Yesaya 28
1 Baba na seƒoƒofiakuku ma si nye dada na Efraim ƒe ahanomunɔtɔwo. Baba na seƒoƒo yɔyrɔ la ƒe gãnyenye si wotsɔ ɖo atsyɔ̃ na balime si nyoa nuku. Baba na du ma si nye dada na ame siwo wain flu tagbɔ na!
Terrible things will happen to [Samaria city, the capital of Israel]! It is on a hill above a fertile valley; the people who live there, who get drunk by drinking too much wine, are very proud; it is a beautiful and glorious city, but some day that beauty will disappear like [MET] a flower that wilts and dries up.
2 Kpɔ ɖa, ame si sesẽ, nye kalẽtɔ la le Aƒetɔ la si. Ava abe tsikpe ƒe dzadza kple ya si gblẽa nu la ene. Ava abe kelemetsi kple tsiɖɔɖɔ ene, be wòatsɔe aƒu gbe ɖe anyigba ŋusẽtɔe.
Listen to this: Yahweh will cause a great army to attack Samaria. Their soldiers will be like [SIM] a huge hailstorm [or] a very strong wind; they will be everywhere, like the water of a huge flood, and they will smash to the ground [the buildings in Samaria].
3 Seƒoƒotsihe ma si nye Efraim ƒe ahanomunɔtɔwo ƒe dada la, woafanyae ɖe afɔ te.
The people of Samaria are proud, but everything that the drunks who live there think is wonderful/glorious will be trampled on by their enemies.
4 Seƒoƒo yɔyrɔ ma si nye eƒe gãnyenye ƒe atsyɔ̃ si wòɖɔ na balime nyonuku la anɔ abe gbotsetse si ɖi do ŋgɔ na mamlɛawo la ene; esi ame aɖe kpɔe la, egbee kaba heɖu.
[Yes], Samaria is beautiful, set on a hill above a fertile valley, but that beauty will disappear like [MET] a flower that wilts and dries up. Whenever someone sees a good fig at the beginning of the season [when figs become ripe], he quickly picks and eats it; [similarly, when the enemies of Israel see all the beautiful things in Samaria], [they will quickly conquer the city and take away all those things].
5 Gbe ma gbe la, Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la, anye gãnyenye ƒe fiakuku kple seƒoƒotsihe si dzeani na eƒe ame mamlɛawo.
At that time, the Commander of the armies of angels will be [like] a glorious wreath of flowers for [us] Israeli people who are still alive [after being exiled].
6 Anye afia nyui tsotso ƒe gbɔgbɔ anɔ ame si le ʋɔnu drɔ̃m la me. Anye ŋusẽ na agbonudzɔlawo le aʋaŋɔli.
He will cause our judges to want to do what is fair/just when they decide people’s cases. He will enable the soldiers who stand at the city gates to strongly defend [the city when our enemies attack it].
7 Wain na ame siwo hã le mumum sɔgɔsɔgɔ, eye aha sesẽ na ame siwo le ya mum. Aha sesẽ na nunɔlawo kple nyagblɔɖilawo siwo le zɔzɔm sɔgɔsɔgɔ eye wain na wole movinu wɔm. Aha sesẽ na ame siwo le ya mum. Vodada le woƒe ŋutegakpɔkpɔ me, eye kpɔtsɔtsɔ le woƒe nyametsotso ŋu.
[But now, ] our leaders stagger/stumble because they have drunk a lot of wine and [other] alcoholic drinks. The priests and prophets also stagger because of drinking a lot of wine and other alcoholic drinks. They are not able to think right; they see visions but they cannot understand what they mean; they are unable to decide things correctly.
8 Woɖe xe ɖe kplɔ̃wo katã dzi kpe ɖo, eye teƒe aɖeke meli si womeɖe xe ɖo o.
All their tables are covered with [their] vomit; filth is everywhere.
9 “Ame ka wòle didim be yeafia nue? Ame ka wòle eƒe gbedeasi la me ɖem na? Ɖevi siwo si woxɔ no le la loo alo vidzĩ siwo woɖe le no nua?
They ridicule Yahweh saying, “Who does he think that he is teaching? Why is he talking to us like this? [Does he think that] we are little children who have recently been weaned?
10 Ele ale; se ɖe se dzi, se ɖe se dzi. Ɖoɖo ɖe ɖoɖo dzi, ɖoɖo ɖe ɖoɖo dzi; afii ʋɛe, afi mɛ hã ʋɛe.”
[He continually tells us], ‘Do this, do that;’ first he tells us one rule, then another rule, he tells us only one line at a time.”
11 Ɖe sia ɖe nyo, Mawu aƒo nu kple dukɔ sia to nuyi kple aɖe tutɔwo dzi,
So now, Yahweh will need to force them to listen to [Assyrians] speaking to them in a language that they do not understand.
12 ame si Mawu gblɔ na be, “Teƒe siae nye dzudzɔƒe eya ta na ame siwo ŋu ɖeɖi te la nadzudzɔ,” eye “Teƒe siae nye gbɔɖemeƒe”, gake womeɖo toe o.
Yahweh told his people [long ago], “[This is] a place where you can rest; you are exhausted [from all your travels through the desert], but you will be able to rest [in this land].” But they refused to pay attention to what he said.
13 Eya ta Yehowa ƒe nya na woe nye be se ɖe se dzi, se ɖe se dzi. Ɖoɖo ɖe ɖoɖo dzi, ɖoɖo ɖe ɖoɖo dzi, ale be woayi, eye woagbugbɔ ɖe megbe, adze anyi. Mixɔ abi, kamɔ neɖe mi, eye wonelé mi,
So Yahweh continues to tell the people of Samaria, one line at a time, “Do this, do that,” first one rule and then another rule. But because [of their ignoring what God said], they will be attacked and defeated; they will be wounded and snared and captured.
14 eya ta mise Yehowa ƒe nya, mi fewuɖula siwo le ame siawo dzi ɖum le Yerusalem.
Because of [what will happen in Samaria], you rulers in Jerusalem who make fun of me, listen to this message from Yahweh:
15 Miegblɔna dadatɔe be, “Míeɖo nubabla me kple ku, eye míeɖo gbe ɖi kple yɔdo. Nenye be dɔvɔ̃ zɔ va yi la, maka asi mía ŋu o, elabena míetsɔ alakpa wɔ míaƒe sitsoƒee, eye míetsɔ beble wɔ míaƒe bebeƒee.” (Sheol h7585)
You [boast] saying, “We have made an alliance with [the leaders of Egypt], so we will not be killed [in battles]; we will never go to the place where the dead people are. When the [army of Assyria] attacks us, they will never defeat us, because we have made [an agreement with Egypt] to protect us!” [But that agreement consists of] a lot of lies [DOU]. (Sheol h7585)
16 Ke ale Aƒetɔ Mawu gblɔe nye esi, “Kpɔ ɖa, mele gɔmeɖokpe aɖe ɖom ɖe Zion, kpe si wodo kpɔ. Dzogoedzikpe xɔasi si nye gɔmeɖokpe si maʋã o. Ame si ɖo ŋu ɖe eŋu la mavɔ̃ o.
Therefore, Yahweh [our] Lord says this: “Listen to this! I am going to place in Jerusalem [someone who is like] [MET] a foundation stone, [he is like] a stone that has been tested [to determine if it is solid]. [He will be like] a valuable cornerstone around which it will be safe to build a house; and whoever trusts in him will never be disappointed.
17 Matsɔ afia nyui tsotso awɔ eƒe dzidzekae, eye dzɔdzɔenyenye anye eƒe nudanu, tsikpe akplɔ miaƒe sitsoƒe si nye alakpa la adzoe, eye tsi aɖɔ axɔ miaƒe bebeƒe.
I will test you [people of Jerusalem] to find out if you will act justly and righteously [like] [MET] someone uses a plumb line [to determine if a wall is straight and vertical]. But because your agreement [with Egypt] to protect you [was made by leaders] lying to each other and deceiving each other, you will be defeated and taken away [from your country] by [an army that will come against you like] [MET] a flood.
18 Woate fli ɖe nu si miebla kple ku la me, eye gbe si mieɖo ɖi kple yɔdo la madze edzi o. Ne dɔvɔ̃ zɔ va yi la, adze mi katã dzi, eye miaɖo baba. (Sheol h7585)
I will annul/destroy the agreement that you made [with the leaders of Egypt]. You thought that [because of that agreement] you would not be killed, and you would not go to the place where the dead are. [But] when the vast [army of Assyria] overwhelms you like a flood, they will trample you into the ground. (Sheol h7585)
19 Zi ale si nu wòva la, zi nenema ke wòakplɔ mi adzoe. Tso ŋdi yi ŋdi, le ŋkeke me kple zã me, ava ato mia dzi ayi.” Gbedeasi sia gɔmesese ɖeɖe ahe ŋɔdzi vɛ.
Their soldiers will come during the morning, at noontime, and at night, and they will carry you all away.” And when you understand this message, you will be terrified.
20 Aba la le kpuie akpã, màte ŋu adra ɖe edzi o. Abadzivɔ la mekeke woaxatsa ame ɖokui ɖe eme o.
[You have heard people say], “Your bed is very short, you will not be able to sleep in it; your blankets are very narrow; they will not cover you!” [That means for you that your agreement with Egypt is not going to save you].
21 Yehowa atso abe ale si wòwɔ le Perazim toa dzi ene. Aʋuʋu eɖokui abe ale si wòwɔ le Gibeon Balime la ene be wòawɔ eƒe dɔ wɔnuku la, eye wòawɔ eƒe dɔdeasi si mienya o.
Yahweh will come [and cause you to be defeated]; he will do to you like he did to the army of Philistia at Perizim Mountain and like he did to the Amor people-group at Gibeon Valley. What he will do will be [very] strange and unusual [DOU].
22 Azɔ midzudzɔ miaƒe fewuɖuɖu ne menye nenem o la, miaƒe bablawo agamia mi ɖe edzi. Aƒetɔ Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la, gblɔ gbegblẽ si wòɖo ɖi kplikpaa ɖe anyigba blibo la ŋu nam.
The Commander of the armies of angels has told me that he is going to destroy the entire land. So do not ridicule [what I say any more], because if you do that he will punish you [even] more severely.
23 Mise nu si gblɔm mele na mi, eye miɖo to nya si tom mele na mi.
Listen [IDM] to what I say; pay attention carefully.
24 Ne agbledela ŋlɔ nu be yeaƒã nu la, ɖe wòganɔa nuŋɔŋlɔ dzia? Ɖe wògadzoboa anyigba, ganɔa edzadzraɖo dzia?
When a farmer plows some ground, does he never plant seeds [RHQ]? Does he continue to plow it and never plant anything [RHQ]?
25 Ne edzra anyigba ɖo vɔ la, ɖe meƒãa sikɔni kple adrike, lu kple ƒo ɖe agbakawo me, eye woƒãa bli ɖe agbleliƒowo dzi oa?
No, he makes the ground very level, and then he plants seeds— dill and cumin and wheat and barley. He plants each kind of seed in the correct manner.
26 Eƒe Mawu fiaa nue, eye wògblɔa nu nyuitɔ si wòawɔ la nɛ.
[He does that] because God has taught him the correct way to do it.
27 Wometsɔa luƒomɔ ƒoa sikɔnie alo tsɔa keke zɔa adrike dzi hafi woklẽna o, ke boŋ wotsɔa kpo ƒoa sikɔnie, eye wotsɔa ati ƒoa adrikee.
[Farmers] never thresh caraway/dill with a heavy sledge/club; instead, they beat it only with a stick. [Farmers] never thresh cumin by driving a cart over it; instead, they hit it [only] with a rod.
28 Wotua bli hafi tsɔna ƒoa aboloe, eya ta ame aɖeke manɔ bli nyɔnyɔ dzi ɖaa o. Togbɔ be wotsɔa keke ƒe afɔtiwo nyɔa blie hã la, menye sɔ siwo woti ɖe kekea ŋuti la ƒe afɔwoe tua blia o.
And grain for baking bread is crushed easily, so the farmers do not continue to pound it for a long time. They sometimes cause their horses to pull a cart over it [to thresh it], [but] doing that does not grind the grain.
29 Esiawo katã tso Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gbɔ; ame si ƒe aɖaŋudede wɔ nuku, eye eƒe nya me goglo.
The Commander of the armies of angels gives [us] wonderful advice [about how to do things]; he causes [us] to be very wise. [So what the farmers do is very smart/wise, but what your leaders are doing is very stupid].
