< Yesaya 3 >

1 Kpɔ ɖa, Aƒetɔ Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ, aɖo asi Yerusalem kple Yuda ƒe nuɖuɖu kple tsi ƒe kpɔtsoƒewo kple dzikpɔkpɔ dzi. Aɖo asi nuɖuɖu kple tsinono siwo katã wònaa wo la dzi.
The Commander of the armies of angels is about to take away from Jerusalem and [other places in] Judea everything that you depend on— all your food and water.
2 Aɖo asi eƒe kalẽtɔwo kple aʋawɔlawo, ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo kple nyagblɔɖilawo, afakalawo kple dumegãwo,
He will take away your heroes and your [other] soldiers, your judges and your prophets, people who do rituals to find out what will happen in the future and the elders,
3 ame blaatɔ̃wo: ƒe amegãwo, amegã bubuwo, aɖaŋudelawo, aɖaŋudɔwɔlawo kple gbesalawo dzi.
army officers and [other] officials, advisors and skilled craftsmen and those who perform rituals to predict the future.
4 Matsɔ ɖeviwo awɔ woƒe amegãwoe, eye ɖevi suewo anye wo dzi ɖulawo.
He will appoint boys to be your leaders; your children will rule you.
5 Amewo ate wo nɔewo ɖe to, ŋutsu atso ɖe ŋutsu ŋu, aƒelika ɖe aƒelika ŋu, sɔhɛwo atso ɖe ame tsitsiwo ŋu, eye yakamewo atso ɖe bubumewo ŋu.
People will treat each other cruelly: people will fight against their neighbors. Young people will insult older people, and vulgar/dishonorable people will sneer at people who should be honored.
6 Ŋutsu alé nɔvia ŋutsu le fofoa ƒe aƒe me agblɔ be, “Wò ya avɔ le ŋuwò, nye mia kplɔla ne nàkpɔ aƒe gbagbã sia dzi.”
At that time, someone will grab one of his brothers in his father’s house and say to him, “You have a coat, [which shows that you are respected]. [So] you be our leader! You rule this [city, which is now] a pile of ruins!”
7 Le ŋkeke ma me la, aɖo eŋu na wo be, “Ŋutete mele ŋunye o, nuɖuɖu alo nutata mele nye aƒe me o, eya ta migawɔm ame siawo kplɔlae o.”
[But] his brother will reply, “[No], I cannot help you, [because] I do not have [any extra] food or clothes in this house. [So] do not appoint me to be your leader!”
8 Yerusalem le mumum sɔgɔsɔgɔ, Yuda le anyi dzem. Woƒe nyawo kple woƒe nuwɔwɔ tsi tsitre ɖe Yehowa ŋu. Wogbe eƒe ŋutikɔkɔe ƒe amegbɔnɔnɔ.
Jerusalem and [the other towns in] Judah will be destroyed, because [everything] that the people do and say there opposes Yahweh, who is powerful and glorious, and they refuse to obey him. They rebel against him.
9 Woɖe woƒe nu vɔ̃wo ɖe go abe Sodom ene, eye womeɣla wo o. Baba na wo! Wohe gbegblẽ va wo ɖokuiwo dzi.
They even show on their faces that [they oppose Yahweh]. They are proud of their sins, like [the people of] Sodom were [long ago]; they do not try to hide their sins. [Because of their sins], terrible things will happen to them, [but] they will bring those disasters on themselves.
10 Gblɔe na dzɔdzɔetɔwo be nuwo adze edzi na wo, elabena woaɖu woƒe nuwɔnawo ƒe kutsetsewo.
[Yahweh told me to] tell the righteous people that good things will happen to them; they will enjoy the blessings that they will receive for their good deeds.
11 Baba na ame vɔ̃ɖiwo, gbegblẽ ava wo dzi. Woaxe nu siwo woƒe asiwo wɔ la ƒe fetu na wo.
[But] terrible things will happen to wicked people; they will be (paid back/punished) for [the evil things that] [MTY] they have done.
12 Sɔhɛwo te nye amewo ɖe to, eye nyɔnuwo nye woƒe dziɖulawo. O! Nye amewo, mia kplɔlawo kplɔ mi trae, wote mi ɖa le mɔ la dzi.
[Now], youths [who have become leaders] treat my people cruelly, and women rule over my people. My people, your leaders are misleading you; they are causing you to go down the wrong road [MET].
13 Yehowa nɔ anyi ɖe enɔƒe le ʋɔnu. Etso be wòadrɔ̃ ʋɔnu ameawo.
[It is as though] Yahweh has sat in his place in a courtroom and is ready to judge his people.
14 Yehowa bu fɔ eƒe amewo, eƒe dumegãwo kple kplɔlawo be, “Miawoe tsrɔ̃ nye waingble. Mieli kɔ nu siwo mieha le ame dahewo si la ɖe miaƒe aƒewo me.
He will stand up to declare why the elders and rulers of his people should be punished: [he says], “The people of Israel are [like] [MET] a vineyard that I planted, but you have ruined it! Your houses are full of things that you have stolen from poor people.
15 Nu ka gblɔm miele esi miegbã nye amewo, eye mieto mo na ame dahewo nyanyanya?” Aƒetɔ, Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe.
You should stop [RHQ] crushing my people! [It is as though] you are pushing the faces of poor people into the dirt!” [That is what] the Commander of the armies of angels says.
16 “Zion nyɔnuwo dana, wolia kɔ ganɛ hafi nɔa zɔzɔm. Woɖoa ahĩamo, nɔa zɔzɔm, nɔa ble nyem xatsɛxatsɛ, eye gavi siwo le woƒe afɔkɔe la nɔa ɖiɖim gliŋgliŋgliŋ.
Yahweh says this: “The women of Jerusalem are haughty/proud; they walk around sticking their chins out, and flirting [with men] with their eyes. They walk with tiny steps with bracelets on their ankles that jingle.
17 Eya ta Aƒetɔ Yehowa ana be Zion nyɔnuwo ƒe ta nabebe kple abi, Yehowa ana be ta nakpa na wo.”
So I, Yahweh, will cause sores to be on their heads, and I will cause those beautiful women in Jerusalem to become bald.”
18 Le ŋkeke ma dzi la, Aƒetɔ aɖe woƒe atsyɔ̃ɖonuwo ɖa le wo ŋu: aɖe alɔnugɛwo, tablanuwo, kɔga nyuiwo,
At the time [that Yahweh does that], he will strip away everything that the women of Jerusalem wear to make themselves beautiful—the ornaments on their ankles and their headbands, their crescent necklaces,
19 aɖe togɛwo, alɔnugɛwo kple motsyɔnuwo ɖa.
their earrings and bracelets and veils,
20 Aɖe tablanuwo, klodzonuwo, dɔmeblanuwo, amiʋeʋĩtukpawo, sebewo,
their scarves and ankle bracelets and sashes, their perfumes and (charms/little things that they wear thinking that those things will protect them from evil),
21 ŋkɔsigɛwo kple ŋɔtigɛwo ɖa.
their signet rings and nose rings,
22 Aɖe awu ʋlaya nyuiwo, kukuwo, vuvɔmewuwo, akplowo;
their nice robes and capes and cloaks and purses,
23 ahuhɔ̃ewo, aklala biɖibiɖi ƒe awuwo, agowuwo kple sedawuwo ɖa.
their mirrors and nice linen clothes and shawls.
24 Be woanɔ ʋeʋẽm lĩlĩlĩ teƒe la, woaʋẽ kũu; adagbika axɔ ɖe alidziblanu nyui teƒe, tabebe axɔ ɖe ɖa ŋɔŋɔe ƒoƒo teƒe, akpanyatata axɔ ɖe awu ʋlaya, nyui teƒe, eye ŋutilãléayi axɔ ɖe ŋutilã zɔzrɔ̃e teƒe.
Instead of their having a nice smell from perfume, they will stink; instead of nice sashes, they will have ropes [around their waists because they will be captives]. Instead of having fancy hairdos, they will be bald. Instead of fancy/beautiful robes, they will wear rough sackcloth, and instead of being beautiful, they will be branded.
25 Wò ŋutsuwo atsi yi nu, eye wò aʋawɔlawo atsi aʋa.
Their husbands will be killed by [their enemies’] swords, and their soldiers [will also die] in battles.
26 Zion ƒe agbowo afa konyi, afa avi, anɔ anyi ɖe anyigba abe wɔnamanɔŋutɔ ene.
People [PRS] will mourn and cry at the gates [of the city]. The city will [be like] [MET] a woman who sits on the ground because everything that she owned is gone.

< Yesaya 3 >