Isaiah 44
1 And now, hear, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have fixed on:
“Na afei tie, Yakob me somfo, Israel, nea mapaw no.
2 Thus said Jehovah, thy Maker, and thy Former, From the womb He doth help thee; Fear not, my servant Jacob, And Jeshurun, whom I have fixed on.
Sɛɛ na Awurade se, nea ɔnwen wo, na ɔyɛɛ wo wɔ awotwaa mu, ɔno na ɔbɛboa wo: Nsuro Yakob, me somfo, Yeshurun, a mapaw no.
3 For I pour waters on a thirsty one, And floods on a dry land, I pour My Spirit on thy seed, And My blessing on thine offspring.
Na mehwie nsu agu asase a awo no so, ne nsuten wɔ asase kesee so; mehwie me Honhom agu wo mma so, ne me nhyira agu wʼasefo so.
4 And they have sprung up as among grass, As willows by streams of water.
Wobefifi sɛnea sare fifi wɔ mmoa adidibea, te sɛ mpampuro a ɛwɔ asuten ho.
5 This [one] saith, For Jehovah I [am], And this calleth [himself] by the name of Jacob, And this [one] writeth [with] his hand, 'For Jehovah,' and by the name of Israel surnameth himself.
Obi bɛka se, ‘Meyɛ Awurade de’; ɔfoforo bɛfrɛ ne ho se Yakob; afoforo bɛkɔ so akyerɛw wɔn nsa ho se, ‘Awurade de,’ na wɔafa din Israel.
6 Thus said Jehovah, king of Israel, And his Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts: 'I [am] the first, and I the last, And besides Me there is no God.
“Sɛɛ na Awurade Israelhene ne Ogyefo, Asafo Awurade se: Mene odikanfo ne okyikafo; Onyankopɔn biara nni hɔ sɛ me.
7 And who as I, doth call and declare it, And arrange it for Me, Since My placing the people of antiquity, And things that are coming, And those that do come, declare they to them?
Hena na ɔne me sɛ? Ma ɔmpae mu nka. Ma ɔnka na ɔnkyerɛ wɔ mʼanim nea asisi fi bere a migyee me tete nkurɔfo sii hɔ, ne nea ɛrebɛba. Yiw, ma ɔnhyɛ nea ɛreba ho nkɔm.
8 Fear not, nor be afraid, Have I not from that time caused thee to hear, and declared? And ye [are] My witnesses, Is there a God besides Me? yea, there is none, A Rock I have not known.
Mommma mo ho mpopo, munnsuro. Mampae mu anka eyi, manhyɛ ho amfi teteete ana? Mone me nnansefo. Onyankopɔn foforo bi ka me ho ana? Dabi, Ɔbotan foforo bi nni hɔ; minnim baako mpo.”
9 Framers of a graven image [are] all of them emptiness, And their desirable things do not profit, And their own witnesses they [are], They see not, nor know, that they may be ashamed.
Wɔn a wɔyɛ ahoni nyinaa nka hwee, na nneɛma a ɛsom wɔn bo no so nni mfaso. Wɔn a anka wɔkasa ma wɔn no ani afura; wonnim wɔn ankasa animguase ho hwee.
10 Who hath formed a god, And a molten image poured out — not profitable?
Hena na ɔbɔ onyame na ogu ohoni, a ne so mma no mfaso biara?
11 Lo, all his companions are ashamed, As to artisans — they [are] of men, All of them gather together, they stand up, They fear, they are ashamed together.
Ɔno ne wɔn a wɔte sɛ no nyinaa anim begu ase; adwumfo nyɛ hwee sɛ nnipa. Momma wɔn nyinaa mmɔ mu nsɔre nnyina, ehu ne animguase na ɛbɛka wɔn.
12 He hath wrought iron [with] an axe, And hath wrought with coals, And with hammers doth form it, And doth work it by his powerful arm, Yea, he is hungry, and there is no power, He doth not drink water, and he is wearied.
Ɔtomfo fa nʼatonnade ɔde hyehyɛ nnyansramma mu; ɔde asae bobɔ so yɛ no ohoni, ɔde nʼabasa mu ahoɔden mmoroso na ɛyɛ; ɔkɔm de no na ɔyɛ mmrɛw; ɔnnom nsu nti ɔtɔ beraw.
13 He hath wrought [with] wood, He hath stretched out a rule, He doth mark it out with a line, He maketh it with carving tools, And with a compass he marketh it out, And maketh it according to the form of a man, According to the beauty of a man, To remain in the house.
Duadwumfo de hama susuw na ɔde kyerɛwdua sensan; na ɔde pɛe yiyi ho afei ɔde kɔmpaase hyɛ no agyirae. Osen na ɛyɛ sɛ onipa sɛso, ɛyɛ sɛ onipa wɔ nʼanuonyam nyinaa mu, sɛ wɔde besi abosonnan mu.
14 Cutting down to himself cedars, He taketh also a cypress, and an oak, And he strengtheneth [it] for himself Among the trees of a forest, He hath planted an ash, and the shower doth nourish [it].
Otwitwaa sida, anaasɛ ebia ɔfaa kwabɔhɔre anaa odum. Ɔma enyinii wɔ kwae mu, anaa oduaa ɔpepaw, na osu ma enyinii.
15 And it hath been for man to burn, And he taketh of them, and becometh warm, Yea, he kindleth [it], and hath baked bread, Yea, he maketh a god, and boweth himself, He hath made it a graven image, And he falleth down to it.
Ɛyɛ nea onipa de sɔ ogya; ɔde bi ka ne ho hyew, ɔde bi sɔ ogya to brodo. Nanso ɔde bi sen onyame na ɔsɔre no; ɔyɛ ohoni na ɔkotow no.
16 Half of it he hath burnt in the fire, By [this] half of it he eateth flesh, He roasteth a roasting, and is satisfied, Yea, he is warm, and saith: 'Aha, I have become warm, I have enjoyed the light.
Ɔde dua no mu fa sɔ ogya; so na ɔnoa nʼaduan, ɔtoto ne nam wɔ so na wawe amee. Afei ɔka ne ho hyew na ɔka se, Aa! mahu ogya; me ho ayɛ me hyew.
17 And its remnant for a god he hath made — For his graven image, He falleth down to it, and worshippeth, And prayeth unto it, and he saith, 'Deliver me, for my god thou [art].'
Nkae no ɔde yɛ onyame, ne ohoni; ɔkotow no na ɔsɔre no. Ɔbɔ no mpae se, “Gye me; wo ne me nyame.”
18 They have not known, nor do they understand, For He hath daubed their eyes from seeing, Their heart from acting wisely.
Wonnim hwee, na wɔnte hwee ase; wɔatare wɔn ani so nti wonhu ade, wɔato wɔn adwene mu nti wɔnte hwee ase.
19 And none doth turn [it] back unto his heart, Nor hath knowledge nor understanding to say, 'Half of it I have burned in the fire, Yea, also, I have baked bread over its coals, I roast flesh and I eat, And its remnant for an abomination I make, To the stock of a tree I fall down.'
Obiara nna nnwen ho, obiara nni nimdeɛ anaa nhumu a ɔde bɛka se, “Mede fa sɔɔ ogya; na mpo metoo brodo wɔ ne nnyansramma so; metotoo nam wɔ so wee. Ɛsɛ sɛ mede nkae no yɛ akyiwade ana? Ɛsɛ sɛ mekotow gyentia ana?”
20 Feeding on ashes, the heart is deceived, It hath turned him aside, And he delivereth not his soul, nor saith: 'Is there not a lie in my right hand?'
Saa onipa no di nsõ, nnaadaa koma ma no to kwan; ɔrentumi nnye ne ho, anaa nka se, “Nea mikura wɔ me nsa nifa yi nyɛ atoro ana?”
21 Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, For My servant thou [art], I formed thee, a servant to Me thou [art], O Israel, thou dost not forget Me.
“Kae saa nneɛma yi, Yakob, efisɛ, woyɛ me somfo, Israel. Me na meyɛɛ wo, woyɛ me somfo; Ao Israel, me werɛ remfi wo.
22 I have blotted out, as [by] a thick cloud, Thy transgressions, And as [by] a cloud thy sins, Return unto Me, for I have redeemed thee.
Mapra wo mfomso agu te sɛ omununkum ne wo bɔne te sɛ anɔpa bosu. San bra me nkyɛn, efisɛ magye wo.”
23 Sing, O heavens, for Jehovah hath wrought, Shout, O lower parts of earth, Break forth, O mountains, with singing, Forest, and every tree in it, For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, And in Israel He doth beautify Himself.
Momfa ahosɛpɛw nto dwom, ɔsorosoro, na Awurade na wayɛ eyi. Mommɔ ose, asase ase. Momma nnwonto so, mo mmepɔw, mo kwae ne emu nnua nyinaa, na Awurade agye Yakob, wada nʼanuonyam adi wɔ Israel.
24 Thus said Jehovah, thy redeemer, And thy framer from the womb: 'I [am] Jehovah, doing all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, Spreading out the earth — who [is] with Me?
“Sɛɛ na Awurade se, wo Gyefo a ɔnwen wo wɔ awotwaa mu no: “Mene Awurade, nea wayɛ nneɛma nyinaa, nea ɔno nko ara trɛw ɔsoro mu nea ɔno nko ara twee asase mu,
25 Making void the tokens of devisers, And diviners it maketh mad, Turning the wise backward, And their knowledge it maketh foolish.
nea ɔsɛe atoro adiyifo nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔma nkɔmhyɛfo yɛ nkwaseafo, nea otutu anyansafo adenim gu na ɔdan no nkwaseasɛm,
26 Confirming the word of His servant, The counsel of His messengers it perfecteth, Who is saying of Jerusalem, She is inhabited, And of cities of Judah, They shall be built, and her wastes I raise up,
nea ɔma nʼasomfo nsɛm ba mu nea ɔhyɛ nʼasomafo nkɔmhyɛ mu ma, “nea ɔka fa Yerusalem ho se, ‘Wɔbɛtena mu,’ ne Yuda nkurow ho se, ‘Wɔbɛkyekye,’ ne mmubui ho se, ‘Mɛyɛ no foforo,’
27 Who is saying to the deep, Be dry, and thy rivers I cause to dry up,
nea ɔka kyerɛ asubun se, ‘Yow, na mɛma wo nsuwa ayoyow,’
28 Who is saying of Cyrus, My shepherd, And all my delight He doth perfect, So as to say of Jerusalem, Thou art built, And of the temple, Thou art founded.
nea ɔka wɔ Kores ho se, ‘Ɔyɛ me guanhwɛfo na obewie nea mepɛ nyinaa yɛ; ɔbɛka afa Yerusalem ho se, “Ma wɔnkyekyere bio,” na waka afa asɔredan no ho se, “Ma wɔnto ne fapem.”’”
