Yesaya 49
1 Miɖo tom, mi ƒukpowo, mise nya sia, mi didiƒe dukɔwo: Hafi woava dzim la, Yehowa yɔm. Tso nye vidzĩ me wòyɔ nye ŋkɔ.
Listen to me, you people of the islands! Pay attention, you who live far away! The Lord called me before I was born; he gave me my name while I was still in my mother's womb.
2 Ewɔ nye nu abe yi ɖaɖɛ ene. Etsɔm ɣla ɖe eƒe asi ƒe vɔvɔli te. Etsɔm wɔ aŋutrɔ ɖaɖɛ, eye wòɣlam ɖe eƒe daku me.
The words he gave me to speak are like a sharp sword. He has protected me by covering me with his hand. He put me in his quiver like a sharp arrow, keeping me safe there.
3 Egblɔ nam be, “Wòe nye nye dɔla, Israel, si me maɖe nye atsyɔ̃ afia le.”
He told me, “You are my servant, Israel, and I will reveal my glory through you.”
4 Ke megblɔ be, “Nye agbagbadzedzewo nye dzodzro. Megblẽ nye ŋusẽ ɖe yame, eye nyemeɖe vi aɖeke o. Ke hã la, nu si nye tɔnye gome la, le Yehowa ƒe asi me, eye nye fetu le nye Mawu gbɔ.”
But I replied, “I've worked for nothing! I've exhausted myself, and for what? Even so, I leave it with the Lord to do what's right, and my reward is with my God.”
5 Azɔ la, ale Yehowa, ame si mem ɖe dɔ me be manye yeƒe dɔla la, be makplɔ Yakob gbɔe ne maƒo ƒu Israel ɖe egbɔ, elabena wode bubu ŋunye le Yehowa ŋkume, eye nye Mawu nye nye ŋusẽ la gblɔe nye esi:
Now my Lord is going to speak, the one who formed me in the womb as his servant to bring Jacob back to him, to gather Israel to himself. I am honored in the Lord's sight, and my God has given me strength.
6 “Nu tsɛ ko wònye le ŋkuwò me be, nènye nye dɔla, be nàgaɖo Israel ƒe towo te, eye nàkplɔ Israel ƒe ame siwo mesusɔ ɖi la gbɔe. Gawu la, mawɔ wò nànye kekeli na ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la, be nàhe nye ɖeɖe vɛ na anyigba ƒe mlɔenuwo ke.”
He says, “It's nothing much for you to be my servant to bring back the tribes of Jacob, those people of Israel that I've preserved. I'm also going to make you a light for the foreigners so that my salvation may reach everybody.”
7 Ale Yehowa, Ɖela kple Israel ƒe Kɔkɔetɔ la gblɔ na dziɖulawo ƒe dɔla be, “Fiawo akpɔ wò, eye woatso anɔ tsitre. Fiaviwo akpɔ wò, eye woade ta agu na Yehowa nuteƒewɔla, Israel ƒe Kɔkɔetɔ la, ame si tia wò la ta.”
This is what the Lord says, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to the one who was despised and detested by the nation, to the one who is the servant of rulers: Kings will see you and stand up, and princes will bow down to you, because the Lord, who is trustworthy, the Holy One of Israel, has chosen you.
8 Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi, “Le nye dɔmenyo ƒe ɣeyiɣiwo me la, matɔ na wò, eye le xɔxɔgbe makpe ɖe ŋu wò. Malé wò ɖe asi, eye mawɔ wò nànye nubabla na amewo, be nàgbugbɔ anyigba aɖo te, eye nagbugbɔ eƒe domenyinu siwo tsi yame la ama,
This is what the Lord says: I will answer you at the proper time; I will help you on the day of salvation. I will take care of you, and I will give you to the people as my agreement with them, to restore the land and to reassign the parts that have been abandoned.
9 ekema nàgblɔ na aboyomenɔlawo be, ‘Mido va’, eye na ame siwo le blukɔ me la be, ‘Miva kekeli nu!’ “Woaɖu nu le mɔwo to, eye woakpɔ gbeɖuƒe le togbɛ ƒuƒluwo tame.
Tell the prisoners, “Come out!” Tell those living in darkness, “Come into the light!” Like sheep they will feed along the roads and in the pastures on hills that once were barren.
10 Dɔ kple tsikɔ magawu wo azɔ o. Dzogbe xɔdzo alo ŋdɔkutsu magaɖu wo azɔ o. Ame si kpɔa nublanui na wo la anye woƒe mɔfiala, eye wòakplɔ wo ayi tɔʋuwo to.
They won't be hungry or thirsty, and they won't get hot in the sun, for the one who loves them will lead them to springs, and guide them to water.
11 Matrɔ nye towo katã woazu mɔtatawo, eye woakɔ nye mɔ dodowo ɖe dzi.
I will turn all my mountains into a road; my highways will be really high!
12 Kpɔ ɖa, woatso teƒe didiwo ava. Ɖewo atso anyiehe, ɖewo atso ɣetoɖoƒe, eye ɖewo hã atso Aswan nutowo me.”
Look at these people coming from far away! Look at these people coming from the north, and from the west, and from Upper Egypt.
13 Mido dzidzɔɣli, o mi dziƒowo! O! Anyigba netso aseye. Mido ha ɖa kple dzidzɔ. O, mi towo! Elabena Yehowa fa akɔ na eƒe dukɔ, eye wòakpɔ nublanui na ame siwo ŋu wode abie.
Heavens, shout for joy! Earth, celebrate! Mountains, sing out in happiness! The Lord has come to care for his people, and he will treat his suffering people kindly.
14 Ke Zion gblɔ be, “Yehowa gblem ɖi, Aƒetɔ la ŋlɔm be.”
But Zion said, “The Lord has given up on me; the Lord has forgotten about me.”
15 “Ɖe nyɔnu aŋlɔ vi si le no nu la be, eye makpɔ nublanui na vi si eya ŋutɔ dzi oa? Togbɔ be ate ŋu aŋlɔe be hã la, nye ya nyemaŋlɔ wò be o!
Really? Can a mother forget her nursing baby? Can she forget to be kind to the child she carried in her womb? Even if she could forget, I will never forget you!
16 Kpɔ ɖa, meŋlɔ wò ŋkɔ ɖe nye asiƒowo me, eye wò gliwo le ŋkunye me ɖaa.
Look at your names I've written on the palms of my hands! I'm always thinking about your walls.
17 Viwò ŋutsuwo ɖe abla trɔ gbɔ, eye ame siwo ha mi la dzo le mia gbɔ.
Soon your children will come running back. Your destroyers, those that devastated your land, will be gone.
18 Mifɔ mo dzi, eye miatsa ŋku godoo. Mia viŋutsuwo katã aƒo ƒu ava mia gbɔ, zi ale si mele agbe.” Yehowae gblɔe. “Miado wo abe ale si wodoa atsyɔ̃ɖonuwoe ene, eye miatsɔ wo ado abe ale si ŋugbetɔ doa nu ene.
Take a look around. See all your children gathering and coming back to you. As I live, declares the Lord, you will wear them all as jewelry, proudly putting them on like a bride.
19 “Togbɔ be wogbã mi, miezu aƒedo, eye miaƒe anyigba zu gbegbe hã la, azɔ la, anɔ sue akpa na wò amewo, eye ame siwo vuvu mi la, anɔ adzɔge na mi.
Your ruined towns and abandoned places and devastated lands will be crowded with people, while those who took over your country will be long gone.
20 Vi siwo wodzi na mi le miaƒe konyifaɣiwo me la, agblɔ ɖe to me na mi be, ‘Teƒe sia le sue akpa na mí. Mina teƒe keke mí míanɔ.’
The children born during your time of mourning in exile will say, “This place is too crowded for me! Make room so I have a place to live!”
21 Ekema àgblɔ le wò dzi me be, ‘Ame kae dzi ame siawo katã nam? Kunyawo dzɔ ɖe dzinye, eye metsi ko. Woɖe aboyom hegbe nu le gbɔnye. Ame kae nyi ame siawo wotsi? Nye ɖeka ko wogblẽ ɖi, ke ame siawo ɖe afi ka wotso?’”
Then you will say to yourself, “Who gave birth to all these children for me? My children were killed and I was unable to have more; I was exiled and thrown aside—so who brought these children up? Look, I was abandoned, so where did they come from?”
22 Ale Aƒetɔ, Yehowa gblɔe nye esi, “Kpɔ ɖa, mamia asi Trɔ̃subɔlawo, makɔ nye aflaga dzi na amewo. Woalé mia viŋutsuwo ɖe woƒe abɔwo dome atsɔ vɛ, eye woakɔ mia vinyɔnuwo ɖe abɔta vɛ.
This is what the Lord God says, Watch as I give the signal to the nations, as I raise my flag to let everyone know. They will bring them back, carrying your sons in their arms, and lifting your daughters onto their shoulders.
23 Fiawo aɖu fofo na mia viwo, fia nyɔnuwo ana no mia viwo. Woade ta agu, atsyɔ mo anyi na mi le ŋkuwò me, eye woaɖuɖɔ ke le afɔŋu na wò. Ekema ànyae be nyee nye Yehowa, ame siwo tsɔa woƒe mɔkpɔkpɔwo dana ɖe dzinye la, nyemenana ŋu kpea wo o.”
Kings will be your child-minders; queens will be your nurses. They will bow low before you, and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord, and that those who put their trust in me will never be ashamed.
24 Ɖe woate ŋu axɔ nu siwo kalẽtɔwo ha la le wo si alo axɔ aboyomewo le ŋutasẽlawo sia?
Can loot be taken from a warrior? Can prisoners be rescued from a dictator?
25 Ke ale Yehowa gblɔ nye esi, “Ɛ̃, woate ŋu axɔ nuhahawo le kalẽtɔwo si, eye woaɖe aboyomewo le ŋutasẽlawo ƒe fego me. Mawɔ avu kple ame siwo awɔ avu kpli wò, eye maɖe viwòwo.
But this is what the Lord says: Even the prisoners of warriors will be won back; even loot will be recovered from a dictator. I will fight with your enemies, and I will rescue your children.
26 Mana ame siwo te wò ɖe enyi la naɖu woawo ŋutɔ ƒe ŋutilã, eye woano woawo ŋutɔ ƒe ʋu wòamu wo abe wain ene, ekema amegbetɔƒomea anyae be, nye Yehowae nye wò Ɖela, eye Yakob ƒe Ŋusẽtɔ lae nye wò Xɔnametɔ.”
I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh and drink their own blood like wine. Then everyone will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.
