< Isaiah 41 >
1 “Keep silent before me, islands, and let the peoples renew their strength. Let them come near, then let them speak. Let’s meet together for judgement.
“Monyɛ komm wɔ mʼanim, mo nsupɔw! Ma aman no nhyɛ wɔn ho den! Ma wɔmmra ha mmɛkasa; momma yɛmmɔ mu nhyia wɔ asennii hɔ.
2 Who has raised up one from the east? Who called him to his feet in righteousness? He hands over nations to him and makes him rule over kings. He gives them like the dust to his sword, like the driven stubble to his bow.
“Hena na wakanyan nea ofi apuei no, afrɛ no trenee mu sɛ ɔmmɛsom no? Ɔde aman hyɛ ne nsa na ɔbrɛ ahemfo ase wɔ nʼanim. Ɔde nʼafoa ma wɔdan mfutuma, ɔde ne bɛmma ma wɔdan ntɛtɛ a mframa bɔ hwete.
3 He pursues them and passes by safely, even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.
Ɔtaa wɔn na ɔkɔ nʼanim a biribiara nti ne ho, wɔ kwan a ɔmfaa so da no so.
4 Who has worked and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last, I am he.”
Hena na wayɛ eyi akosi awiei, afrɛ awo ntoatoaso afi mfiase? Me Awurade, meka adikanfo ne akyikafo ho, Mene ɔno ara.”
5 The islands have seen, and fear. The ends of the earth tremble. They approach, and come.
Nsupɔw no ahu na wɔbɔ hu; nsase ano ho popo. Wotwiw bɛn, na wɔba anim;
6 Everyone helps his neighbour. They say to their brothers, “Be strong!”
na obiara boa ne yɔnko na ɔka kyerɛ ne nua se, “Yɛ den!”
7 So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith. He who smooths with the hammer encourages him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good;” and he fastens it with nails, that it might not totter.
Odwumfo hyɛ sikadwumfo nkuran, na nea ɔde asae yɛ no trontrom boa nea ɔbɔ atommo so. Ɔka fa nea ɔsɔw no ho se, “Eye pa ara.” Ɔbobɔ ohoni no mu nnadewa sɛnea ɛrentu nhwe fam.
8 “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend,
“Nanso wo, Israel, me somfo, Yakob, nea mayi no no, mo, mʼadamfo Abraham asefo.
9 you whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from its corners, and said to you, ‘You are my servant. I have chosen you and have not cast you away.’
Mefaa wo fii nsase ano, fii nʼakyirikyiri ntwea so, na mefrɛɛ wo. Mekae se, ‘Woyɛ me somfo’; mapaw wo na mempoo wo ɛ.
10 Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
Enti nsuro, na mene wo wɔ hɔ; mma wo werɛ nhow, na mene wo Nyankopɔn. Mɛhyɛ wo den, na mɛboa wo; mede me trenee nsa nifa bɛma wo so.
11 Behold, all those who are incensed against you will be disappointed and confounded. Those who strive with you will be like nothing, and shall perish.
“Wɔn a wɔn bo afuw wo no nyinaa, ampa ara wɔn ani bewu na wɔn anim agu ase; wɔn a wɔsɔre tia wo no rensɛ hwee na wobewuwu.
12 You will seek them, and won’t find them, even those who contend with you. Those who war against you will be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing.
Ɛwɔ mu sɛ wobɛhwehwɛ wʼatamfo de, nanso worenhu wɔn. Wɔn a wotu wo so sa no rensɛ hwee koraa.
13 For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I will help you.’
Na mene Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn, nea okura wo nsa nifa mu na ɔka kyerɛ wo se, Nsuro; mɛboa wo.
14 Don’t be afraid, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel. I will help you,” says the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Nsuro, osunson Yakob, Israel a wusua, na me ankasa mɛboa wo,” Awurade na ose, wo gyefo, Israel Ɔkronkronni no.
15 Behold, I have made you into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth. You will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and will make the hills like chaff.
“Hwɛ, mede wo bɛyɛ nhuwso apa, a ɛyɛ amono, ano yɛ nnam na ɛwɔ ɛse bebree. Wubehuhuw mmepɔw no so na woadwiriw wɔn, na woama nkoko ayɛ sɛ ntɛtɛ.
16 You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, and the whirlwind will scatter them. You will rejoice in the LORD. You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Wubehuhuw wɔn so, mframa bɛma wɔn so, na ahum abɔ wɔn akɔ. Nanso wʼani begye wɔ Awurade mu na woahyɛ Israel Ɔkronkronni no anuonyam.
17 The poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
“Ohiani ne mmɔborɔni kyin pɛ nsu, nanso bi nni hɔ; osukɔm ama wɔn tɛkrɛma so ayow. Nanso me Awurade, mɛma wɔn mmuae. Me, Israel Nyankopɔn, merennyaw wɔn.
18 I will open rivers on the bare heights, and springs in the middle of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
Mɛma nsubɔnten ateɛ wɔ sorɔnsorɔmmea a awu no so, na nsuti apue wɔ abon mu. Mɛdan nweatam ayɛ no mmura, na nsase a awo adan nsuti bebree.
19 I will put cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees in the wilderness. I will set cypress trees, pine, and box trees together in the desert;
Meduadua wɔ nweatam so, sida, ɔkanto, ohuam ne ngonnua. Meduadua ɔpepaw wɔ asase wosee so asɛsɛ ne kwabɔhɔre abɔ mu,
20 that they may see, know, consider, and understand together, that the LORD’s hand has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.
sɛnea nnipa behu na wɔate, na wɔasusuw ho na wɔate ase sɛ, Awurade nsa na ayɛ saa ade yi, Israel ɔkronkronni no na ɔma ɛbae.
21 Produce your cause,” says the LORD. “Bring out your strong reasons!” says the King of Jacob.
“Bɔ wo nkuro,” Awurade na ose. “Kyerɛkyerɛ wʼasɛm mu,” Yakob Hene na ose.
22 “Let them announce and declare to us what will happen! Declare the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.
“Fa wʼahoni no bra na wɔmmɛka nea ebesi nkyerɛ yɛn. Wɔmmɛka sɛnea na kan nneɛma no te nkyerɛ yɛn, sɛnea yebedwen ho afa na yɛahu nea ebefi mu aba. Anaasɛ wɔmpae mu nka nneɛma a ebesi nkyerɛ yɛn.
23 Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and see it together.
Monka yɛn nea ebesi daakye, na ama yɛahu sɛ moyɛ anyame. Monyɛ biribi, sɛ eye anaa enye, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a yɛn werɛ bɛhow na ehu aka yɛn.
24 Behold, you are nothing, and your work is nothing. He who chooses you is an abomination.
Nanso, monnka hwee, na mo nnwuma so nni mfaso; nea ɔfa mo no yɛ akyiwade.
25 “I have raised up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name, and he shall come on rulers as on mortar, and as the potter treads clay.
“Makanyan obi a ofi atifi fam na ɔreba, nea ofi owia apuei na ɔbɔ me din. Otiatia ahemfo so te sɛ dɔte a wɔde si dan, te sɛ ɔnwemfo a ɔrewɔw dɔte.
26 Who has declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and before, that we may say, ‘He is right’? Surely, there is no one who declares. Surely, there is no one who shows. Surely, there is no one who hears your words.
Hena na ɔkaa eyi ho asɛm fii mfiase, sɛnea anka ɛbɛma yɛahu, anaa waka ato hɔ, sɛnea yebetumi aka se, ‘Ne de no ye’? Obiara anka eyi, obiara anni kan anka, obiara ante nsɛm biara amfi wo nkyɛn.
27 I am the first to say to Zion, ‘Behold, look at them;’ and I will give one who brings good news to Jerusalem.
Me na midii kan ka kyerɛɛ Sion, ‘Hwɛ, woni!’ Memaa Yerusalem ɔsomafo a ɔde asɛmpa ba.
28 When I look, there is no man, even amongst them there is no counsellor who, when I ask, can answer a word.
Mehwɛ, nanso obiara nni hɔ, obiara nni wɔn mu a obetu wɔn fo, sɛ mibisa wɔn a, obiara ntumi mma mmuae.
29 Behold, all of their deeds are vanity and nothing. Their molten images are wind and confusion.
Hwɛ, wɔn nyinaa yɛ atorofo! Wɔn nneyɛe nka hwee; wɔn nsɛsode yɛ mframa ne basabasayɛ nko ara.