Isaiah 8
1 Then Yahweh said to me, “Make a large signboard. And write clearly on it, ‘Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’ [which means ‘quickly (plunder/take by force) and steal everything’].”
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Fa nwoma mmobɔeɛ kɛseɛ no na fa twerɛdua biara twerɛ so.
2 [So] I requested Uriah the [Supreme] Priest and Jeberekiah’s son Zechariah, men who were both honest/trustworthy witnesses, to watch me as I was doing that.
Na mɛfrɛ ɔsɔfoɔ Uria ne Yeberekia babarima Sakaria sɛ mʼadansefoɔ nokwafoɔ aba.”
3 Then I had sex with [EUP] [my wife, who was] a prophetess, and she became pregnant and [then] gave birth to a son. Then Yahweh said to me, “Give him the name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (which means ‘suddenly attacked, quickly conquered’),
Afei mekɔɔ nkɔmhyɛni baa no ho, na ɔnyinsɛneeɛ, woo ɔbabarima. Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Frɛ no Maher-Salal-Has-Bas.
4 because before he is old enough to say ‘papa’ or ‘mama’, the King of Assyria will [come with his army and] quickly take away all the valuable things in Damascus and in Samaria.”
Ansa na abarimaa no bɛtumi aka, ‘Mʼagya’ anaa sɛ ‘me maame’ no, Asiriahene bɛba abɛfa Damasko ahodeɛ ne Samaria afodeɛ nyinaa akɔ.”
5 Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “[Tell the people of Judah, ]
Awurade kasa kyerɛɛ me bio sɛ,
6 ‘[I have taken good care of] you people, but you have rejected that, [thinking that] my help was very little, like [MET] the little canal through which water flows from the Gihon Spring into Jerusalem. Instead, you have been happy [to request help from] King Rezin and King Pekah.
“Esiane sɛ saa nkurɔfoɔ yi apo Siloa nsuo a ɛresene brɛoo na wɔdi ahurisie wɔ Resin ne Remalia babarima no ho enti,
7 Therefore, I will cause the people of Judah to be attacked by [the powerful army of] the King of Assyria, which will be [like] a great flood from the [Euphrates] River. Their soldiers will [be everywhere in your country, like] a river that overflows all its banks.
Awurade reyɛ de Asubɔnten no yire kɛseɛ no atia wɔn, Asiriahene ne ne kɛseyɛ nyinaa. Ɛbɛyiri afa ne mmɔnka nyinaa mu, na abu afa ne nkonkɔn so
8 Those soldiers will go all over Judah— [like a river whose water] [MET] rises as high as a person’s neck. Their army will spread over the land [quickly], like an eagle, and they will cover your entire land! But I will be with you!’”
na apra abɛfa Yuda, akontono afa ho, atene afa mu abɛdeda ɛkɔn mu. Na atrɛtrɛ akata asase no nyinaa so Ao Immanuel.”
9 Listen, all you [people in] distant countries! [You can] prepare to attack Judah. [You can] prepare [for battle, and shout your] war-cries, but your [armies will] be crushed/shattered!
Momma ɔko nteamu so, mo aman na wɔndwɛre mo! Montie mo akyirikyiri aman. Monsiesie mo ho mma ɔko, na wɔndwɛre mo! Monsiesie mo ho mma ɔko, na wɔndwɛre mo!
10 [You can] prepare for what you will do [to attack Judah], but what you plan to do will not happen! You will not succeed, because God is with us!
Hwehwɛ ɛkwan a wobɛfa soɔ, nanso wɔbɛsɛe no; da wo nsusuiɛ adi, nanso ɛrennyina, ɛfiri sɛ Onyankopɔn ne yɛn wɔ hɔ.
11 Yahweh strongly warned me [MTY] not to act like the [other] people in Judah did. He said to me,
Awurade de ne nsa denden no too me so, ka kyerɛ me bɔɔ me kɔkɔ sɛ, mennante saa nkurɔfoɔ yi kwan so. Ɔkaa sɛ,
12 “Do not say that everything that people do is conspiring/rebelling [against the government], like [other] people say, and do not (be afraid of/worry about) the things that other people are afraid of.
“Ɛnyɛ biribiara a saa nkurɔfoɔ yi frɛ no tirisopam na ɛyɛ tirisopam. Monnsuro deɛ wosuro, na momma ɛmmɔ mo hu.
13 [I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, am the one you should consider to be holy. And I am the one you should fear, the one you should revere.
Asafo Awurade nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wobu no kronkron, ɔno na ɛsɛ sɛ wosuro no, ɔno na ne ho yɛ hu,
14 I will protect you(sg). [But as for] the [other] people [MTY] in Israel and Judah, I will be [like] [MET] a stone that causes people to stumble, a rock that causes them to fall down. [And as for] the people of Jerusalem, I will be [like] [MET] a trap or a snare [DOU].
ɔbɛyɛ kronkronbea: nanso Israel afie mmienu no deɛ, ɔbɛyɛ suntiboɔ ne ɔbotan a ɛma wɔhwe ase. Na ne nnipa a ɛwɔ Yerusalem deɛ ɔbɛyɛ afidie a ɛbɛyi wɔn.
15 Many [people] will stumble and fall down and never get up again. They will experience great troubles; they will be captured [by their enemies].”
Wɔn mu bebree bɛsuntisunti; wɔbɛhwe ase a wɔnnsɔre bio; wɔbɛsum wɔn afidie na ayi wɔn.”
16 [So, I say to you who are my disciples], seal up this scroll on which I have written the messages that God has given to me, and give his instructions to [others] who have accompanied me.
Kyekyere adanseɛ no sɔ mmara no ano ma mʼasuafoɔ.
17 I will wait to see what Yahweh [will do]. He has rejected the descendants [MTY] of Jacob, but I will confidently expect him to help me.
Mɛtwɛn Awurade a wayi nʼani afiri Yakob efie so mede me werɛ bɛhyɛ ne mu.
18 I and the children that Yahweh has given to me are [like] signs to warn [the people of] Israel; we are warnings from the Commander of the armies of angels the one who lives [in his temple] on Zion Hill [in Jerusalem].
Me ne mma a Awurade de wɔn ama me no nie. Yɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ ne ahyɛnsodeɛ wɔ Israel, na yɛfiri Asafo Awurade a ɔte Sion Bepɔso no nkyɛn.
19 Some people may urge you(pl) to (consult/go and talk with) those who talk with the spirits of dead people or with those who say that they receive messages from those spirits. They whisper and mutter [about what we should do in the future]. But God is [RHQ] the one whom we should ask to guide us! It is ridiculous [RHQ] for people who are alive to request spirits of dead people to tell us [what we should do]!
Sɛ nnipa tu mo fo sɛ monkɔ hunu asamanfrɛfoɔ ne nnunsifoɔ a wɔkasa aso mu na emu nteɛ a, adɛn enti na wɔmmmisa wɔn Onyankopɔn? Adɛn enti na mobisa adeɛ wɔ awufoɔ nkyɛn ma ateasefoɔ?
20 Pay attention to God’s instructions and teaching! If people do not say things that agree with what God teaches us, [what they say is worthless]. [It is as though] those people are in darkness.
Sɛ wɔannyina mmara ne adanseɛ yi so anka asɛm yi a, wonni adekyeɛ mu hann.
21 They will wander through the land, worried/discouraged and hungry. And when they become [very] hungry, they will become very angry. They will look up [toward heaven] and curse God and [will also] curse their king.
Wɔde ahohiahia ne ɛkɔm bɛnantenante asase no so; na sɛ wɔtɔ baha a, wɔn bo bɛfu na wɔbɛma wɔn ani so adome wɔn ɔhene ne wɔn Onyankopɔn.
22 They will look around the land and see only trouble/distress and darkness and things that cause them to despair. And [then] they will be thrown into the very black darkness [of hell]. (questioned)
Afei wɔbɛhwɛ asase no so, na wobɛhunu ahohiahia ne esum a ɛyɛ hu, na wɔde wɔn bɛhyɛne esum kabii mu.
