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, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; Yhwh hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

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.

And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

3 Egblɔ nam be, “Wòe nye nye dɔla, Israel, si me maɖe nye atsyɔ̃ afia le.”

And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

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.”

Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with Yhwh, and my work 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:

And now, saith Yhwh that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of Yhwh, and my God shall be my 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.”

And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

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.”

Thus saith Yhwh, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of Yhwh that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

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,

Thus saith Yhwh, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

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.

That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

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 shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

11 Matrɔ nye towo katã woazu mɔtatawo, eye woakɔ nye mɔ dodowo ɖe dzi.

And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

12 Kpɔ ɖa, woatso teƒe didiwo ava. Ɖewo atso anyiehe, ɖewo atso ɣetoɖoƒe, eye ɖewo hã atso Aswan nutowo me.”

Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.

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.

Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for Yhwh hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

14 Ke Zion gblɔ be, “Yehowa gblem ɖi, Aƒetɔ la ŋlɔm be.”

But Zion said, Yhwh hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten 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!

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

16 Kpɔ ɖa, meŋlɔ wò ŋkɔ ɖe nye asiƒowo me, eye wò gliwo le ŋkunye me ɖaa.

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

17 Viwò ŋutsuwo ɖe abla trɔ gbɔ, eye ame siwo ha mi la dzo le mia gbɔ.

Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth from thee.

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.

Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith Yhwh, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.

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.

For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.

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 which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.

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 shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?

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.

Thus saith the Lord Yhwh, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon 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.”

And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am Yhwh: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

24 Ɖe woate ŋu axɔ nu siwo kalẽtɔwo ha la le wo si alo axɔ aboyomewo le ŋutasẽlawo sia?

Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

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 thus saith Yhwh, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy 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.”

And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I Yhwh am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.