Yesaya 43
1 Ke azɔ la, ale Yehowa, ame si wɔ wò, O! Yakob, eye wòme wò, O! Israel, la gblɔe nye esi, “Mègavɔ̃ o, elabena meɖe wò. Metsɔ wò ŋkɔ yɔ wò be tɔnye nènye.
But now this is what the Lord says to Jacob, the one who created you; to Israel, the one who formed you: “Don't be afraid! I have saved you! I have called you by name; you are mine!
2 Ne èto tɔ me, mato eme kpli wò, ne èto tɔsisiwo me, mato wo me kpli wò be tɔsisi la malé wò o. Ne èto dzo me mame wò o, eye dzo ƒe aɖewo hã mafia wò o,
When you walk through the water, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they won't flood over you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you on fire.
3 elabena nye Yehowa, wò Mawu, Israel ƒe Kɔkɔetɔ lae nye wò ɖela. Metsɔ Egipte ƒle tawò, eye Kus kple Seba axɔ ɖe tewòƒe.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt to pay for your freedom; I traded Ethiopia and Seba for you.
4 Esi asixɔxɔ kple bubu le ŋutiwò le ŋkunye me, eye melɔ̃ wò ta la, matsɔ ŋutsuwo ana ɖe tewòƒe. Matsɔ amegbetɔwo ana ɖe wò agbe teƒe.
Because you are so valuable to me, because I honor you, and because I love you, I give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your lives.
5 Mègavɔ̃ o, elabena meli kpli wò, makplɔ viwòwo tso ɣedzeƒe, eye maƒo mia nu ƒu tso ɣetoɖoƒe.
Don't be afraid, for I am with you! I will bring you and your children from the east and the west, and gather you together.
6 Magblɔ na anyiehe be, ‘Ɖe asi le wo ŋu.’ Na dziehe be, ‘Megasika wo o.’ Mikplɔ vinye ŋutsuwo tso didiƒe kple vinyenyɔnuwo tso anyigba ƒe mlɔenuwo ke vɛ,
I will tell the north, ‘Hand them over!’ and the south, ‘Don't stop them!’ Bring my sons back from far away and my daughters from distant lands.
7 ame sia ame si ko ŋu woyɔ nye ŋkɔ ɖo, ame siwo mewɔ hena nye ŋutikɔkɔe, ame siwo meme, eye mewɔ.”
Bring back everyone who bears my name, those I created for my honor, those I formed and made.
8 Mikplɔ ame siwo ŋku li na, gake womele nu kpɔm o la kple ame siwo to li na, gake womesea nu o la do goe.
Bring back those who have eyes but are blind, those who have ears but are deaf.
9 Dukɔwo katã kpe ta, eye amewo ƒo takpli. Wo dometɔ kae gblɔ esia da ɖi, eye wòɖe gbeƒã nu siwo dzɔ va yi la na mi? Womekplɔ woƒe ɖasefowo vɛ, ne woaɖee fia be woƒe nya dzɔ, ale be ame bubuwo asee agblɔ be, “Nyateƒee” o.
Have all the nations gather together! Have all the peoples assemble! Who among them could have said this, and predict what was going to happen? Have them bring their witnesses to prove that they're right. Then have them listen, and say, ‘It's true!’
10 Yehowa be, “Miawoe nye nye ɖasefowo kple nye dɔla si metia be mianya, eye miaxɔ dzinye ase, ase egɔme be nyee. Mawu aɖeke medo ŋgɔ nam o, eye ɖeke hã mado ŋgɔ nam o.
However, you are my witnesses, the Lord declares, and my chosen servant, so that you can think about it, and believe me and understand that I am God. No god preceded me, and none will come after me.
11 Nyee, ɛ̃, nyee. Nyee nye Yehowa. Ɖela aɖeke meli kpe ɖe ŋunye o.
I, yes I am the Lord, and there is no Savior apart from me.
12 Nye la, meɖee fia. Meɖe eme, eye meɖe gbeƒã be nyee, ke menye dzromawu siwo le mia dome lae o. Miawoe nye nye ɖasefowo.”
I predicted what was going to happen, then I saved you, then I announced it—there was no foreign god among you that did this. You are my witnesses that I am God, declares the Lord.
13 Yehowae gblɔe. “Mianyae be nyee nye Mawu. Ɛ̃, nye koe tso blema ke. Ame aɖeke mate ŋu axɔ ame le asinye o. Ne mewɔ nu la, ame kae ate ŋu atrɔe?”
I am God from the beginning. No one can snatch anybody from my hand. No one can reverse what I do.
14 Ale Yehowa, wò Ɖela, Israel ƒe Kɔkɔetɔ la gblɔe nye esi, “Le tawò madɔ ame ɖo ɖe Babilonia woaɖakplɔ Babiloniatɔwo vɛ abe aʋasilawo ene, eye woalɔ wo ɖe woƒe tɔdziʋu siwo dzi wodana ɖo la me.
This is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: For your sake I will send attackers against Babylon and bring them down. All the Babylonians will be like fugitives, escaping in the ships they're so proud of.
15 Nyee nye Yehowa, miaƒe Kɔkɔetɔ la, Israel Wɔla kple miaƒe Fia.”
I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, and your King.
16 Ale Yehowa, ame si ɖe mɔ to atsiaƒu me, ame si ɖe mɔ to tɔsisi gãwo me,
This is what the Lord says, the one who makes a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters;
17 ame si na tasiaɖamwo, sɔwo, aʋakɔwo, kple kalẽtɔwo ho aʋa, va tsi afi si womagafɔ le gbeɖe o. Ame si na wotsrɔ̃, eye wotsi abe akaɖimeɖovu ene la gblɔe nye esi:
the one who brought out a great army with it horses and chariots and lay them down, never to rise again, snuffed out like a burning wick.
18 “Miŋlɔ blemanuwo be. Migaɖo ŋu ɖe gbe aɖe gbe nuwo ŋu o.
But don't dwell on the past; don't concentrate on what happened back then.
19 Kpɔ ɖa, mele nu yeye wɔm! Edo mo ɖa xoxo, mèle ekpɔm oa? Mele mɔ tam ɖe gbedzi, eye mana tɔsisiwo nado ɖe kuɖiɖinyigba dzi.
Just look at something new I'm going to do now! In fact it's started already. Can't you see it? Yes, I'm making a way through the wilderness, rivers in the desert!
20 Gbemelãwo, amegaxiwo kple golowo ade bubu ŋunye, elabena mena tsi do tso gbegbe, eye tɔsisiwo do ɖe kuɖiɖinyigba dzi be mana tsi nye amewo, nye ame tiatiawo,
The wild animals will be grateful to me, the jackals and the owls, because I'm providing water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, so my people, my chosen people, can drink.
21 ame siwo mewɔ na ɖokuinye be woaɖe gbeƒã nye kafukafu.
I made this people for myself so that through their praise for me they could make me known.
22 “Ke wò, Yakob, mèyɔm o. O! Israel, mèkpe fu ɖe tanye o.
But you haven't called on me for help, Jacob. You've grown tired of me, Israel.
23 Mètsɔa wò alẽwo saa numevɔ nam loo alo tsɔa wò akpedavɔsa dea bubu ŋunye o. Nyemetsɔ nuɖuvɔsawo do agbae na wò o alo ɖe fu na wo be nàtsɔ dzudzɔʋeʋĩdonu vɛ nam o.
You haven't brought me sheep for burnt offerings; you haven't honored me with your sacrifices. I haven't burdened you by asking for grain offerings; I haven't tired you out by demanding incense.
24 Mètsɔ atikeʋeʋĩ aɖeke vɛ nam alo tsɔa wò lãwo ƒe ami sãa vɔ̃e nam agbadree o, ke boŋ ètsɔ wò nu vɔ̃wo do agbae nam, eye nèɖe fu nam kple wo vodadawo.
You haven't used your money to buy scented calamus; you have not pleased me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead you have burdened me with your sins, and tired me out with your guilt.
25 “Nyee, ɛ̃, nyee atutu wò dzidadawo ɖa le nye ŋutɔ ɖokuinye ta, eye nyemagaɖo ŋku wò nu vɔ̃wo dzi o.
I, yes I am the God who wipes out your sins because of who I am, and who doesn't remember your sins any more.
26 Ɖo ŋku tsãnuwo dzi nam. Na míahe nya sia kple mía nɔewo. Gblɔ ale si wò nya dzɔe.
Remind me of the evidence so we can come to a decision together! Present your case to prove that you're right!
27 Fofowò gbãtɔ wɔ nu vɔ̃. Wò nyanuɖelawo dze aglã ɖe ŋutinye,
Your very first father sinned, and your leaders rebelled against me.
28 eya ta mado ŋunyɔ ame ŋkuta siwo le wò gbedoxɔ me. Matsɔ Yakob ade asi na gbegblẽ, eye Israel na fewuɖuɖu.”
So I treated the priests of the sanctuary with contempt, and I handed Jacob over to be destroyed, and Israel to be scorned.”
