Isaiah 3
1 The Commander of the armies of angels is about to take away from Jerusalem and [other places in] Judea everything that you depend on— all your food and water.
Afei hwɛ, Awurade, Asafo Awurade, rebegyae nea ɔde ma wɔ Yerusalem ne Yuda nyinaa: aduan ne nsu a ɔde ma wɔn nyinaa.
2 He will take away your heroes and your [other] soldiers, your judges and your prophets, people who do rituals to find out what will happen in the future and the elders,
Dɔmmarima ne akofo, otemmufo ne odiyifo, nkɔmhyɛni ne ɔpanyin,
3 army officers and [other] officials, advisors and skilled craftsmen and those who perform rituals to predict the future.
aduonum so panyin ne nea ɔwɔ dibea, ɔfotufo, odwumfo nyansafo ne nkaberekyerefo onifirifo.
4 He will appoint boys to be your leaders; your children will rule you.
“Mede mmerantewa bɛyɛ wɔn nnwuma so mpanyimfo; na mmofra adi wɔn so.”
5 People will treat each other cruelly: people will fight against their neighbors. Young people will insult older people, and vulgar/dishonorable people will sneer at people who should be honored.
Nnipa bɛhyɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho so, ɔbarima betia ɔbarima, ɔyɔnko betia ne yɔnko. Mmabun bɛsɔre atia wɔn mpanyimfo, apapahwekwa betia onuonyamfo.
6 At that time, someone will grab one of his brothers in his father’s house and say to him, “You have a coat, [which shows that you are respected]. [So] you be our leader! You rule this [city, which is now] a pile of ruins!”
Ɔbarima beso ne nuanom mu baako mu wɔ nʼagya fi aka se, “Wowɔ atade, bɛyɛ yɛn dikanfo; wɔ kurow a adan mmubui siw yi so.”
7 [But] his brother will reply, “[No], I cannot help you, [because] I do not have [any extra] food or clothes in this house. [So] do not appoint me to be your leader!”
Nanso da no ɔbɛteɛ mu se, “Minni nea mede bɛyɛ. Minni aduan anaa ntama wɔ me fi; mfa me nyɛ nnipa no so kannifo.”
8 Jerusalem and [the other towns in] Judah will be destroyed, because [everything] that the people do and say there opposes Yahweh, who is powerful and glorious, and they refuse to obey him. They rebel against him.
Yerusalem retɔ ntintan, Yuda rehwe ase; wɔn nsɛm ne nneyɛe tia Awurade. Wommu nʼanuonyam a ɛwɔ wɔn mu no.
9 They even show on their faces that [they oppose Yahweh]. They are proud of their sins, like [the people of] Sodom were [long ago]; they do not try to hide their sins. [Because of their sins], terrible things will happen to them, [but] they will bring those disasters on themselves.
Sɛnea wɔn anim te no di adanse tia wɔn; wɔda wɔn bɔne adi te sɛ Sodom; wɔmmfa nsie. Nnome nka wɔn! Wɔakɔfa amanehunu aba wɔn ho so.
10 [Yahweh told me to] tell the righteous people that good things will happen to them; they will enjoy the blessings that they will receive for their good deeds.
Ka kyerɛ atreneefo se ebesi wɔn yiye, efisɛ wobedi wɔn nneyɛe so aba.
11 [But] terrible things will happen to wicked people; they will be (paid back/punished) for [the evil things that] [MTY] they have done.
Nnome nka amumɔyɛfo! Amanehunu wɔ wɔn so! Wobetua wɔn nea wɔn nsa ayɛ no so ka.
12 [Now], youths [who have become leaders] treat my people cruelly, and women rule over my people. My people, your leaders are misleading you; they are causing you to go down the wrong road [MET].
Mmabun hyɛ me nkurɔfo so, mmea di wɔn so. Me nkurɔfo, mo akwankyerɛfo ma moyera; wɔma moman fi ɔtempɔn no so.
13 [It is as though] Yahweh has sat in his place in a courtroom and is ready to judge his people.
Awurade tena ase wɔ nʼasennii. Ɔma ne mu so bu nkurɔfo no atɛn.
14 He will stand up to declare why the elders and rulers of his people should be punished: [he says], “The people of Israel are [like] [MET] a vineyard that I planted, but you have ruined it! Your houses are full of things that you have stolen from poor people.
Awurade bu atɛn de tia ne nkurɔfo mpanyimfo ne akannifo se, “Mo na moasɛe me bobeturo; apoobɔde a efi ahiafo nkyɛn wɔ mo afi mu.
15 You should stop [RHQ] crushing my people! [It is as though] you are pushing the faces of poor people into the dirt!” [That is what] the Commander of the armies of angels says.
Ase ne dɛn nti na modwerɛw me nkurɔfo na mode ahiafo anim twitwiw fam?” Sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.
16 Yahweh says this: “The women of Jerusalem are haughty/proud; they walk around sticking their chins out, and flirting [with men] with their eyes. They walk with tiny steps with bracelets on their ankles that jingle.
Awurade kasa se, “Sion mmabea yɛ ahantan; wɔnantew toto wɔn kɔn, wɔdeda wɔn ani akyi, wotutu wɔn anammɔn ntiantia, na wɔn anan ase nkaa gyigye.
17 So I, Yahweh, will cause sores to be on their heads, and I will cause those beautiful women in Jerusalem to become bald.”
Enti Awurade bɛma tikuru abegu Sion mmea ti ho. Awurade bɛma wɔn ti so apa.”
18 At the time [that Yahweh does that], he will strip away everything that the women of Jerusalem wear to make themselves beautiful—the ornaments on their ankles and their headbands, their crescent necklaces,
Da no Awurade beyiyi wɔn afɛfɛde: nkaa, ntamabamma ne kɔnmuade,
19 their earrings and bracelets and veils,
asokaa, nkapo ne nkataanim,
20 their scarves and ankle bracelets and sashes, their perfumes and (charms/little things that they wear thinking that those things will protect them from evil),
Wɔn mmotiri, anan ase ntweaban, nkyekyeremu, nnuhuam ntoa ne nkabere,
21 their signet rings and nose rings,
nsɔwano mpɛtea ne hwenem nkaa,
22 their nice robes and capes and cloaks and purses,
ntade atenten pa, nguguso tiaa a enni nsa, ntade yuu ne sika nkotoku;
23 their mirrors and nice linen clothes and shawls.
nhwehwɛ, sirikyi ntade, tinwi so nkaa ne mmati so nguguso.
24 Instead of their having a nice smell from perfume, they will stink; instead of nice sashes, they will have ropes [around their waists because they will be captives]. Instead of having fancy hairdos, they will be bald. Instead of fancy/beautiful robes, they will wear rough sackcloth, and instead of being beautiful, they will be branded.
Nkabɔne besi nea ɛyɛ huam anan mu; ntampehama besi nkatakɔnmu anan mu; ti a ɛso apa besi tinwi a wɔasiesie anan mu; atweaatam besi ntama pa anan mu; honam ani atwaatwa besi ahoɔfɛ anan mu.
25 Their husbands will be killed by [their enemies’] swords, and their soldiers [will also die] in battles.
Wo mmarima bɛtotɔ afoa ano, wʼakofo wɔ ɔko mu.
26 People [PRS] will mourn and cry at the gates [of the city]. The city will [be like] [MET] a woman who sits on the ground because everything that she owned is gone.
Sion apon betwa adwo, adi awerɛhow; onnibi, ɔbɛtena fam.
