Isaiah 38
1 About that time, Hezekiah became [very] ill and was close to dying. [So] I went to see him. And I gave him this message: “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You should tell the people in your palace what you want them to do after you die, because you will not recover from this illness. You are going to die’”
Saa ɛberɛ no mu, ɔhene Hesekia yaree yarewuo, ɛnna Amos babarima odiyifoɔ Yesaia kɔsraa no. Ɔkaa saa asɛm yi kyerɛɛ ɔhene no, “Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Hyɛ wo nsamanseɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, wobɛwu. Wo yadeɛ no rennyae.”
2 Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed this:
Ɛberɛ a Hesekia tee asɛm yi, ɔtwaa nʼani hwɛɛ fasuo, bɔɔ Awurade mpaeɛ sɛ,
3 “Yahweh, do not forget that I have always served you very faithfully, and I have done things that pleased you!” Then Hezekiah [started to] cry loudly.
“Kae, Ao, Awurade, sɛdeɛ manante wʼanim nokorɛm na mede mʼakoma ayɛ deɛ ɛfata wɔ wʼanim.” Na Hesekia suu bebree.
4 [I left his room, but] Yahweh gave me this message:
Na saa asɛm yi firi Awurade nkyɛn kɔɔ Yesaia hɔ sɛ,
5 “Go [back] to Hezekiah and tell him that this is what I, the God to whom your ancestor King David belonged, say: ‘I have heard what you prayed, and I have seen you crying. So listen: I will enable you to live 15 years more.
“Sane kɔ Hesekia nkyɛn, na kɔka kyerɛ no sɛ, ‘Sei na Awurade, wʼagya Dawid Onyankopɔn ka: Mate wo mpaeɛbɔ no, na mahunu wo nisuo. Mede mfeɛ dunum bɛka wo nkwa nna ho.
6 And, I will rescue you and this city from the power [MTY] of the King of Assyria. I will defend this city.
Na mɛgye wo ne kuropɔn yi afiri Asiriahene nsam. Mɛbɔ kuropɔn yi ho ban.
7 And this is what I will do to prove that I will do what I have just now promised. I will cause the shadow of the sun to move ten steps backward on the sundial that was built by King Ahaz.’”
“‘Na yei ne nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ a Awurade bɛyɛ de adi ho adanseɛ sɛ, ɔbɛdi ne bɔhyɛ so:
8 So the shadow of the sun on the sundial moved backward ten steps.
Mɛma owia ano sunsum atwe akɔ nʼakyi anammɔn edu wɔ Ahas atwedeɛ so.’” Ɛno enti, owia hyerɛn no kɔɔ nʼakyi anammɔn edu.
9 When King Hezekiah was almost well again, he wrote this:
Deɛ Yudahene Hesekia twerɛeɛ ne yadeɛ ne nʼayaresa akyi nie:
10 I thought to myself, “Is it necessary for me to die and go to the place where the dead people are during this time of my life when I am still strong? Is Yahweh going to rob me of the remaining years that I [should live]?” (Sheol h7585)
Mekaa sɛ, “Mʼasetena mu nnapa yi mu ɛsɛ sɛ mefa owuo apono mu na wɔgye me mfeɛ a aka yi anaa?” (Sheol h7585)
11 I said, “I will not see Yahweh [again] in this world where people are alive. I will not see my friends again, or be with others who [now] are alive in this world.
Mekaa sɛ, “Merenhunu Awurade Onyankopɔn bio Awurade a ɔwɔ ateasefoɔ asase so. Merenhunu adasamma bio, anaa merenka wɔn a wɔte ewiase yi ho bio.
12 [It is as if] my life has been taken away like [SIM] a tent [whose pegs] have been pulled up by a shepherd and taken away. My time to live has been cut short, like a piece of cloth that a weaver [cuts and] rolls up [after he has finished weaving a cloth].” Suddenly, [it seemed that] my life was ending.
Wɔadwiri me fie agu agye afiri me nsam, te sɛ odwanhwɛfoɔ ntomadan. Matwa me nkwa so sɛdeɛ ɔnwomfoɔ, twa me firi asadua so; awia ne anadwo wotwaa me nkwa so.
13 I waited patiently all during the night, but [my pain was as though] [MET] I was being torn apart by lions. [It seemed that] my life was finished.
Mede ntoboaseɛ twɛneeɛ kɔsii ahemadakye, nanso wɔbobɔɔ me nnompe mu te sɛ gyata; awia ne anadwo wotwaa me nkwa so.
14 [I was delirious, and] I chirped like a swift or a swallow, and moaned like a dove. My eyes became tired looking up [toward heaven] for help. I cried out, Lord, help me, [because] I am distressed!’
Mesuiɛ sɛ asomfena anaa asukɔnkɔn; metwaa adwo sɛ aborɔnoma a ɔredi awerɛhoɔ. Mʼani yɛɛ siamoo ɛberɛ a mehwɛɛ soro. Mewɔ ɔhaw mu, Awurade, bra bɛboa me!”
15 But there was really nothing [RHQ] that I could say and ask him to reply to me, because it was Yahweh who sent this illness. [So now] I will live humbly during my [remaining] years because I am very anguished.
Na ɛdeɛn na mɛtumi aka? Wakasa akyerɛ me, na ɔno ankasa na wayɛ yei. Mede ahobrɛaseɛ bɛnante mʼasetena nyinaa mu me kra ahoyera yi enti.
16 Yahweh, the sufferings (OR, the promises) that you give are good, [because] what you do and what you say bring [new] life and health to us. And you restore/heal me and allow me [to continue] to live!
Awurade, ɛnam saa nneɛma yi so na nnipa nya nkwa na me honhom nso anya nkwa wɔ mu. Wode mʼapɔmuden asane ama me. Wonam so ama manya nkwa.
17 Truly, my suffering was good for me; you loved me, and as a result you have rescued me from dying and have also forgiven all my sins.
Aane, ɛyɛ me yieyɛ enti na mekɔɔ saa ahoyera yi mu. Wo dɔ enti, wode me sieeɛ na mankɔ ɔsɛe amena mu; na wode me bɔne nyinaa akyɛ me.
18 Dead people [MTY] cannot praise you; they cannot sing to praise you. Those who have descended to their graves cannot confidently expect you to faithfully [do things for them]. (Sheol h7585)
Damena rentumi nkamfo wo; owuo rentumi nto wo ayɛyi nnwom; wɔn a wɔsiane kɔ amena mu no rentumi nya anidasoɔ wɔ wo nokorɛ mu bio. (Sheol h7585)
19 Only people who are still alive, like I am, can praise you. Fathers tell their children how you are faithful, [and if I remain alive, I will do the same thing].
Ateasefoɔ nko na wɔbɛtumi akamfo wo, sɛdeɛ mereyɛ ɛnnɛ yi; agyanom ka wo nokorɛdie ho asɛm kyerɛ wɔn mma.
20 [I know that] Yahweh will fully heal me, [so] I will sing to praise him while others praise him playing musical instruments; I will do that every day of my life, in the temple of Yahweh.”
Awurade bɛgye me nkwa, na yɛde ahoma nnwontodeɛ bɛto nnwom yɛn nkwa nna nyinaa wɔ Awurade efie.
21 I had [previously] said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Prepare an ointment from [mashed] figs, and spread it on his boil, and then he will recover.” [So they did that, and Hezekiah recovered].
Na Yesaia kaa sɛ, “Momfa borɔdɔma nyɛ nku mfa nsra pɔmpɔ no so, na ne ho bɛyɛ no den.”
22 And Hezekiah had [previously] asked, “What will Yahweh do to prove that I will [recover and be able to] go to his temple?”
Na Hesekia bisaa sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ na ɛbɛda no adi sɛ mɛkɔ Awurade asɔredan mu?”
