] a foundation stone, [he is like] a stone that has been tested [to determine if it is solid]. [He will be like] a valuable cornerstone around which it will be safe to build a house; and whoever trusts in him will never be disappointed.
Enti nea Otumfo Awurade se ni, “Hwɛ! Mede ɔbo bi retim Sion, ɔbo a wɔasɔ ahwɛ, tweatibo a ɛsom bo ama fapem a ɛyɛ den; nea ɔde ne ho to so no remmɔ hu.
17 I will test you [people of Jerusalem] to find out if you will act justly and righteously [like] [MET] someone uses a plumb line [to determine if a wall is straight and vertical]. But because your agreement [with Egypt] to protect you [was made by leaders] lying to each other and deceiving each other, you will be defeated and taken away [from your country] by [an army that will come against you like] [MET] a flood.
Mede atɛntrenee bɛyɛ susuhama na treneeyɛ ayɛ ɔfasu kirebennyɛ susuhama mparuwbo bɛsɛe wo guankɔbea a ɛyɛ atoro no, na nsu abɛkata wo hintabea hɔ.
18 I will annul/destroy the agreement that you made [with the leaders of Egypt]. You thought that [because of that agreement] you would not be killed, and you would not go to the place where the dead are. [But] when the vast [army of Assyria] overwhelms you like a flood, they will trample you into the ground. (Sheol h7585)
Wobetwa apam a wo ne owu ayɛ no mu; nhyehyɛe a wo ne ɔda ayɛ no nso rennyina sɛ asotwe a ano yɛ den no ba a, ebetwiw afa mo so. (Sheol h7585)
19 Their soldiers will come during the morning, at noontime, and at night, and they will carry you all away.” And when you understand this message, you will be terrified.
Mpɛn dodow biara a ɛbɛba no ɛbɛsoa mo akɔ; anɔpa, awia ne anadwo biara, ɛbɛfa mu akɔ.” Saa nkra yi ntease de ehu bɛba.
20 [You have heard people say], “Your bed is very short, you will not be able to sleep in it; your blankets are very narrow; they will not cover you!” [That means for you that your agreement with Egypt is not going to save you].
Mpa no yɛ tia dodo ma sɛ wɔteɛ wɔn mu wɔ so, kuntu no yɛ hiahiaa sɛ ɛbɛso wɔn ho kata.
21 Yahweh will come [and cause you to be defeated]; he will do to you like he did to the army of Philistia at Perizim Mountain and like he did to the Amor people-group at Gibeon Valley. What he will do will be [very] strange and unusual [DOU].
Awurade bɛsɔre sɛnea ɔsɔree wɔ Perasim bepɔw so no, ɔbɛkanyan ne ho sɛnea ɔyɛɛ wɔ Gibeon Bon mu, yɛɛ nʼadwuma, nʼadwuma nwonwaso no dii ne dwuma, dwumadi a bi mmaa da.
22 The Commander of the armies of angels has told me that he is going to destroy the entire land. So do not ridicule [what I say any more], because if you do that he will punish you [even] more severely.
Afei gyae wo fɛwdi no, anyɛ saa a wo nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn mu bɛyɛ duru; Awurade, Asafo Awurade aka akyerɛ me ɔsɛe ho mmaraden a wɔahyɛ atia asase no nyinaa.
23 Listen [IDM] to what I say; pay attention carefully.
Muntie na monte me nne; monwɛn mo aso na muntie nea meka.
24 When a farmer plows some ground, does he never plant seeds [RHQ]? Does he continue to plow it and never plant anything [RHQ]?
Sɛ okuafo funtum asase sɛ ɔrebedua so a, ɔyɛ no daa ana? Ɔkɔ so tutu, fɛntɛm asase no ana?
25 No, he makes the ground very level, and then he plants seeds— dill and cumin and wheat and barley. He plants each kind of seed in the correct manner.
Sɛ osiesie asase no ani a, onnua ɛme, na ɔmpete ntɛtɛ wɔ so ana? Onnua awi ne atoko mu biara wɔ nʼafa ana?
26 [He does that] because God has taught him the correct way to do it.
Ne Nyankopɔn ma no akwankyerɛ na ɔkyerɛ no ɔkwan pa.
27 [Farmers] never thresh caraway/dill with a heavy sledge/club; instead, they beat it only with a stick. [Farmers] never thresh cumin by driving a cart over it; instead, they hit it [only] with a rod.
Wɔmfa asae mpo ɛme ho, wɔmfa teaseɛnam hankare mfa ntɛtɛ so; wɔde pema na ɛboro ɛme, na wɔde abaa aboro ntɛtɛ.
28 And grain for baking bread is crushed easily, so the farmers do not continue to pound it for a long time. They sometimes cause their horses to pull a cart over it [to thresh it], [but] doing that does not grind the grain.
Wɔyam aburow de to brodo nti obi nkɔ so nyam a onnwie da. Ɛwɔ mu, ɔde nʼawiporowee teaseɛnam hankare fa so de, nanso ɛnyɛ nʼapɔnkɔ na wɔyam.
29 The Commander of the armies of angels gives [us] wonderful advice [about how to do things]; he causes [us] to be very wise. [So what the farmers do is very smart/wise, but what your leaders are doing is very stupid].
Eyinom nyinaa fi Asafo Awurade, afotu mu nwonwani, na ne nyansa boro so.
