Yesaia 22
1 Nkɔmhyɛ a etia Anisoadehu Bon no: Dɛn na ɛhaw mo mprempren, a mo nyinaa aforo kɔ adan atifi yi,
[I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Jerusalem, about the valley where [Yahweh showed me] this vision. Why is everyone foolishly running up to their [flat] rooftops?
2 kurow a basabasayɛ ahyɛ no ma, huuyɛ ne ahosɛpɛw kuropɔn? Ɛnyɛ afoa ano na wʼatɔfo hweree wɔn nkwa, na wɔanwuwu wɔ ɔko ano nso.
Everyone in the city [seems to] be shouting. [There are a lot of] corpses [in the city], [but they] were not killed by [their enemies’] swords. They did not die in battles; [instead, they died from diseases and hunger].
3 Mo akannifo nyinaa abɔ mu aguan; wɔamfa tadua ankyekye wɔn. Mo a wɔkyeree mo nyinaa wɔfaa mo nneduafo mo a muguan wɔ bere a na atamfo no wɔ akyirikyiri.
All the leaders of the city fled. [But then] they were captured because they did not have bows [and arrows to defend themselves]. Your [soldiers tried to] flee while the enemy [army] was still far away, but they also were captured.
4 Enti mekae se, “Mumfi me so na mintwa adwo. Monnkyekye me werɛ wɔ me nkurɔfo sɛe ho.”
That is why I said, “Allow me to cry alone; do not try to comfort me [about my people being slaughtered].”
5 Awurade, Asafo Awurade wɔ da bi ma huuyɛ, ntiatiaso ne ehu wɔ Anisoadehu Bon no mu, da a wɔde bubu afasu na wɔde su kyerɛ mmepɔw.
The Commander of the armies of angels has [chosen] a time when there will be a great uproar, [soldiers] marching, and people being terrified in the valley [where I received this] vision. [It will be a time when our city] walls will be battered down and [the people’s] cries [for help] will be heard in the mountains.
6 Elam fa bɛmma no ka ne nteaseɛnamkafo ne apɔnkɔ ho; Kir ama kyɛm no so.
The armies from Elam and Kir [in Media] will attack, driving chariots and carrying shields.
7 Nteaseɛnam ayɛ mo bon fɛfɛ no ma, na wɔde apɔnkɔsotefo agyinagyina kuropɔn apon no ano.
Our beautiful valleys will be filled with [our enemies’] chariots and the men who drive the chariots will stand outside [our city] gates.
8 Wɔayi Yuda ho bammɔ no. Na da no wode wʼani too akode a ɛwɔ Kwae mu Ahemfi no so;
The walls that protect [the cities in] Judah will fall down. You [people of Jerusalem] will run to get the weapons [that are stored in the building called] “the Hall of the Forest”.
9 wuhuu sɛ Dawid Kuropɔn no, akwan bebree deda ne bammɔ mu woboaa nsu ano wɔ Ase Abura mu.
You will see that there are many breaks/holes in the walls of Jerusalem. You will store water in the lower pool [in the city].
10 Wokan adan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no na wudwiriw afi de boaa ɔfasu no ahoɔden.
You will inspect the houses in Jerusalem, and [some of] them you will tear down to use the stones to repair the [city] wall.
11 Woyɛɛ nsukorae wɔ afasu abien no ntam maa nsu a ɛwɔ Abura Dedaw mu no, nanso woanhwehwɛ Onipa ko a ɔyɛe, na woammu Onipa a ɔhyehyɛe dedaada no.
Between the walls [of the city] you will build a reservoir to [store] water from the old pool. But you will never request help from the one who made the city; you have never depended on Yahweh, who planned this city long ago.
12 Awurade, Asafo Awurade, frɛɛ wo saa da no sɛ su na twa adwo, sɛ yi wo tinwi na fura atweaatam.
The Commander of the armies of angels told you to weep and mourn; he told you to shave your heads and to wear rough sackcloth to show that you were sorry for the sins that you had committed.
13 Nanso hwɛ, anigye ne ahosɛpɛw wɔ hɔ; wokunkum anantwi ne nguan; wɔwe nam na wɔbow nsa! Wɔka se, “Momma yennidi na yɛnnom, efisɛ, ɔkyena yebewu!”
But instead of doing that, you were happy and celebrating; you slaughtered cattle and sheep, [in order to cook their] meat and eat it and drink wine. You said, “Let’s eat and drink [all that we want to], because [it is possible that] we will die tomorrow!”
14 Awurade, Asafo Awurade ayi me asotiw se, “Wɔremfa saa bɔne yi nkyɛ wo da kosi wo wuda,” sɛnea Awurade, Asafo Awurade se ni.
[So] the Commander of the armies of angels revealed this to me: “I will never forgive my people for sinning like this!”
15 Sɛɛ na Awurade, Asafo Awurade se, “Kɔ, kɔka kyerɛ saa ɔsomfo yi, Sebna a, ɔhwɛ ahemfi no so se,
The Commander of the armies of angels said this [to me]: “Go to Shebna, the official who supervises the workers in the palace, and give this message to him:
16 Dɛn na woreyɛ wɔ ha na hena na ɔmaa wo kwan sɛ bɔ wo da wɔ ha, worebɔ wo da wɔ baabi a ɛkorɔn na woretwa wo homebea wɔ ɔbotan mu?
'[Who do you think you are?] Who gave you the authority to build a beautiful tomb where you will be buried, chiseling it out of the rocky cliff high above this valley?
17 “Hwɛ yiye, na Awurade rebeso wo mu den atow wo akyene, wo ɔhoɔdenfo.
You [think that you are] [IRO] a great man, but Yahweh is about to hurl you away. [It will be as though] he will seize you,
18 Ɔbɛbobɔw wo, ama woayɛ kurukuruwa, na watow wo akyene ɔman kɛse bi so hɔ na wubewu na wo teaseɛnam fɛfɛ no aka hɔ, wo a woyɛ ahohora ma wo wura fi!
and roll/crumple you into a ball and throw you away into a large distant land. You will die [and be buried] there, and your beautiful chariots will stay there [in the hands of your enemies]. And [because of what happens to you], your master, [the king], will be [very] ashamed/disgraced.
19 Megye wʼadwuma afi wo nsa mu na wɔayi wo afi wo dibea so.
Yahweh will force you to quit working in the palace; you will be demoted from your important position.
20 “Saa da no, mɛfrɛ me somfo Eliakim a ɔyɛ Hilkia babarima.
Then I will summon Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who has served serve me [well], to replace you.
21 Mede wʼatade yuu bɛhyɛ no na mede wʼabɔso abebare nʼasen mu na mede wo tumi ahyɛ ne nsa. Ɔbɛyɛ agya ama wɔn a wɔtete Yerusalem ne Yuda fi.
I will allow him to wear your robe, and to fasten your sash around him, and I will give to him the authority that you had. He will be like [MET] a father to the people of Jerusalem and [all the other] towns in Judah.
22 Mede Dawid fi safe bɛma no; nea obebue no obiara rentumi nto mu; na nea ɔbɛto mu nso a obiara rentumi mmue.
I will give to him authority [MTY] over [what happens in] the palace where King David [lived]; when he decides something [MET], no one will be able to oppose it; when he refuses to do something, no one will be able to force him to do it.
23 Mɛbɔ ne so sɛ pɛe ama watim, ɔbɛyɛ anuonyam agua ama nʼagya fi.
I will cause his family to be greatly respected, because I will put him firmly in his position [as supervisor of the workers in the palace], like [SIM] a nail that is firmly hammered into a wall.
24 Nʼabusua anuonyam nyinaa begyina ne so: nʼasefo ne ne nenanom, ne nkuku ne nkaka, fi nsanka, mprɛte so kosi nhina nyinaa so.
Others will enable him to have much responsibility, with the result that all the members of his family, even the most insignificant ones, will be honored.'”
25 “Saa da no,” sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni, “pɛe a wɔabɔ so ama atim no, betu ahwe fam na nʼadesoa no nso asɛe, Awurade, akasa!”
[But] the Commander of the armies of angels also says, “[Shebna is like] [MET] a peg that is firmly fastened to the wall. But there will be a time when I will [remove him from his position]; he will lose his power/influence, and everything that he promoted [MET] will fail. [That will surely happen] because [I], Yahweh, have said it.”
