Isaiah 40
1 Our God says, “Encourage my people! Encourage them!
Monkyekye, monkyekye me nkurɔfo werɛ. Saa na mo Nyankopɔn se.
2 Speak kindly to [the people of] Jerusalem; tell them that their suffering is ended, and that I have forgiven them for the sins that they have committed; I [SYN] have fully punished them for their sins.”
Monka asomdwoesɛm nkyerɛ Yerusalem, na mompae mu nka nkyerɛ no se ne som dennen no aba awiei, wɔatua ne bɔne no so ka, na wɔanya ne bɔne nyinaa so akatua mmɔho afi Awurade nsam.
3 I hear someone who is shouting, “Prepare in the desert a way for Yahweh to come [to you]; make a smooth road for our God (OR, Prepare yourselves to receive Yahweh when he comes, like people make a straight road for an important official [MET]).
Nne bi reteɛ mu se, “Munsiesie ɔkwan mma Awurade wɔ nweatam no so. Monteɛ ɔtempɔn wɔ sare no so mma yɛn Nyankopɔn.
4 Fill in the valleys; flatten every hill and every mountain. Make the uneven ground smooth, and make the rough places smooth.
Obon biara bɛyɛ ma, bepɔw ne nkoko nyinaa bɛkɔ fam, asase a ɛyɛ abonkyiabonkyi no bɛyɛ tamaa, na mmeae a ɛyɛ akɔntɔnkye no ayɛ tataw.
5 [If you do that], it will become known that Yahweh is glorious/great, and all people will realize it at the same time. [Those things will surely happen] because it is Yahweh who has said [MTY] it.”
Na Awurade anuonyam bɛda adi, na nnipa nyinaa behu. Efisɛ Awurade na waka!”
6 Someone said to me, “Shout!” I replied, “What should I shout?” [He replied], “[Shout that] people are like [SIM] grass; their influence fades as quickly as flowers in the field.
Nne bi kae se, “Teɛ mu.” Na mekae se, “Menteɛ mu nka dɛn?” “Nnipa nyinaa te sɛ sare, na wɔn anuonyam nyinaa te sɛ afuw so nhwiren.
7 Grass withers and flowers dry up when Yahweh causes a hot wind from the desert to blow on them. And people are [MET] like that.
Sare hyew, na nhwiren twintwam efisɛ Awurade ahomegu fa wɔn so. Nokware, nnipa no yɛ sare.
8 The grass withers and the flowers dry up, but what our God promises will last forever.”
Sare hyew, na nhwiren twintwam, nanso yɛn Nyankopɔn asɛm no tim hɔ daa.”
9 You [people of] Jerusalem, you have good news to tell to people, so, shout it from the top of a high mountain! Shout it loudly, and do not be afraid! Tell the people in the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming here!”
Wo a wode asɛm pa reba Sion, foro kɔ bepɔw tenten bi so. Wo a wode asɛm pa reba Yerusalem, ma wo nne so na teɛ mu, ma so, nsuro; ka kyerɛ Yuda nkurow se, “Mo Nyankopɔn ni!”
10 Yahweh your God will be coming with power; he will rule powerfully [MTY]. And when he comes, he will bring with him the people whom he has freed [MET] [from being slaves in Babylonia].
Hwɛ, Asafo Awurade de tumi reba, na nʼabasa bedi hene ama no. Hwɛ, nʼakatua ka ne ho, na ɔde nʼabasobɔde nam.
11 He will take care of his people like [SIM] a shepherd takes care of his sheep, and carries the young lambs in his arms. He carries them close to his chest and he gently leads the female sheep that are nursing their young lambs.
Ɔhwɛ ne nguankuw sɛ oguanhwɛfo. Ɔboa nguantenmma no wɔ nʼabasa so oturu wɔn ne koko so; na nguan a wɔwɔ mma no, ɔka wɔn brɛoo.
12 [There is no one like Yahweh]! (Who else has measured the water in the oceans in the palm of his hand?/No one else has measured the water in the oceans in the palm of his hand!) [RHQ] (Who else has measured the sky with his fingers?/No one else has measured the sky with his fingers!) [RHQ] (Who else knows how much the earth weighs?/No one else knows how much the earth weighs!) [RHQ] (Who else has weighed the mountains and hills on scales?/No one else has weighed the mountains and hills on scales!) [RHQ]
Hena na wasusuw obon mu nsu wɔ ne nsam anaa ɔde ne nsateaa asusuw ɔsoro? Hena na ɔde asase so mfutuma agu kɛntɛn mu, anaa wakari mmepɔw wɔ nsania so ne nkoko wɔ nsania apampaa so?
13 And (who else can advise Yahweh’s Spirit?/No one else can advise Yahweh’s Spirit!) [RHQ] (Who can teach him or advise/tell him what he should do?/No one can teach him or advise/tell him what he should do!) [RHQ]
Hena na wate Awurade ase, anaa wakyerɛkyerɛ no sɛ ne fotufo?
14 (Has Yahweh consulted anyone else to get advice?/Yahweh has certainly not consulted anyone else to get advice!) [RHQ] (Does he need someone to tell him what is right to do and how to act justly?/He certainly does not need someone to tell him what is right to do and how to act justly!) [RHQ]
Hena na Awurade abisa no sɛ ɔnkyerɛ no biribi ase, na hena na ɔkyerɛɛ no ɔkwan pa no? Hena na ɔmaa no nimdeɛ anaa ɔkyerɛɛ no nhumu kwan?
15 [Yahweh considers that] the nations are [as insignificant as] [MET] one drop from a bucket [full of water]. They are [as insignificant as] dust on scales. He is able to weigh islands [as though they weighed no more than] grains of sand.
Ampa ara aman no te sɛ nsu sope wɔ bokiti mu; wɔde wɔn toto mfutuma a egu nsania so ho; ɔkari nsupɔw te sɛnea ɛyɛ mfutuma muhumuhu.
16 There would be [not] enough wood from all the trees in Lebanon to make a suitable fire for [sacrificing animals to] him, and there are not enough animals in Lebanon to offer as sacrifices to him.
Lebanon nnɔɔso mma afɔremuka so gya, na ne mmoa renso mma ɔhyew afɔrebɔde.
17 The nations of the world are completely insignificant/unimportant to him; he considers that they are worthless and less than nothing [HYP, DOU].
Aman nyinaa nsɛ hwee wɔ nʼanim; obu wɔn adehunu bi a wɔnka hwee.
18 So, to whom can you compare God? What image resembles him?
Afei hena ho na wode Onyankopɔn bɛtoto? Nsɛsode bɛn ho na wode no bɛto?
19 Can you compare him to an idol that is made in a mold, and then is covered with [a thin sheet of] gold and decorated with silver chains?
Ohoni de, odwumfo na ɔyɛ, na sikadwumfo de sikakɔkɔɔ agu ho na wasiesie dwetɛ nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ama no.
20 A man who is poor [cannot buy silver or gold for his idol]; [so] he selects a piece of wood that will not rot, and he gives it to a craftsman to carve an idol that will not fall down!
Ohiani a ɔrentumi mfa saa ayɛyɛde yi mma no kɔhwehwɛ dua a ɛremporɔw. Ɔhwehwɛ odwumfo nyansafo na wayɛ ohoni a ɛremmunum nhwe fam asi hɔ.
21 Have you(pl) not heard this? Do you not understand it? Are you unable to hear what God said long ago— [messages that he gave] before he created the earth?
Wunnim ana? Wontee ana? Wɔnnka nkyerɛɛ wo mfii mfiase no ana? Efi bere a wɔbɔɔ asase no, wontee ase ana?
22 God sits [on his throne] above the earth, and the people [on the earth] below seem to be [as small] as [SIM] grasshoppers. He spreads out the sky like a curtain; it is like [SIM] a tent for him to live in.
Ɔte ahengua so wɔ asase dantaban no atifi ɛso nnipa te sɛ tɛwtɛw ɔtwe ɔsoro mu te sɛ bamkyinii, na ɔtrɛw mu sɛ ntamadan tena mu.
23 He causes kings to have no more power, and he causes the rulers to be worth nothing.
Ɔma ahemmea yɛ nnipahunu na wiase yi sodifo nso, ɔbrɛ wɔn ase.
24 They start to rule, like small plants start to grow and form roots; but then [he gets rid of them] as though [MET] they withered when he blew on them, like [SIM] chaff that is blown away by the wind.
Wɔtɛw wɔn ara pɛ, woduaa wɔn ara pɛ, wogyee ntin wɔ asase mu pɛ, na wahome agu wɔn so ama wɔakisa, na mframa abɔ wɔn kɔ te sɛ ntɛtɛ.
25 The Holy One asks, “To whom will you compare me? Is anyone equal to me?”
“Hena ho na wode me bɛto? Anaasɛ hena na ɔne me sɛ?” Ɔkronkronni no na ose.
26 Look up toward the sky: Consider who [RHQ] created all the stars. [Yahweh created them], and at night he causes them to appear; he calls each one by its name. Because he is extremely powerful [DOU], all of the stars are there [LIT] [when he calls out their names].
Momma mo ani so nhwɛ ɔsoro: Hena na ɔbɔɔ eyinom nyinaa? Nea oyiyi ɔsoro nsoromma mmaako mmaako, na ɔbɔ obiara din frɛ no. Nʼahoɔden ne ne tumi nti wɔn mu baako mpo nyera.
27 You people of Israel [DOU], why do you complain that Yahweh does not see the [troubles that you are experiencing]? Why do you say that he does not act fairly toward you?
Adɛn na wunwiinwii, Yakob, na woka se, Israel, “Mʼakwan ahintaw Awurade; na me Nyankopɔn abɔ mʼasɛm agu”?
28 Have you never heard and have you never understood that Yahweh is the everlasting God; he is the one who created the earth, [even the] most distant places on the earth. He never becomes weak or weary, and no one can find out how much he understands.
Wunnim ana? Wontee ana? Awurade yɛ daapem Nyankopɔn, na ɔyɛ asase nyinaa yɛfo. Ɔremmrɛ na ɔrentɔ beraw, na ne nhumu nni nhwehwɛmu.
29 He strengthens [DOU] those who feel weak and tired.
Ɔma nea watɔ beraw ahoɔden nea wayɛ mmerɛw nso, ɔto nʼahoɔden so.
30 Even youths become faint and weary, and young men will fall when they are exhausted.
Mpo, mmabun brɛ, na wɔtɔ beraw, na mmerante hintihintiw hwehwe ase;
31 But those who trust in Yahweh will become strong again; [it will be as though] they will soar/fly high like [SIM] eagles do. They will run [for a long time] and not become weary; they will walk [long distances] and not faint.
Nanso, wɔn a wɔn ani da Awurade so benya ahoɔden foforo. Wɔde ntaban sɛ akɔre de betu akɔ wim; wobetu mmirika, na wɔrentɔ beraw. Wɔbɛnantew, na wɔrentɔ piti.
