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.

Hearken, O isles, unto me, And attend, O peoples, from afar, Jehovah from the womb hath called me, From the bowels of my mother He hath 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 maketh my mouth as a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He hath hid me, And He maketh me for a clear arrow, In His quiver He hath hid me.

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

And He saith to me, 'My servant Thou art, O Israel, In whom I beautify Myself.'

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.”

And I said, 'For a vain thing I laboured, For emptiness and vanity my power I consumed, But my judgment [is] with Jehovah, And my wage 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, said Jehovah, who is forming me from the belly for a servant to Him, To bring back Jacob unto Him, (Though Israel is not gathered, Yet I am honoured in the eyes of Jehovah, And my God hath been 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 saith, 'It hath been a light thing That thou art to Me for a servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And the preserved of Israel to bring back, And I have given thee for a light of nations, To 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 said Jehovah, Redeemer of Israel, His Holy One, To the despised in soul, To the abominated of a nation, To the servant of rulers: 'Kings see, and have risen, princes, and worship, For the sake of Jehovah, who is faithful, The Holy of Israel, and He chooseth 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 said Jehovah: 'In a time of good pleasure I answered thee, And in a day of salvation I helped thee, And I keep thee, and give thee, For a covenant of the people, To establish the earth, To cause to inherit desolate inheritances.

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.

To say to the bound, Go out, To those in darkness, Be uncovered. On the ways they feed, And in all high places is 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 do not hunger, nor thirst, Nor smite them doth mirage and sun, For He who is pitying them doth lead them, And by fountains of waters doth tend them.

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

And I have made all My mountains for a way, And My highways are lifted up.

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

Lo, these from afar come in, And lo, these from the north, and from the sea, 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 joy, O earth, And break forth, O mountains, with singing, For comforted hath Jehovah His people, And His afflicted ones He doth pity.

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

And Zion saith, 'Jehovah 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!

Forget doth a woman her suckling, The loved one — the son of her womb? Yea, these forget — but I — I forget not thee.

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

Lo, on the palms of the hand I have graven thee, Thy walls [are] before Me continually.

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

Hastened have those building thee, Those destroying thee, and laying thee waste, go out 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 round about thine eyes and see, All of them have been gathered, They have come to thee. I live, an affirmation of Jehovah! Surely all of them as an ornament thou puttest on, And thou bindest 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.

Because thy wastes, and thy desolate places, And the land of thy ruins, Surely now are straitened because of inhabitants, And far off have been those consuming thee.

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.’

Again do the sons of thy bereavement say in thine ears: 'The place is too strait for me, Come nigh to me — and I 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 thou hast said in thy heart: 'Who hath begotten for me — these? And I bereaved and gloomy, A captive, and turned aside, And these — who hath nourished? Lo, I — I was left by myself, these — whence [are] they?

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 said the Lord Jehovah: 'Lo, I lift up unto nations My hand, And unto peoples I raise up Mine ensign, And they have brought thy sons in the bosom, And thy daughters on the shoulder are carried.

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 have been thy nursing fathers, And their princesses thy nursing mothers; Face to the earth — they bow down to thee, And the dust of thy feet they lick up, And thou hast known that I [am] Jehovah, That those expecting Me are not ashamed.

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

Is prey taken from the mighty? And the captive of the righteous 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 said Jehovah: Even the captive of the mighty is taken, And the prey of the terrible is delivered, And with thy striver I strive, and thy sons I save.

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 have caused thine oppressors to eat their own flesh, And as new wine they drink their own blood, And known have all flesh that I, Jehovah, Thy saviour, and thy redeemer, [Am] the Mighty One of Jacob!'