Isaiah 41
1 [Yahweh says], “You [people who live on] [APO] islands in the ocean, be silent in front of me [while I ask you some questions]! Then you can be courageous and talk to me. We will meet together and decide [which one of us is right].
“Mi ƒukpowo, mizi ɖoɖoe le ŋkunye me! Ŋusẽ yeye neɖo dukɔwo ŋu! Mina woava ŋgɔ hafi woaƒo nu. Mina miado go le ʋɔnudrɔ̃ƒe.
2 Who has urged this king to come from the east? Who has enabled his [army] to righteously defeat many nations and to trample their kings under their feet? With their swords they cut [their enemies] into tiny pieces [HYP]; with their arrows they cause their enemies to scatter like [SIM] the wind scatters chaff.
“Ame kae de dzo lãme na ame si tso ɣedzeƒe, heyɔe le dzɔdzɔenyenye me be wòatsɔ dɔ nɛ? Etsɔ dukɔwo de asi nɛ, eye wòfanya fiawo le eŋkume. Etsɔ eƒe yi wɔ wo wozu kewɔ, eye wòtsɔ eƒe aŋutrɔ wɔ wo wozu abe atsa si ya ƒo ene.
3 Even though they march through areas where they have not gone previously, they pursue [their enemies] and continue to march, and nothing stops them.
Eti wo yome, eye wòƒu du to teƒe siwo meto kpɔ o, gake naneke mewɔe o.
4 Who has enabled rulers to do [DOU] mighty things like that? Who has done that throughout all generations? It is I, Yahweh; I was the first [one to do things like that], and I will be the last one [to do them].”
Ame kae wɔ esia hekpɔ egbɔ be ede go, eye wòyɔ dzidzimewo tso gɔmedzedzea me ke? Nye, Yehowa, si nɔ kple gbãtɔwo, eye nenema ke mele kple mamlɛawo hã, Nyee.”
5 [People who live on] [PRS] islands in the ocean are afraid while they watch. People in remote areas tremble and gather together.
Ƒukpowo kpɔe, eye wovɔ̃. Anyigba ƒe mlɔenuwo dzo kpekpekpe, woƒo ƒu, eye wozɔ ɖe ŋgɔgbe;
6 They encourage each other and say to each other, “Be strong!'
ɖe sia ɖe kpe ɖe nɔvia ŋu, eye wogblɔ na wo nɔewo be, “Lé dzi ɖe ƒo.”
7 The craftsmen encourage those who make things from gold, and the men who flatten metal encourage those who hammer metal (on an anvil/into shape). They all say, “The idol has been well made!” And then they carefully nail down the idol in order that it will not topple over!
Aɖaŋudɔwɔla de dzi ƒo na sikanutula, ganutrela de dzi ƒo na zudala. Egblɔ tso nu si wotre la ŋu be, “Wotree nyuie.” Tete wòƒo gatagbadzɛ ɖe aklamakpakpɛ la be magaʋã o.
8 [Yahweh says], “[You people of] Israel [are like] my servants; you are [descendants of] Jacob, whom I chose; [you are] descendants of Abraham, who [I said is] my friend.
“Ke wò, Israel, nye dɔla, Yakob, ame si metia. Mi, xɔ̃nye, Abraham ƒe dzidzimeviwo.
9 I summoned you from very distant places [DOU] on the earth, and I said ‘I [want you to] serve me; I have chosen you, and I will not reject you.’
Wò, ame si mekplɔ tso anyigba ƒe mlɔenuwo, meyɔ wò tso eƒe dzogoewo dzi ke. Megblɔ be, ‘Nye dɔlae nènye.’ Metia wò, eye nyemegbe wò o,
10 Do not be afraid, because I will (be with/help) you. Do not be discouraged, because I am your God. I will enable you to be strong, and I will help you; I will hold you up with my powerful arm by which you will be rescued.
eya ta mègavɔ̃ o, elabena meli kpli wò. Ŋɔ megadzi wò o, elabena nyee nye wò Mawu. Mali ke wò, eye makpe ɖe ŋuwò; matsɔ nye dzɔdzɔenyenye ƒe nuɖusibɔ alé wò ɖe te.
11 It is certain that all those who are angry with you [Israeli people] will be disgraced [DOU]. Those who oppose you will be wiped out; they will all die.
“Kpɔɖa, ŋukpe kple vlododo ava ame siwo katã do dɔmedzoe ɖe ŋuwò la dzi, ame siwo tsi tsitre ɖe ŋuwò la atsrɔ̃, eye wo nu ava ayi.
12 If you search for those who tried to conquer you, you will not find them, [because they will all have disappeared]. Those who attacked you will not exist [any more].
Àdi wò ketɔwo, gake màkpɔ wo o. Ame siwo ho aʋa ɖe ŋuwò la azu tofloko ƒe tofloko,
13 [It will be as though] I will hold you up by your right hand. I am Yahweh, your God, and I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid, [because] I will help you.’
elabena nyee. Nye Yehowa, wò Mawu, ame si lé wò nuɖusibɔ ɖe asi hele gbɔgblɔm na wò be ‘Mègavɔ̃ o, makpe ɖe ŋuwò.’
14 Although you people of Israel [DOU] [think that you are as insignificant as] worms, do not be afraid [of your enemies], because I will help you. I am Yahweh, the one who rescues you; I am the Holy One of Israel.
Mègavɔ̃ o. O! Ŋusẽmanɔsitɔ, Yakob, O! Israel beli, elabena nye ŋutɔ makpe ɖe ŋuwò.” Yehowa, wò Ɖela, Israel ƒe Kɔkɔetɔ lae gblɔe.
15 [I will cause] you to be like [MET] a (threshing sledge/big piece of metal that has sharp teeth for separating grain from chaff). You will tear [your enemies to bits], causing them to be like bits of chaff on the mountains.
“Kpɔ ɖa, matsɔ wò awɔ luƒomɔ yeye ɖaɖɛ si ƒe aɖuwo sɔ gbɔ fũu. Àfanya towo, agbã wo gudugudu, eye àwɔ togbɛwo woazu fufu.
16 You will toss them up into the air, and a strong wind will blow them away [DOU]. [When that happens], you will rejoice about what I [have done for you]; you will praise me, the Holy One of Israel.
Àgbɔ wo, ya aƒo wo adzoe, eye ahomuya alɔ wo ɖe nu, ke wò ya, àdzɔ dzi ɖe Yehowa ŋu, eye àtso aseye ɖe Israel ƒe Kɔkɔetɔ la ŋu.
17 When poor and needy people need water and they have no water, and their tongues are very dry because they are very thirsty, I, Yahweh, will come and help them. I, the God to whom you Israeli people belong, will never abandon them.
“Ame dahewo kple hiãtɔwo le tsatsam le tsi dim, ke womekpɔ ɖeke o. Woƒe aɖewo dzi ƒu kplakplakpla le tsikɔwuame ta. Ke nye Yehowa, matɔ na wo; nye Israel ƒe Mawu la nyemagble wo ɖi o.
18 I will cause rivers to flow for them on the barren hills. I will give them fountains in the valleys. I will fill [HYP] the desert with pools of water. Water from springs will flow into rivers, and the rivers will flow across the dry ground.
Mana tɔsisiwo nasi ato to ƒuƒluwo tame, eye tometsiwo nasi to balimewo. Mana gbegbewo nazu tɔʋuwo, eye kuɖiɖinyigba nazu tsidzɔƒewo.
19 I will plant [trees] in the desert— cedar [trees], acacia [trees], myrtle [trees], olive [trees], cypress [trees], fir [trees], and pine [trees].
Mana sedati, logoti, gboti kple amiti namie ɖe gbegbe, eye mana xeti, fɔfɔli, kple sesewu namie ɖe dzogbe.
20 [I will do that] in order that people who see it will think about it, and they will know and understand [DOU] that it is [I], Yahweh, who have done it; it is what [I], the Holy One of Israel, have done.
Ale be amewo nakpɔe, anyae, abu eŋu, eye woase egɔme be, Yehowa ƒe asie wɔ esia, eye Israel ƒe Kɔkɔetɔ lae na wòva eme.”
21 [I], Yahweh, the true king of Israel say [to you nations], “Tell what your idols can do for you!
Yehowa be, “Ɖe wò nyawo to. Ƒo nu le nya siwo nètsɔ vɛ la ŋu.” Yakob ƒe fia lae gblɔe.
22 Bring them here to tell us what is going to happen! Ask them to tell us what things happened long ago, in order that we may think about those things, and learn if those things that they predicted really happened. Or, ask them to tell us about the future, in order that we can know what will happen.
“Mitsɔ miaƒe legbawo vɛ ne woava agblɔ nu si ava dzɔ la na mí. Migblɔ nu siwo nɔ anyi tsã la na mí be míabu wo ŋuti, eye míanya woƒe metsonu alo migblɔ nu siwo ava dzɔ la na mí.
23 [Yes], those idols should tell us what will happen in the future. If they do that, we will know that they are really gods. Tell them to do something—either something good or something bad! Tell them to do something that will cause us to be amazed and afraid!
Nya kae le etsɔ si na mí ne mianya be mawuwoe mienye. Wɔ nane, eɖanye nyui alo vɔ̃, ale be míaƒe mo nawɔ yaa, eye vɔvɔ̃ naɖo mí.
24 But [that is impossible, because] idols are absolutely worthless [HYP]; they can do nothing, and I detest those who decide [to worship] idols.”
Ke miele naneke hã me o, eye miaƒe dɔwɔwɔwo mele ɖeke me kura o. Ame si tia mi la zu ŋunyɔnu.
25 “[But] I have incited/urged a ruler who will come [with his army] from the north. I have summoned him to come from [his country, which is] east [of Israel], and I have given him my authority [MTY]. I will [enable his army to conquer other rulers]; they will trample those leaders like [SIM] a man who makes clay pots first tramples the clay.
“Menyɔ ame aɖe tso anyiehe eye wòle mɔ dzi gbɔna. Ame si tso afi si ɣe dzena tsoe, eye wòyɔa nye ŋkɔ. Ame si fanya dziɖulawo abe anyi ene, efanya wo abe zemelae le anyi nyam ene.
26 (Who told you people long ago that this would happen?/No one told you people long ago that this would happen!) [RHQ] (Who predicted it, with the result that we can say, ‘What he predicted was correct!’?/No one predicted it, with the result that we can say, ‘What he predicted was correct!’) [RHQ] No one else said that it would happen.
Ame kae ƒo nu tso ame sia ŋuti tso gɔmedzedzea, ne mienyae do ŋgɔ, ne miate ŋu agblɔ be, ‘Eƒe nya dzɔ?’ Ame aɖeke megblɔ esia o. Ame aɖeke megblɔe da ɖi o; ame aɖeke mese nya aɖeke tso gbɔwò o.
27 I was the first one to tell [the people of] Jerusalem, ‘Listen to this! I have appointed a messenger to tell good news to you!’
Nyee nye ame gbãtɔ si gblɔe na Zion be, ‘Kpɔ ɖa, wole afii!’ Meɖo nyanyuigblɔla ɖe Yerusalem.
28 None of your idols told you that [DOU]. And when I asked them questions, none of them was able to give me any answers.
Metsa ŋku, ke ame aɖeke meli o, ame aɖeke mele wo dome aɖo aɖaŋu o. Ame aɖeke mele wo dome aɖo nya si mebia wo la ŋu nam o.
29 Think about it: Those idols are all useless, worthless [DOU] things. They are [as meaningless as] [MET] the wind.”
Kpɔ ɖa, wo katã wonye tofloko! Woƒe dɔwɔwɔwo mele ɖeke me o. Woƒe legbawo hã nye ya kple tofloko ko.
