Isaiah 42
1 [Yahweh says, “I want you people to know about] my servant, whom I encourage. I have chosen him, and I am pleased with him. I have given him my Spirit, and he will make certain that all the people-groups do what is right/just.
“Me somfo a mahyɛ no den ni, nea mayi no na ɔsɔ mʼani; mede me Honhom begu no so na ɔde atɛntrenee bɛbrɛ aman no.
2 He will not [show his power by] shouting [DOU] or by talking very loudly.
Ɔrenteɛ mu anaa ɔremma ne nne so. Ɔremma ne nne so wɔ mmɔnten so.
3 He will not get rid of [anyone who is weak like] [MET] a smashed reed, and he will not [end the life of anyone who is helpless like] [MET] someone would extinguish a dimly burning wick [of an oil lamp]. He will faithfully/continually make sure that judges decide cases justly.
Demmire a ayɛ mmerɛw no, ɔremmu mu. Kanea ntamabamma a ɛnnɛw yiye no, ɔrennum. Nokware mu na ɔbɛda trenee adi;
4 He will not become exhausted or discouraged all during the time that he is causing things to be done justly throughout the earth. Even [people living on the islands in] [MTY] the oceans will confidently wait for [him to teach them] his laws.”
ɔrenhinhim na ɔrempa abaw kosi sɛ ɔde trenee bɛba asase so. Ne mmara so na amanaman no de wɔn ani bɛto.”
5 Yahweh our God created the sky and spread it out. He also created the earth and everything on it. He gives breath to all the people on the earth; he causes them to live [DOU]. [And he is the one who says to his special servant],
Sɛɛ na Onyankopɔn, Awurade no se, nea ɔbɔɔ ɔsoro na ɔtrɛw mu, nea ɔtwee asase mu ne nea efi mu nyinaa, nea ɔma wɔn a wɔte so home, na ɔma wɔn a wɔnantew so no nkwa:
6 “I, Yahweh, have chosen you to show people that I always act righteously/fairly. I will grasp your hand and protect you, and I will present you to [my Israeli] people to be the one who will put into effect my agreement with them. [You will be like] a light to the [other] nations.
“Me, Awurade, mafrɛ wo trenee mu; meso wo nsa. Mɛhwɛ wo so na mede wo ayɛ apam ama nkurɔfo no ne kanea ama amanamanmufo,
7 You will enable blind [IDM] people to see, you will free those who are in prison (OR, who are bound [by the guilt of their sins]) [MET] and release those who are in dark dungeons.
na woabue ani a afura, na woayi nneduafo afi afiase na woagye wɔn a wɔda afiase amoa mu, wɔn a wɔte sum kabii mu no.
8 I am Yahweh; that is my name. I will not allow anyone else to receive the honor that only I deserve. And I will not allow idols to be praised like only I should be praised.
“Mene Awurade; me din ne no! Meremfa mʼanuonyam mma obi anaa mʼayeyi mma ahoni.
9 Everything that I have prophesied has happened, and now I will tell about other things that will happen. I will tell you things that will happen before they happen.”
Hwɛ, nneɛma dedaw no asisi, na nneɛma foforo no mepae mu ka; ansa na ɛbɛba mu no, meka kyerɛ mo.”
10 Sing a new song to Yahweh! Sing to praise him throughout the world! All you people who sail across the oceans, and all you creatures that live in the oceans, and all you people who live on islands far away, sing!
Monto dwom foforo mma Awurade! Nʼayeyi mfi asase ano, mo a mokɔ po so ne nea ɛwo mu nyinaa, mo asupɔw ne wɔn a wɔtete so nyinaa.
11 You people who live in towns in the desert, sing loudly! You people who live in the Kedar [area in the north of Arabia], you rejoice also! You people in Sela [city in Edom], you also should sing joyfully; shout [to praise him] from the tops of your mountains!
Ma nweatam ne so nkurow mma wɔn nne so; ma atenae a Kedar te so no nsɛpɛw wɔn ho. Ma nnipa a wɔwɔ Sela nto nnwom nnye wɔn ani; ma wɔnteɛ mu mfi mmepɔw no atifi!
12 Even people who live on distant islands should honor Yahweh and sing to praise him.
Ma wɔnhyɛ Awurade anuonyam; na wɔmpae mu nka nʼayeyi no wɔ asupɔw no so.
13 [It will be as though] Yahweh will march out like [SIM] a mighty soldier; he will show that he is very angry. He will shout a battle-cry, and [then] he will defeat all his enemies.
Awurade bepue aba sɛ ɔkatakyi, te sɛ ɔkofo no, ɔbɛhyɛ ne mmɔdemmɔ mu den; ɔde nteɛmu bɛyɛ ɔkofo nkanyan na obedi nʼatamfo so nkonim.
14 [He will say], “I have remained silent [DOU] for a long time; I have restrained myself [from doing what I need to do]. But now, like [SIM] a woman who is giving birth to a baby, I will cry out and gasp and pant.
“Mayɛ komm akyɛ, mayɛ dinn na mahyɛ me ho so. Nanso afei, te sɛ ɔbea a ɔrewo no, meteɛ mu, mehome a ensi so na mehome afrɛ so.
15 I will level off the hills and mountains, and I will cause all the plants and trees to dry up. I will cause the rivers to become small streams, and little islands will appear in them, and I will cause all the pools to become dry.
Mɛsɛe mmepɔw ne nkoko no na mahyew so afifide nyinaa. Mɛdan nsubɔnten ama ayɛ asupɔw, na mama atare ayoyow.
16 [My people who have been taken to Babylonia are like] [MET] blind people, [but] I will lead them along a road on which they have not walked before, on a road that they have not seen before. They have felt [very helpless, as though] they were walking in the darkness, but I will take away that darkness and I will make smooth the road that is in front of them. Those are the things that I will do for them; I will not abandon them.
Medi anifuraefo anim afa akwan a wonnim so so, akwan a wonnim so papa so na mɛkyerɛ wɔn kwan. Mɛma sum no ayɛ hann wɔ wɔn anim, na mayɛ mmeae a ɛyɛ abonkyiabonkyi no trontrom. Eyinom ne nneɛma a mɛyɛ; merennyaw wɔn mu.
17 But those who trust in carved idols, and say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be completely humiliated/disgraced.”
Na wɔn a wɔde wɔn ho to ahoni so, na wɔka kyerɛ nsɛsode se, ‘Moyɛ yɛn anyame’ no, wɔbɛpam wɔn wɔ animguase mu.”
18 You [Israeli people who have acted toward God like] deaf [people], listen [to what Yahweh says]! “You [who have been like] [MET] blind [people], look!
“Tie, wo ɔsotifo; hwɛ, wo onifuraefo na hu!
19 No people are [RHQ] as blind as my people, who [should have been] serving me. No people are [RHQ] as much like [MET] deaf people as [the Israelis, who should have been] my messengers. No people are [RHQ] as much like [MET] blind people as those whom I chose to serve me.
Hena ne onifuraefo sɛ me somfo, na ɔyɛ ɔsotifo sɛ ɔbɔfo a mesoma no? Hena na nʼani afura sɛ nea ɔde ne werɛ ahyɛ me mu, nʼani afura sɛ Awurade somfo?
20 You see and know what are the right things to do, but you do not do them. You hear [what I say to you], but you do not pay attention.”
Woahu nneɛma bebree, nanso amfa wo ho; Ɔkwan da wʼasom, nanso wonte hwee.”
21 Because Yahweh is righteous, he has honored his glorious laws.
Ɛsɔɔ Awurade ani, ne trenee nti sɛ ɔbɛma ne mmara ayɛ kɛse na anya anuonyam.
22 But [the armies of Babylon have destroyed Jerusalem] and have completely (plundered/taken away) [DOU] all the valuable things, and they have captured Yahweh’s people and taken them away and put them in prison. They have been captured easily, because there was no one to protect them; there was no one to say that they should be allowed to return home.
Nanso saa nnipa a wɔawia wɔn na wɔafow wɔn yi, wɔn nyinaa aka amoa mu anaa wɔde wɔn asie wɔ afiase. Wɔayɛ wɔn asade na wonni obi a obegye wɔn; wɔayɛ wɔn akorɔnne na wonni obi a ɔbɛka se, “Momfa wɔn nsan nkɔ.”
23 Who among you will listen carefully to these things? Who will pay attention from now on?
Mo mu hena na obetie eyi anaa nʼani beku ho yiye akyiri yi?
24 Who allowed the valuable possessions of the people of Israel to be stolen [RHQ, DOU]? It was Yahweh, because he is he one against whom we had sinned; we did not conduct our lives like he wanted us to, and we did not obey his laws.
Hena na ɔde Yakob maa sɛ ɔmmɛyɛ akorɔnne, na ɔde Israel maa afowfo? Ɛnyɛ Awurade a yɛayɛ bɔne atia no no? Efisɛ wɔannantew nʼakwan so; na wɔanni ne mmara so.
25 Therefore, he was extremely angry with us, and he caused our soldiers to be destroyed in battles. [It was as though] [MET] he lit a fire around us, but we did not understand [what he was trying to tell us]. [His being angry with us was like] a fire that would burn us up, but we did not pay attention [IDM].
Enti ohwiee nʼabufuwhyew guu wɔn so, akodi mu basabasayɛ. Ɛde ogyaframa bunkam wɔn so, nanso wɔante ase. Ɛhyew wɔn, nanso amfa wɔn ho.
