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 islands; and attend, you Gentiles; after a long time it shall come to pass, says the Lord: from my mother's womb he has called 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 has made my mouth as a sharp sword, and he has hid me under the shadow of his hand; he has made me as a choice shaft, and he has hid me in his quiver;

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

and said to me, You are my servant, O Israel, and in you 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 given my strength for vanity and for nothing: therefore is my judgment with the Lord, and my labor before 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, thus says the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his own servant, to gather Jacob to him and Israel. I shall be gathered and glorified before the Lord, 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 to me, [It is] a great thing for you to be called my servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob, and to recover the dispersion of Israel: behold, I have given you for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to 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 says the Lord that delivered you, the God of Israel, Sanctify him that despises his life, him that is abhorred by the nations that are the servants of princes: kings shall behold him, and princes shall arise, and shall worship him, for the Lord's sake: for the Holy One of Israel is faithful, and I have 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,

Thus says the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day of salvation have I succored you: and I have formed you, and given you for a covenant of the nations, to establish the earth, and to cause to inherit the desert 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.

saying to them that are in bonds, Go forth; and [bidding] them that are in darkness show themselves. They shall be fed in all the ways, and in all the paths [shall be] their pasture.

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, neither shall they thirst; neither shall the heat nor the sun strike them; but he that has mercy on them shall comfort [them], and by fountains of waters shall he lead them.

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

And I will make every mountain a way, and every path a pasture to them.

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] these from the north and the west, and others from the land of the Persians.

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.

Rejoice, you heavens; and let the earth be glad: let the mountains break forth [with] joy; for the Lard has had mercy on his people, and has comforted the lowly ones of his people.

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

But Sion said, The Lord has forsaken me, and, The Lord has 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!

Will a woman forget her child, so as not to have compassion upon the offspring of her womb? but if a woman should even forget these, yet I will not forget you, says the Lord.

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

Behold, I have painted your walls on my hands, and you are continually before me.

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

And you shall soon be built by those by whom you were destroyed, and they that made you desolate shall go forth of you.

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 your eyes round about, and look on them all; behold, they are gathered together, and are come to you. [As] I live, says the Lord, you shall clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and put them on as a bride her attire.

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 your desert and marred and ruined [places] shall now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that devoured you shall be removed far from you.

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.’

For your sons whom you have lost shall say in your ears, The place [is too] narrow for me: make room for 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?’”

And you shall say in your heart, Who has begotten me these? whereas I [was] childless, and a widow; but who has brought up these for me? and I was left alone; but whence came these to me?

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 says the Lord, [even] the Lord, Behold, I lift up mine hand to the nations, and I will lift up my signal to the islands: and they shall bring your sons in [their] bosom, and shall bear your daughters on [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 your nursing fathers, and their princesses your nurses, they shall bow down to you on the face of the earth, and shall lick the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the Lord, and they that wait on me shall not be ashamed.

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

Will any one take spoils from a giant? and if one should take [a man] captive unjustly, shall he be 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.

For thus says the Lord, If one should take a giant captive, he shall take spoils, and he who takes [them] from a mighty [man] shall be delivered: for I will plead your cause, and I will deliver 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.”

And they that afflicted you shall eat their own flesh; and they shall drink their own blood as new wine, and shall be drunken: and all flesh shall perceive that I am the Lord that delivers you, and that upholds the strength of Jacob.