Isaiah 5

1 [Now] I will sing a song about my dear friend, and about his vineyard. The vineyard was on a very fertile hillside.

Mɛto dwom ama me dɔfo ɛdwom a ɛfa ne bobe turo ho: Na me dɔfo wɔ bobe turo bi wɔ asasebereɛ bi a ɛda bepɔ ani.

2 My friend plowed the ground and cleared away the stones. Then he planted very good grapevines on that ground. In the middle of the vineyard, he built a watchtower, and he dug a (winepress/pit for squeezing the grapes). Then he waited [each year] to harvest some good grapes, but the vines produced [only] sour grapes.

Ɔfuntum asase no yiyii mu aboɔ, na ɔduaa bobe a ɛyɛ papa wɔ so. Ɔsii ɔwɛn aban wɔ mfimfini na ɔtuu nsakyimena nso. Afei, ɔhwɛɛ anim sɛ ɔbɛtwa bobe aba pa, nanso ɛsoo aba bɔne.

3 Now [this is what Yahweh says]: “You people of Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah, I [am like the friend, and you are like] my vineyard; [so] you judge which of us [has done what is right].

“Afei, mo a motete Yerusalem ne Yuda mmarima, mommu me ne me bobe turo ntam atɛn.

4 What more could I have done for you than what I have already done? I expected you to be doing good deeds [MET], so it is disgusting that [RHQ] you were [doing only evil things] like the vineyard that produced only sour grapes!

Ɛdeɛn bio na anka ɛsɛ sɛ meyɛ ma me bobe turo boro deɛ mayɛ yi so? Ɛberɛ a merehwɛ anim sɛ menya bobe a ɛyɛ no adɛn enti na ɛsoo aba bɔne?

5 [So], I will now tell you what I will do to [Judah, the place that is like] my vineyard. I will cut down the hedges, and they will be destroyed. I will tear down the walls [of the cities] and allow [wild animals] to trample the land.

Afei, mɛka deɛ merebɛyɛ me bobefuo no akyerɛ wo: Mɛyi ɛho ban no afiri hɔ, na wɔbɛsɛe no; mɛbubu ɛho fasuo, na wɔbɛtiatia so.

6 I will cause it to become a wasteland where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed. It will be a place where briers and thorns [DOU] grow. And I will command that no rain will fall on it.”

Mɛma ayɛ asase a ɛda mpan a worenyiyi mu na wɔnyɛ so adwuma, ɔhwerɛm ne nkasɛɛ bɛnyini wɔ so. Mɛhyɛ omununkum na wantɔ nsuo angu so.”

7 The nation of Israel is [like] [MET] the vineyard of the Commander of the armies of angels. The people of Judah are [like] the garden that was pleasing to him. He expected you to be doing what is just/fair, but instead, [what he saw was people] murdering [MTY] others. [He expected that you would be doing] righteous deeds, but instead, he heard cries from people who were being [attacked] violently.

Asafo Awurade bobe turo no yɛ Israel fie, na Yuda mmarima yɛ turo a nʼani gye ho. Ɔpɛɛ atɛn tenenee nanso ɔhunuu mogyahwiegu; ɔpɛɛ tenenee nanso ɔtee mmɔborɔ su.

8 Terrible things will happen to you who continually [illegally] acquire houses and fields. You force one family after another to leave their homes until you are the only ones [HYP] [still] living in the land.

Nnome nka mo a mode efie ka efie ho na mogyegye mfuo bobɔ soɔ kɔsi sɛ asase no bɛsa na ɛka mo nko ara wɔ asase no so.

9 [But] I heard the Commander of the armies of angels solemnly declare this: “[Some day], many of those huge houses will be empty/deserted; no one will be living in those beautiful mansions.

Asafo Awurade apae mu aka ama mate: “Nokorɛm afie akɛseɛ no bɛda mpan, na mmorɔsan fɛfɛ no, obiara rentena mu.

10 The vines on ten acres of land will not produce enough grapes to make (six gallons/22 liters) [of juice/wine], and ten baskets of seed will produce only one basket [of grain].”

Bobefuo kɛseɛ pa ara no nsã kakra bi na ɛbɛfiri mu. Aba lita aduonu baako a wɔdua no wɔbɛnya so lita aduonu mmienu pɛ.”

11 Terrible things will happen to those who get up early [each] morning to begin drinking alcoholic drinks, and who stay awake until late at night [drinking a lot of wine] until they are completely drunk.

Wɔnnue, wɔn a wɔsɔre anɔpahema kɔhwehwɛ wɔn nsã akyiri kwan, wɔn a wɔsiri pɛ kɔsi sɛ nsã bɛbo wɔn.

12 They have [big parties and provide lots of] wine. At their parties, there are [people playing] harps and lyres and tambourines and flutes, but they never think about what Yahweh does or appreciate what he has created.

Wɔbɔ sankuten ne bɛnta wɔ wɔn apontoɔ ase, akasaeɛ, ne atɛntɛbɛn ne nsã, nanso wɔtwiri deɛ Awurade ayɛ, na wɔmmu ne nsa ano adwuma.

13 So, my people will be (exiled/taken to other countries) [far away] because they do not know [about me]. Those who are [now very important and] honored will starve, and the other people will die from thirst.

Ɛno enti, me nkurɔfoɔ bɛkɔ nnommumfa mu, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔnni nteaseɛ; ɛkɔm bɛkum wɔn mu atitire na osukɔm bɛtware wɔn mu bebree.

14 [It is as though] [PRS] the place where the dead people are is eagerly looking for more Israeli people, opening its mouth to swallow them, and a huge number of people will be thrown into that place, including their leaders as well as a noisy crowd of people who enjoy living in Jerusalem. (Sheol h7585)

Enti, damena akɔnnɔ yɛ kɛseɛ na ɔbue nʼanom bayaa; na emu na atitire ne ɛdɔm no bɛkɔ wɔne wɔn a wɔsa na wɔgye wɔn ani. (Sheol h7585)

15 [Yahweh] will get rid of a huge number of people; and he will humble [many more] people who [now] are proud/arrogant.

Enti, wɔbɛbrɛ onipa ase na wama adasamma aboto. Wɔbɛbrɛ ɔhantanni ase,

16 But the Commander of the armies of angels will be exalted/praised because of his acting justly. God will show that he is holy by doing righteous/just deeds.

nanso Asafo Awurade atɛntenenee bɛpagya no, na Kronkron Onyankopɔn de ne tenenee bɛda ne ho adi sɛ Ɔkronkronni.

17 Then lambs and fat sheep will [be able to] find good grass to eat, [even] among the ruins [of the houses of rich people].

Afei nnwan bɛkɔ adidi te sɛ deɛ wɔwɔ wɔn adidibea; nnwammaa bɛdidi wɔ asikafoɔ amanfo so.

18 Some people constantly tell lies, and [it is as though] they are dragging behind them the wrong things that they have done. Terrible things will happen to them!

Monnue, mo a mode nnaadaa nhoma twetwe bɔne, na mode nteaseɛnam ntampehoma twetwe amumuyɛ.

19 They [make fun of God and] say [to him, ] “Go ahead, do something [to punish us]! We want to see what you will do. You, the Holy One of Israel, should do what you are planning to do, because we want to know what it is.”

Monnue, mo a moka sɛ, “Onyankopɔn nyɛ ntɛm, ɔnyɛ nʼadwuma ntɛm sɛdeɛ yɛbɛhunu. Ma ɛmmɛn, Israel Ɔkronkronni no nhyehyɛeɛ no mmra, sɛdeɛ yɛbɛhunu.”

20 Terrible things will happen to those who say that evil is good, and that good is evil, that darkness is light and that light is darkness, that what is bitter is sweet and what is sweet is bitter.

Monnue, mo a mofrɛ bɔne sɛ papa na papa nso sɛ bɔne, mo a mode esum si hann anan mu na hann si esum anan mu, mo a mofrɛ nwononwono sɛ dɛɛdɛ ne dɛɛdɛ sɛ nwononwono.

21 Terrible things will happen to those who think that they are wise and that they (are very clever/know everything).

Monnue, mo a mobu mo ho anyansafoɔ, mo ankasa ani so ne anitefoɔ mo ankasa ani so.

22 Terrible things will happen to those who [think that] [IRO] they are great/heroes because they are able to drink [lots of] wine, and boast about being able to mix good alcoholic drinks.

Monnue mo a wɔfrɛ mo akatakyie wɔ nsanom mu ne ahoɔdenfoɔ wɔ nsã afrafra mu.

23 If people offer them bribes in order that they will enable wicked people not to be punished, they accept those bribes, and they cause people who are innocent to be punished.

Mo a mogye adanmudeɛ, na mo gyae deɛ ɔdi fɔ na mo bu deɛ ɔdi bem no fɔ.

24 Therefore, just like [SIM] fires burn up stubble and dry grass shrivels up and quickly burns in flames, [it will be as though] those people have roots that will rot and have flowers that will wither. [That will happen] because they rejected the laws of the Commander of the armies of angels; they have despised the messages of the Holy One of Israel.

Enti, sɛdeɛ egyadɛreɛ hye wira dwaneeɛ na ɛserɛ a awo yera wɔ ogyaframa mu no, saa ara na mo nhini bɛporɔ, na mo nhwiren nso atu akɔ sɛ mfuturo; ɛfiri sɛ moapo Asafo Awurade mmara na moatwiri Israel Kronkronni no asɛm.

25 That is why Yahweh is [extremely] angry [with his people]; [it is as though] his hand is raised [and he is ready to smash them]. [When he does that], the mountains will shake, and the corpses of people will be scattered in the streets like [SIM] manure. But even when that happens, Yahweh will still be very angry; he will be ready to punish his people [MET] again.

Enti Awurade abufuo aba ne nkurɔfoɔ so, wapagya ne nsa na ɔde rebɔ wɔn ahwe fam. Mmepɔ no woso, na afunu ayɛ sɛ mmɔntene so wira. Nanso yei nyinaa akyi, ne bo nnwoeɛ, na ne nsa da so wɔ soro.

26 Yahweh will send a signal to summon [armies of] nations far away; [it is as though] he will whistle [to summon those soldiers who are] in very remote places on the earth. They will come very swiftly [DOU] [to Jerusalem].

Ɔpagya frankaa ma akyirikyiri aman, ɔhyɛne abɛn de frɛ wɔn a wɔwɔ asase ano. Wɔn na wɔreba no, ɔherɛ so ne ntɛm so!

27 They will not get tired or stumble. They will not [stop to] rest or to sleep. None of their belts will be loose, and none of them will have sandals with broken straps, [so they will all be ready to fight in battles].

Wɔn mu biara mmrɛ na ɔnsunti, obiara ntɔ nko na ɔnna; abɔsoɔ biara mu rengo wɔ asene mu na mpaboa ahoma biara nso rente.

28 Their arrows will be sharp, and their bows will be ready [to shoot those arrows in a battle]. [Because their horses pull the chariots fast], sparks will shoot out from their hooves, and the wheels of the chariots will spin like a whirlwind.

Wɔn agyan ano yɛ nnam, na wɔn tadua nyinaa ayɛ krado; wɔn apɔnkɔ ntɔte te sɛ twerɛboɔ, wɔn nteaseɛnam ntwahonan te sɛ twahoframa.

29 They will roar like [very strong] lions [DOU] that growl and [then] pounce on the animals they want to kill and carry them off, and no one is able to rescue them.

Wɔn mmobɔmu te sɛ gyata deɛ, na wɔbobɔm sɛ gyata mma; wɔpɔso kyere wɔn hanam na wɔde no kɔ a ɔgyefoɔ biara nni hɔ.

30 [Similarly, your enemies] will roar when they see the people they are about to kill, like [SIM] the sea roars. [On that day], if someone looks across the land, he will see [only people who are in] darkness and distressed; [it will be as though] even the sunlight is hidden by dark clouds.

Ɛda no wɔbɛbobɔ mu agu ne so sɛdeɛ ɛpo woro soɔ. Na sɛ obi hwɛ asase no a, ɔbɛhunu esum kabisii ne ahohiahia; omununkum bɛma hann aduru sum.