Isaiah 37
1 When King Hezekiah heard what they reported, he tore his clothes and put on clothes made of rough sackcloth [because he was very distressed]. Then he went into the temple of Yahweh [and prayed].
Ɛberɛ a ɔhene Hesekia tee yeinom no, ɔsunsuanee ne ntadeɛ mu, ɛnna ɔfiraa ayitoma, na ɔkɔɔ Awurade asɔredan mu.
2 Then he sent Eliakim, Shebna, and the (older/most important) priests, who were also wearing clothes made of rough sackcloth, to talk to me.
Na ɔsomaa ahemfie sohwɛfoɔ Eliakim, ɔtwerɛfoɔ Sebna ne asɔfoɔ mpanin a wɔn nyinaa hyehyɛ ayitadeɛ kɔɔ Amos babarima odiyifoɔ Yesaia nkyɛn.
3 He said to them, “Tell this to Isaiah: ‘King Hezekiah says that this is a day when we are greatly distressed. Other nations are causing us to be insulted and disgraced. We are like [SIM] a woman who is about to give birth to a baby, but she does not have the strength that she needs to do it.
Wɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ ɔhene Hesekia ka nie: Saa ɛda yi yɛ ɔhaw, animka ne animguaseɛ da. Ayɛ te sɛ deɛ mmɔfra awoɔ duru so na ahoɔden a wɔde bɛwo wɔn nni hɔ.
4 [But] perhaps Yahweh our God has heard what the official from Assyria said. Perhaps he knows that his boss, the King of Assyria, sent him to insult the all-powerful God, and that Yahweh will punish the King of Assyria for what he said. And the king requests that you pray for the few of us who are still alive [here in Jerusalem].’”
Nanso, ebia Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn ate sɛ Asiria ɔnanmusini no regu Onyankopɔn teasefoɔ no anim ase, na wɔbɛtwe nʼaso wɔ ne nsɛnkeka no ho. Enti mommɔ mpaeɛ mma nkaeɛfoɔ a wɔte nkwa mu no.”
5 After those men gave me that message,
Ɛberɛ a ɔhene Hesekia mpanimfoɔ no kɔkaa ɔhene nkra no kyerɛɛ Yesaia no,
6 I replied, “Tell the King, ‘This is what Yahweh says: “Those messengers from the King of Assyria have said evil things about me. But do not be disturbed by what they said.
Yesaia ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Ka kyerɛ wo wura sɛ, ‘Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Mma abususɛm a Asiriahene asomafoɔ no ka tiaa me no nha wo.
7 Listen to this: I will cause Sennacherib to hear a rumor [that the armies of Babylon are about to attack his country], and that will worry him. So he will return to his own country, and there I will cause him to be assassinated by [men using] swords.”’”
Montie! Mede honhom bi rebɛhyɛ ne mu, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a sɛ ɔte asɛm bi a ɔbɛsane akɔ ne ɔman mu na ɛhɔ na mɛma wɔde akofena akum no.’”
8 The official from Assyria found out that the King of Assyria [and his army] had captured Lachish [city] and that they were attacking Libnah, [which is a nearby city]. So the official left Jerusalem and went to Libnah [to report to the king what had happened in Jerusalem].
Ɛberɛ a ɔsahene no tee sɛ Asiriahene afiri Lakis no, ɔsanee nʼakyi kɔhunuu sɛ ɔhene no ne Libna reko.
9 Soon after that, King [Sennacherib] received a report that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading his army to attack them. So before King Sennacherib left Libnah [with his army to fight against the army from Ethiopia], he sent other messengers to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with a letter. [In the letter he wrote this] to Hezekiah:
Ankyɛre, ɔhene Sanaherib nyaa nkra sɛ, Tirhaka Etiopiani a ɔyɛ Misraimhene di akodɔm anim rebɛko atia no. Ɛberɛ a ɔteeɛ no, ɔsomaa abɔfoɔ kɔɔ Hesekia nkyɛn de nkra kɔmaa no sɛ:
10 “Do not allow your god, on whom you are relying, to deceive you by promising you that Jerusalem will not be captured by my army.
“Monka nkyerɛ Yudahene Hesekia sɛ: Ɛmma onyame a wode wo ho ato no so no nnaadaa mo nka sɛ, ‘Asiriahene rentumi mfa Yerusalem.’
11 You have certainly heard what the armies of the kings of Assyria have done to all the other countries; our armies have destroyed them completely. So, (do you think that you will escape?/do not think that your god will save you!) [RHQ]
Moate deɛ Asiria ahemfo ayɛ amanaman no nyinaa. Wɔasɛe wɔn pasaa. Na mo deɛ wɔbɛgye mo anaa?
12 Did the gods of the nations that were about to be destroyed by the armies of the previous kings of Assyria rescue them? Did those gods rescue Gozan [region], and Haran and Rezeph [cities in northern Syria], and the people of Eden [region] who were forced to go to Tel-Assar [city]?
Anyame a wɔwɔ aman a me nananom sɛee wɔn no, aman te sɛ Gosan, Haran, Resef ne Edenfoɔ a na wɔwɔ Telasar no anyame gyee wɔn anaa?
13 What happened to the King of Hamath and the King of Arpad? What happened to the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah [cities]? [Did their gods rescue them] [RHQ]?”
Ɛhe na Hamathene ne Arpadhene, kuropɔn Sefarwaim anaa Hena anaa Iwa ahemfo no wɔ?”
14 Hezekiah received the letter that the messengers gave him, and he read it. Then he went up to the temple and spread out the letter in front of Yahweh.
Hesekia nsa kaa krataa a abɔfoɔ no de baeɛ no, ɔkenkaneeɛ. Afei ɔforo kɔɔ Awurade asɔredan no mu kɔtrɛɛ mu wɔ Awurade anim.
15 And [then] Hezekiah prayed this:
Na Hesekia bɔɔ mpaeɛ kyerɛɛ Awurade sɛ:
16 “O Yahweh, Commander of the armies of angels, the God to whom [we] Israelis belong, you are seated on your throne above the statues of the creatures with wings, [above the Sacred Chest]. Only you are [truly] God. You rule all the kingdoms on this earth. You are the one who created everything on the earth and in the sky.
“Ao, Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn a wodi ɔhene firi Kerubim ntam, wo nko ara na woyɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ asase so ahennie nyinaa so. Wo na wobɔɔ ɔsoro ne asase.
17 [So], Yahweh, [please] listen to what I am saying, and look at [what is happening]! And listen to what Sennacherib has said to insult you, the all-powerful God!
Brɛ wʼaso ase, Ao Awurade, na tie! Bue wʼani, Ao Awurade, na hwɛ. Tie nsɛm a Sanaherib asoma de abɛsopa Onyankopɔn teasefoɔ no.
18 Yahweh, it is true that [the armies of] the kings of Assyria have completely destroyed many nations and ruined their land.
“Ɛyɛ nokorɛ, Awurade, sɛ, Asiria ahemfo asɛe saa aman yi ne wɔn nsase.
19 And they have thrown all the idols of those nations into fires and burned them. But they were not [really] gods. They were only idols made of wood and stone, [and that is why they were destroyed easily].
Na wɔato anyame a wɔwɔ saa aman yi so no agu ogya mu, ahye wɔn, ɛfiri sɛ wɔnyɛ anyame na mmom wɔyɛ nnua ne aboɔ a nnipa de wɔn nsa ayɛ.
20 So now, Yahweh our God, [please] rescue us from the power [MTY] of [the King of Assyria], in order that [the people in] all the kingdoms of the world will know that you, Yahweh, are the only one who is [truly] God.”
Afei, Ao Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn, gye yɛn firi ne nsam, na ama ahennie a ɛwɔ asase so nyinaa ahunu sɛ, wo nko ara, Ao, Awurade, ne Onyankopɔn.”
21 Then I sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what Yahweh, the God to whom [we] Israelis belong, says: Because you prayed about what King Sennacherib of Assyria [said],
Na Amos babarima Yesaia too saa nkra yi kɔmaa Hesekia sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn seɛ nie: Esiane sɛ woabɔ me mpaeɛ afa Asiriahene Sanaherib ho no,
22 this is what I say to him: ‘The people of Jerusalem despise you and make fun of you. They will wag/shake their heads to mock you while you flee from here.
yei ne asɛm a Awurade aka atia no: “Ɔbabaabunu Sion sopa wo, na ɔsere wo. Ɔbabaa Yerusalem di wo ho fɛ, na ɔwoso ne ti ɛberɛ a woredwane.
23 Whom do you think you have been despising and ridiculing? Whom do you think you were shouting at? Whom do you think you were looking at [very] proudly/arrogantly? [It was I], the Holy One whom the Israelis worship!
Hwan na wasopa no na woagu ne ho fi yi? Hwan na woama wo nne so atia no na wohwɛɛ no ahantan so? Ɛyɛ Israel ɔkronkronni no!
24 The messengers whom you sent made fun of me. You said, “With my many chariots I have gone to the highest mountains, [even] to the highest mountains in Lebanon. We have cut down its tallest cedar [trees] and its nicest pine/cypress [trees]. We have been to the most distant/remote peaks and to its densest forests.
Wonam wʼabɔfoɔ so asoa nsopa agu Awurade so. Na woaka sɛ, ‘Me nteaseɛnam dodoɔ enti maforo mmepɔ atentene, aane Lebanon mmepɔ a ɛwoware pa ara no. Matwitwa ne ntweneduro atentene no, ne ne pepeaa a ɛyɛ fɛ no agu fam. Maduru ne mmepɔ a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri no so, ne ne kwaeɛbirentuo mu.
25 We have dug wells [in many countries] and drunk water [from them]. And by marching through [MTY] the streams of Egypt, we dried them all up [HYP]!”
Matutu nsubura wɔ ahɔhoɔ nsase bebree so de ne nsu pa no adwodwo me ho. Mpo, mepaee Misraim nsubɔntene mu sɛdeɛ mʼakodɔm bɛtumi atwa!’
26 [But I, Yahweh, reply], “Have you never heard that long ago I determined [those things]; I planned them long ago, and now I have been causing those things to occur. I planned that your army would destroy cities and cause them to become piles of rubble.
“Na Monteeɛ? Ɛberɛ tentene a atwam na mehyɛ too hɔ. Ɛberɛ bi a atwam no na medwenee ho; afei mama aba mu sɛ, moadane nkuropɔn a mosɛe nkuro a wɔwɔ banbɔ ma wɔdane aboɔ asie.
27 The people in those cities have no power, and as a result they are dismayed and discouraged. They are [as frail as] [MET] grass and plants in the fields, as frail as grass that grows on the roofs of houses and is scorched by the hot east wind.
Wɔn nkurɔfoɔ a tumi afiri wɔn nsa no ho adwiri wɔn na animguaseɛ aka wɔn. Wɔte sɛ afuo so nnua, ne afifideɛ foforɔ a ɛyɛ mmrɛ; wɔte sɛ ɛserɛ a ɛfifiri ɛdan atifi. Ɛhye ansa na anyini.
28 [But] I know [everything about you]; I know when you are [in your house and] when you go outside; I also know that you are (raging/speaking very angrily) against me.
“Nanso, menim deɛ woteɛ ɛberɛ a woba ne ɛberɛ a wokorɔ ne sɛdeɛ wo bo huru tia me.
29 [So], because you have raged against me and because I have heard you speak very proudly/arrogantly, [it will be as though] I will put a hook in your nose and I will put an iron (bit/metal bar) in your mouth [in order that I can lead you where I want you to go], and I will force you to return [to your own country], on the same road on which you came [here, without conquering Jerusalem].”’
Na ɛsiane mo ahomasoɔ a ɛtia me, na mʼankasa mate no enti, mede me darewa bɛsɔ mo hwene mu, na mede nnareka ato mo ano, na mama mo afa ɛkwan a mofaa so baeɛ no so, asane mo akyi.”
30 [Then I said to Hezekiah], ‘This will prove to you [that what I said will happen]: “This year, you(pl) will eat [only the crops] that grow by themselves, and next year the same thing will happen. But in the third year you will plant [crops] and harvest them; you will take care of your vineyards and eat the grapes.
Yei na ɛbɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ ama woɔ, Ao Hesekia: “Saa afe yi wobɛdi deɛ ɛno ankasa fifirie, afe a ɛtɔ so mmienu no, wobɛdi deɛ ɛfiri mu ba. Na afe a ɛtɔ so mmiɛnsa so no, mobɛdua mfudeɛ, na moatwa. Mobɛyɛ bobe nturo, na moadi nʼaba no.
31 And [you] people who are still [here] in Judah, will be strong and prosper again [MET].
Na mo a moaka Yuda a moatumi agyina ntua no mu ɔhaw ne abɛbrɛsɛ no ano no, mobɛsane atena mo asase so, na mobɛdi yie na moadɔre.
32 A small number of my people will survive, and they will spread out from Jerusalem [DOU].” That will happen because [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, am desiring very much to accomplish it.’
Na nkaeɛfoɔ bi bɛfiri Yerusalem aba, na nkaeɛfoɔ dɔm afiri Bepɔ Sion so. Asafo Awurade di nsiyɛ bɛhwɛ ama yei aba mu.
33 And this is what [I], Yahweh, say about the King of Assyria: ‘His [armies] will not enter Jerusalem; they will not [even] shoot arrows into it. His soldiers will not [march outside] the city gates holding their shields, and they will not build high mounds of dirt against the walls of the city [to enable them to attack the city].
“Yei ne asɛm a Awurade ka fa Asiriahene ho: “Ɔrenhyɛne saa kuropɔn yi mu na ɔrento bɛmma wɔ ha. Ɔremfa akokyɛm mmɛnnyina kuropɔn no akyi na ɔrensi otua pie ntia no.
34 And their king will return [to his own country] on the same road on which he came [here]. He will not enter this city!’ [That will happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!
Ɔhene no kwan a ɔfaa so baeɛ no ara so na ɔbɛsane afa akɔ nʼankasa ɔman mu.” Awurade ka sɛ, “Ɔrenwura saa kuro yi mu.
35 For the sake of my own reputation and because of what I promised King David, who served me [well], I will defend this city and prevent it from being destroyed.”
Mɛko agye saa kuropɔn yi, ɛsiane mʼankasa mʼanimuonyam ne mʼakoa Dawid enti!”
36 [That night], an angel from Yahweh went out to where the army of Assyria had set up their tents and killed 185,000 of their soldiers. When [the rest of the soldiers] woke up the next morning, they saw that there were corpses everywhere.
Afei Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ firii adi na ɔkunkumm asraafoɔ ɔpeha aduɔwɔtwe enum wɔ Asiria nsraban mu. Ɛberɛ a nnipa no sɔree anɔpa no, wɔhunuu sɛ afunten gugu baabiara!
37 Then King Sennacherib left and returned home to Nineveh [in Assyria], and stayed there.
Enti Asiriahene Sanaherib pɔnn nʼakodɔm. Ɔsane kɔɔ Ninewe kɔtenaa hɔ.
38 [One day], when he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his two sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords. Then they escaped and went to the Ararat [region northwest of Nineveh]. And another of Sennacherib’s sons, Esarhaddon, became the King of Assyria.
Ɛda bi a na ɔresɔre ne nyame Nisrok wɔ abosomdan mu no, ne mma mmarima baanu, Adramelek ne Sareser de akofena kɔkumm no, na wɔdwane kɔɔ Ararat asase so. Na ne babarima Esarhadon bɛdii nʼadeɛ sɛ Asiriahene.
