Yesaia 3
1 Afei hwɛ, Awurade, Asafo Awurade, rebegyae nea ɔde ma wɔ Yerusalem ne Yuda nyinaa: aduan ne nsu a ɔde ma wɔn nyinaa.
The Commander of the armies of angels is about to take away from Jerusalem and [other places in] Judea everything that you depend on— all your food and water.
2 Dɔmmarima ne akofo, otemmufo ne odiyifo, nkɔmhyɛni ne ɔpanyin,
He will take away your heroes and your [other] soldiers, your judges and your prophets, people who do rituals to find out what will happen in the future and the elders,
3 aduonum so panyin ne nea ɔwɔ dibea, ɔfotufo, odwumfo nyansafo ne nkaberekyerefo onifirifo.
army officers and [other] officials, advisors and skilled craftsmen and those who perform rituals to predict the future.
4 “Mede mmerantewa bɛyɛ wɔn nnwuma so mpanyimfo; na mmofra adi wɔn so.”
He will appoint boys to be your leaders; your children will rule you.
5 Nnipa bɛhyɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho so, ɔbarima betia ɔbarima, ɔyɔnko betia ne yɔnko. Mmabun bɛsɔre atia wɔn mpanyimfo, apapahwekwa betia onuonyamfo.
People will treat each other cruelly: people will fight against their neighbors. Young people will insult older people, and vulgar/dishonorable people will sneer at people who should be honored.
6 Ɔbarima beso ne nuanom mu baako mu wɔ nʼagya fi aka se, “Wowɔ atade, bɛyɛ yɛn dikanfo; wɔ kurow a adan mmubui siw yi so.”
At that time, someone will grab one of his brothers in his father’s house and say to him, “You have a coat, [which shows that you are respected]. [So] you be our leader! You rule this [city, which is now] a pile of ruins!”
7 Nanso da no ɔbɛteɛ mu se, “Minni nea mede bɛyɛ. Minni aduan anaa ntama wɔ me fi; mfa me nyɛ nnipa no so kannifo.”
[But] his brother will reply, “[No], I cannot help you, [because] I do not have [any extra] food or clothes in this house. [So] do not appoint me to be your leader!”
8 Yerusalem retɔ ntintan, Yuda rehwe ase; wɔn nsɛm ne nneyɛe tia Awurade. Wommu nʼanuonyam a ɛwɔ wɔn mu no.
Jerusalem and [the other towns in] Judah will be destroyed, because [everything] that the people do and say there opposes Yahweh, who is powerful and glorious, and they refuse to obey him. They rebel against him.
9 Sɛnea wɔn anim te no di adanse tia wɔn; wɔda wɔn bɔne adi te sɛ Sodom; wɔmmfa nsie. Nnome nka wɔn! Wɔakɔfa amanehunu aba wɔn ho so.
They even show on their faces that [they oppose Yahweh]. They are proud of their sins, like [the people of] Sodom were [long ago]; they do not try to hide their sins. [Because of their sins], terrible things will happen to them, [but] they will bring those disasters on themselves.
10 Ka kyerɛ atreneefo se ebesi wɔn yiye, efisɛ wobedi wɔn nneyɛe so aba.
[Yahweh told me to] tell the righteous people that good things will happen to them; they will enjoy the blessings that they will receive for their good deeds.
11 Nnome nka amumɔyɛfo! Amanehunu wɔ wɔn so! Wobetua wɔn nea wɔn nsa ayɛ no so ka.
[But] terrible things will happen to wicked people; they will be (paid back/punished) for [the evil things that] [MTY] they have done.
12 Mmabun hyɛ me nkurɔfo so, mmea di wɔn so. Me nkurɔfo, mo akwankyerɛfo ma moyera; wɔma moman fi ɔtempɔn no so.
[Now], youths [who have become leaders] treat my people cruelly, and women rule over my people. My people, your leaders are misleading you; they are causing you to go down the wrong road [MET].
13 Awurade tena ase wɔ nʼasennii. Ɔma ne mu so bu nkurɔfo no atɛn.
[It is as though] Yahweh has sat in his place in a courtroom and is ready to judge his people.
14 Awurade bu atɛn de tia ne nkurɔfo mpanyimfo ne akannifo se, “Mo na moasɛe me bobeturo; apoobɔde a efi ahiafo nkyɛn wɔ mo afi mu.
He will stand up to declare why the elders and rulers of his people should be punished: [he says], “The people of Israel are [like] [MET] a vineyard that I planted, but you have ruined it! Your houses are full of things that you have stolen from poor people.
15 Ase ne dɛn nti na modwerɛw me nkurɔfo na mode ahiafo anim twitwiw fam?” Sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.
You should stop [RHQ] crushing my people! [It is as though] you are pushing the faces of poor people into the dirt!” [That is what] the Commander of the armies of angels says.
16 Awurade kasa se, “Sion mmabea yɛ ahantan; wɔnantew toto wɔn kɔn, wɔdeda wɔn ani akyi, wotutu wɔn anammɔn ntiantia, na wɔn anan ase nkaa gyigye.
Yahweh says this: “The women of Jerusalem are haughty/proud; they walk around sticking their chins out, and flirting [with men] with their eyes. They walk with tiny steps with bracelets on their ankles that jingle.
17 Enti Awurade bɛma tikuru abegu Sion mmea ti ho. Awurade bɛma wɔn ti so apa.”
So I, Yahweh, will cause sores to be on their heads, and I will cause those beautiful women in Jerusalem to become bald.”
18 Da no Awurade beyiyi wɔn afɛfɛde: nkaa, ntamabamma ne kɔnmuade,
At the time [that Yahweh does that], he will strip away everything that the women of Jerusalem wear to make themselves beautiful—the ornaments on their ankles and their headbands, their crescent necklaces,
19 asokaa, nkapo ne nkataanim,
their earrings and bracelets and veils,
20 Wɔn mmotiri, anan ase ntweaban, nkyekyeremu, nnuhuam ntoa ne nkabere,
their scarves and ankle bracelets and sashes, their perfumes and (charms/little things that they wear thinking that those things will protect them from evil),
21 nsɔwano mpɛtea ne hwenem nkaa,
their signet rings and nose rings,
22 ntade atenten pa, nguguso tiaa a enni nsa, ntade yuu ne sika nkotoku;
their nice robes and capes and cloaks and purses,
23 nhwehwɛ, sirikyi ntade, tinwi so nkaa ne mmati so nguguso.
their mirrors and nice linen clothes and shawls.
24 Nkabɔne besi nea ɛyɛ huam anan mu; ntampehama besi nkatakɔnmu anan mu; ti a ɛso apa besi tinwi a wɔasiesie anan mu; atweaatam besi ntama pa anan mu; honam ani atwaatwa besi ahoɔfɛ anan mu.
Instead of their having a nice smell from perfume, they will stink; instead of nice sashes, they will have ropes [around their waists because they will be captives]. Instead of having fancy hairdos, they will be bald. Instead of fancy/beautiful robes, they will wear rough sackcloth, and instead of being beautiful, they will be branded.
25 Wo mmarima bɛtotɔ afoa ano, wʼakofo wɔ ɔko mu.
Their husbands will be killed by [their enemies’] swords, and their soldiers [will also die] in battles.
26 Sion apon betwa adwo, adi awerɛhow; onnibi, ɔbɛtena fam.
People [PRS] will mourn and cry at the gates [of the city]. The city will [be like] [MET] a woman who sits on the ground because everything that she owned is gone.
