Yesaya 44
1 “Ke azɔ la, ɖo to, o nye dɔla Yakob, Israel, ame si metia.
Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 Ale Yehowa ame si wɔ wò, ame si me wò ɖe vidzidɔ me, ame si akpe ɖe ŋuwò la gblɔe nye esi, Mègavɔ̃ o, O! Yakob, nye dɔla. Yerusalem, ame si metia,
Thus says Jehovah who made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 elabena makɔ tsi ɖe kuɖiɖinyigba dzi kple tɔʋuwo ɖe anyigba ƒuƒu dzi. Makɔ nye gbɔgbɔ ɖe viwòwo dzi kple nye yayra ɖe wò dzidzimeviwo dzi.
For I will pour water upon him who is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.
4 Woamie abe gbe si le gbedzi ene, eye woanɔ abe amutiwo le tɔʋuwo to ene.
And they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
5 Ɖeka agblɔ be, ‘Yehowa tɔ menye.’ Bubu atsɔ Yakob ƒe ŋkɔ na eɖokui, eye ame bubu hã aŋlɔ ɖe eƒe asi ŋuti be, ‘Yehowa tɔ,’ eye wòatsɔ ŋkɔ be Israel.
One shall say, I am Jehovah's, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand to Jehovah, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
6 “Ale Yehowa, Israel ƒe Fia kple Ɖela, Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gblɔe nye esi: Nyee nye gbãtɔ kple mlɔetɔ. Mawu bubu aɖeke mekpe ɖe ŋunye o.
Thus says Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God.
7 Ekema ame kae sɔ kplim? Neɖe gbeƒãe. Neva gblɔe, eye wòaɖee afia le ŋkunye me, nu siwo dzɔ tso esime meɖo nye blemamewo gɔme anyi kple nu si gbɔna eme va ge. Ɛ̃, negblɔ nu si ava dzɔ.
And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? And let them declare the things that are coming, and that shall come to pass.
8 Migadzo nyanyanya o. Migavɔ̃ o. Ɖe nyemeɖe gbeƒã esia, eye megblɔe da ɖi gbe aɖe gbe ke oa? Miawoe nye nye ɖasefowo. Ɖe Mawu bubu aɖe gali kpe ɖe ŋunyea? Ao, Agakpe aɖeke megali o.”
Fear ye not, nor be afraid. Have I not declared to thee of old, and shown it? And ye are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Yea, there is no Rock. I know not any.
9 Ame siwo katã ha legbawo la, mele ɖeke me o, eye nu siwo ŋu wode asixɔxɔe la nye tofloko. Ame siwo ƒoa nu ɖe wo nu la nye ŋkugbagbãtɔwo, numanyala siwo menya ŋukpe o.
Those who fashion a graven image are all of them vanity. And the things that they delight in shall not profit. And their own witnesses see not, nor know, that they may be put to shame.
10 Ame kae kpa aklamakpakpɛ mawo, eye wòli legba si mahe viɖe aɖeke vɛ nɛ o?
Who has fashioned a god, or molded an image that is profitable for nothing?
11 Woado ŋukpe aklamakpakpɛwɔla kple aklamakpakpɛ la siaa, elabena aɖaŋudɔwɔlawo hã, amegbetɔwo ko wonye. Wo katã neƒo ƒu ne woaɖo kpe nu dzi, ke hã la, woaƒo wo aƒu anyi kple ŋɔdzi kple dɔléle.
Behold, all his fellows shall be put to shame, and the workmen. They are of men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up. They shall fear. They shall be put to shame together.
12 Gbede tsɔ eƒe dɔwɔnu de gayibɔdzo me. Etsɔ eƒe zu wɔ dɔ le gayibɔ la ŋu kple eƒe abɔ sesẽ, eye wòwɔe wòzu legba. Dɔ wui, eye wògbɔdzɔ. Meno tsi o, ale nu ti kɔ nɛ vevie.
The smith makes an axe, and works in the coals, and fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. Yea, he is hungry, and his strength fails. He drinks no water, and is faint.
13 Atikpala tsɔ nudzidzenu, eye wòtsɔ ɣe te fli ɖe teƒe siwo wòdzidze. Etsɔ nukpafi zrɔ̃ teƒeteƒewoe, eye wòtsɔ nudzidzega dzidzee. Ekpae ɖe ame ƒe nɔnɔme me, le ame ƒe dzedze nyuitɔ me be wòate ŋu atsɔe ada ɖe trɔ̃xɔ me.
The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. And he marks it out with the compasses, and shapes it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.
14 Atikpala la lã sedati, papawu alo logoti. Ena wòtsi le avemetiwo dome. Ɖewohĩ edo gboti hã, eye tsidzadza na wòtsi.
He hews down cedars for him, and takes the holm tree and the oak, and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir tree, and the rain nourishes it.
15 Ame la tsɔe wɔ nakee. Etsɔ ɖe do dzoe le ƒuƒum. Etsɔ ɖe do dzoe, me abolo. Etsɔ ɖe wɔ mawue. Ke etsɔ ɖe wɔ mawue hesubɔna, eye wòtsɔ ɖe wɔ aklamakpakpɛ hedea ta agu nɛ.
Then it shall be for a man to burn. And he takes of it, and warms himself. Yea, he kindles it, and bakes bread. Yea, he makes a god, and worships it. He makes it a graven image, and falls down to it.
16 Etsɔ ati la ƒe afã do dzoe heɖa nu le edzi. Eme lã le edzi, eye wòɖu nu ɖi ƒo. Azɔ eƒu dzo la hegblɔ be: “Aa! Mekpɔ dzo le ƒuƒum, eye nye lãme xɔ dzo.”
He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it he eats flesh. He roasts roast, and is satisfied. Yea, he warms himself, and says, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.
17 Etsɔ ati la ƒe mamlɛa wɔ aklamakpakpɛ, mawu si wòdea ta agu na hesubɔna. Edo gbe ɖa nɛ be, “Ɖem, wòe nye nye mawu.”
And the residue of it he makes a god, even his graven image. He falls down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, Deliver me, for thou are my god.
18 Ame siawo menya naneke o. Womese naneke gɔme o. Nu tsyɔ woƒe ŋkuwo dzi be womegakpɔ nu o, eye woƒe susuwo me xe be womagase naneke gɔme o.
They do not know, nor do they consider. For he has shut their eyes, that they cannot see, and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
19 Nunya mele wo dometɔ aɖeke si wòagblɔ be, “Metsɔ afã wɔ nakee. Meme abolo gɔ̃ hã le eƒe dzokawo dzi, eye meme lã hã le edzi heɖu o. Ɖe matsɔ mamlɛa awɔ ŋunyɔnuea? Ɖe madze klo na atikpoa.”
And none calls to mind, nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire. Yea, I have also baked bread upon the coals of it. I have roasted flesh and eaten it. And shall I make the residue of it an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
20 Etsɔ eƒe susu da ɖe dzofi dzi, eye dzi si woble la kplɔe trae, ale mate ŋu aɖe eɖokui alo agblɔ be, “Ɖe nu si melé ɖe nye nuɖusime la menye aʋatso oa?”
He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
21 “Ɖo ŋku nu siawo dzi, O! Yakob, elabena wòe nye nye dɔla, O! Israel. Nyee me wò, eye nye dɔlae nènye. O! Israel, nyemaŋlɔ wò be akpɔ o.
Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for thou are my servant. I have formed thee. Thou are my servant, O Israel, thou shall not be forgotten by me.
22 Mekplɔ wò vodadawo dzoe abe lilikpo ene, eye mena wò nu vɔ̃wo nu va yi abe ahũ si dza le fɔŋli ene. Trɔ̃ va gbɔnye, elabena meɖe wò.”
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed thee.
23 O! Dziƒowo, midzi ha kple dzidzɔ, elabena Yehowae wɔ esia. O! Anyigba do ɣli sesĩe. Mido ha ɖa, mi towo, avewo kple avemetiwo, elabena Yehowa ɖe Yakob. Eɖe eƒe Ŋutikɔkɔefia le Israel.
Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah has done it. Shout, ye lower parts of the earth. Break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein. For Jehovah has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.
24 “Ale Yehowa, wò Ɖela, ame si me wò ɖe dɔ me la gblɔe nye esi: “Nyee nye Yehowa si wɔ nuwo katã. Ame si he dziƒowo me, eye nye ŋutɔe keke anyigbawo me.
Thus says Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and he who formed thee from the womb: I am Jehovah, who makes all things, who stretches forth the heavens alone, who spreads abroad the earth (who is with me?),
25 Nyee gblẽa alakpanyagblɔɖilawo ƒe dzesiwo me, eye medoa abunɛ bokɔwo ƒe nukakawo, ame si ɖea nunyalawo le zi dzi, eye wòtrɔa woƒe nunya wòzua bometsitsi.
who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad, who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish,
26 Ame si wɔna ɖe eƒe dɔlawo ƒe biabiawo dzi, eye wònaa eƒe dɔlawo ƒe nyagblɔɖiwo vaa eme. “Ame si gblɔ le Yerusalem ŋu be, ‘Amewo aganɔ me wò,’ na Yuda ƒe duwo be, ‘Woagbugbɔ mi atso,’ eye na aƒedowo be, ‘Magbugbɔ mi aɖo te.’
who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited, and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places of it,
27 Ame si gblɔ na tɔ goglowo be, ‘Mimie, mana mia me tsiwo namie.’
who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers,
28 Ame si gblɔ le fia Sirus ŋu be, ‘Eyae nye nye alẽkplɔla, eye awɔ nu siwo katã dze ŋunye. Agblɔ le Yerusalem ŋu be, “Woagbugbɔe atu,” eye le gbedoxɔ la ŋu be, “Mina woaɖo eƒe gɔmeɖokpewo anyi.”’
who says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built, and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
