Yesaia 37
1 Bere a ɔhene Hesekia tee eyinom no, osunsuan ne ntade mu, na ofuraa atweaatam, na ɔkɔɔ Awurade asɔredan mu.
When King Hezekiah heard what they reported, he tore his clothes and put on clothes made of rough sackcloth [because he was very distressed]. Then he went into the temple of Yahweh [and prayed].
2 Na ɔsomaa Eliakim a ɔhwɛ ahemfi ntotoe so, Sebna, a ɔyɛ ɔkyerɛwfo ne asɔfo akunini a wɔn nyinaa furafura atweaatam, kɔɔ Amos babarima Odiyifo Yesaia nkyɛn.
Then he sent Eliakim, Shebna, and the (older/most important) priests, who were also wearing clothes made of rough sackcloth, to talk to me.
3 Wɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Sɛnea ɔhene Hesekia ka ni: Saa da yi yɛ ɔhaw, animka ne animguase da. Ayɛ te sɛ nea mmofra awo du so, na ahoɔden a wɔde bɛwo wɔn nni hɔ.
He said to them, “Tell this to Isaiah: ‘King Hezekiah says that this is a day when we are greatly distressed. Other nations are causing us to be insulted and disgraced. We are like [SIM] a woman who is about to give birth to a baby, but she does not have the strength that she needs to do it.
4 Nanso ebia Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn ate sɛ Asiria nanmusini no regu Onyankopɔn teasefo no anim ase, na wɔbɛtwe nʼaso wɔ ne nsɛnkeka no ho. Enti bɔ mpae ma yɛn a yɛaka no!”
[But] perhaps Yahweh our God has heard what the official from Assyria said. Perhaps he knows that his boss, the King of Assyria, sent him to insult the all-powerful God, and that Yahweh will punish the King of Assyria for what he said. And the king requests that you pray for the few of us who are still alive [here in Jerusalem].’”
5 Bere a Ɔhene Hesekia mpanyimfo no de ɔhene no nkra brɛɛ Yesaia no,
After those men gave me that message,
6 Yesaia ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Ka kyerɛ wo wura se, ‘Sɛnea Awurade se ni: Mma abususɛm a Asiriahene asomafo no ka tiaa me no nhaw wo.
I replied, “Tell the King, ‘This is what Yahweh says: “Those messengers from the King of Assyria have said evil things about me. But do not be disturbed by what they said.
7 Muntie! Mede honhom bi rebɛhyɛ ne mu, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a sɛ ɔte asɛm bi a ɔbɛsan akɔ ne man mu na hɔ na mɛma wɔde afoa akum no.’”
Listen to this: I will cause Sennacherib to hear a rumor [that the armies of Babylon are about to attack his country], and that will worry him. So he will return to his own country, and there I will cause him to be assassinated by [men using] swords.”’”
8 Bere a ɔsahene no tee sɛ Asiriahene afi Lakis no, ɔsan nʼakyi kohuu sɛ ɔhene no ne Libna reko.
The official from Assyria found out that the King of Assyria [and his army] had captured Lachish [city] and that they were attacking Libnah, [which is a nearby city]. So the official left Jerusalem and went to Libnah [to report to the king what had happened in Jerusalem].
9 Ankyɛ, ɔhene Sanaherib nyaa nkra se, Tirhaka Etiopiani a ɔyɛ Misraimhene di asraafo anim rebɛko atia no. Bere a ɔtee no, ɔsomaa abɔfo kɔɔ Hesekia nkyɛn de nkra kɔmaa no se,
Soon after that, King [Sennacherib] received a report that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading his army to attack them. So before King Sennacherib left Libnah [with his army to fight against the army from Ethiopia], he sent other messengers to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with a letter. [In the letter he wrote this] to Hezekiah:
10 “Monka nkyerɛ Yudahene Hesekia se: Mma onyame a wode wo ho ato no so no nnaadaa mo nka se, ‘Wɔremfa Yerusalem mma Asiriahene.’
“Do not allow your god, on whom you are relying, to deceive you by promising you that Jerusalem will not be captured by my army.
11 Moate nea Asiria ahemfo ayɛ amanaman no nyinaa. Wɔasɛe wɔn pasaa. Na mo de, wobegye mo ana?
You have certainly heard what the armies of the kings of Assyria have done to all the other countries; our armies have destroyed them completely. So, (do you think that you will escape?/do not think that your god will save you!) [RHQ]
12 Anyame a wɔwɔ aman a me nenanom sɛee wɔn no, aman te sɛ, Gosan, Haran, Resef ne Edenfo a na wɔwɔ Talasar no anyame gyee wɔn ana?
Did the gods of the nations that were about to be destroyed by the armies of the previous kings of Assyria rescue them? Did those gods rescue Gozan [region], and Haran and Rezeph [cities in northern Syria], and the people of Eden [region] who were forced to go to Tel-Assar [city]?
13 Nsɛm bɛn na ɛtotoo Hamathene ne Arpadhene? Nsɛm bɛn nso na ɛtotoo Sefarwaim, Hena ne Iwa ahemfo?”
What happened to the King of Hamath and the King of Arpad? What happened to the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah [cities]? [Did their gods rescue them] [RHQ]?”
14 Hesekia nsa kaa krataa a abɔfo no de bae no, ɔkenkanee. Afei ɔforo kɔɔ Awurade asɔredan no mu kɔtrɛw mu wɔ Awurade anim.
Hezekiah received the letter that the messengers gave him, and he read it. Then he went up to the temple and spread out the letter in front of Yahweh.
15 Na Hesekia bɔɔ mpae kyerɛɛ Awurade se,
And [then] Hezekiah prayed this:
16 “Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn a wɔasi wo hene wɔ Kerubim ntam. Wo nko ara na woyɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ asase so ahenni nyinaa so. Wo na wobɔɔ ɔsoro ne asase.
“O Yahweh, Commander of the armies of angels, the God to whom [we] Israelis belong, you are seated on your throne above the statues of the creatures with wings, [above the Sacred Chest]. Only you are [truly] God. You rule all the kingdoms on this earth. You are the one who created everything on the earth and in the sky.
17 Brɛ wʼaso ase, Awurade, na tie! Bue wʼani, Awurade, na hwɛ. Tie nsɛm a Sanaherib asoma de abɛsopa Onyankopɔn teasefo no.
[So], Yahweh, [please] listen to what I am saying, and look at [what is happening]! And listen to what Sennacherib has said to insult you, the all-powerful God!
18 “Awurade, ɛyɛ nokware sɛ Asiria ahemfo asɛe aman yi nyinaa, sɛnea nkra no ka no.
Yahweh, it is true that [the armies of] the kings of Assyria have completely destroyed many nations and ruined their land.
19 Na wɔatow anyame a wɔwɔ saa aman yi so no agu gya mu, ahyew wɔn, efisɛ wɔnyɛ anyame, na mmom wɔyɛ nnua ne abo a nnipa de wɔn nsa ayɛ.
And they have thrown all the idols of those nations into fires and burned them. But they were not [really] gods. They were only idols made of wood and stone, [and that is why they were destroyed easily].
20 Afei Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn, gye yɛn fi ne nsam, na ama ahenni a ɛwɔ asase so nyinaa ahu sɛ, wo nko ara, Awurade, ne Onyankopɔn.”
So now, Yahweh our God, [please] rescue us from the power [MTY] of [the King of Assyria], in order that [the people in] all the kingdoms of the world will know that you, Yahweh, are the only one who is [truly] God.”
21 Na Amos babarima Yesaia de saa nkra yi kɔmaa Hesekia se, “Sɛɛ na Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn se: Esiane sɛ woabɔ me mpae afa Asiriahene Sanaherib ho nti,
Then I sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what Yahweh, the God to whom [we] Israelis belong, says: Because you prayed about what King Sennacherib of Assyria [said],
22 eyi ne asɛm a Awurade aka atia no: “Ɔbabeabun Sion sopa wo, na ɔserew wo. Ɔbabea Yerusalem di wo ho fɛw, na ɔwosow ne ti bere a woreguan.
this is what I say to him: ‘The people of Jerusalem despise you and make fun of you. They will wag/shake their heads to mock you while you flee from here.
23 Hena na wugye di sɛ woyeyaw no, di ne ho fɛw nso? Hena na womaa wo nne so tiaa no na wohwɛɛ no ahantan so? Ɛyɛ Israel ɔkronkronni no!
Whom do you think you have been despising and ridiculing? Whom do you think you were shouting at? Whom do you think you were looking at [very] proudly/arrogantly? [It was I], the Holy One whom the Israelis worship!
24 Wonam wʼasomafo so adi Awurade ho fɛw. Na woaka se, ‘Me nteaseɛnam dodow nti maforo mmepɔw atenten. Yiw Lebanon mmepɔw a ɛwoware pa ara no. Matwitwa ne sida atenten no, ne nʼapepaw a ɛyɛ fɛ no agu fam. Madu ne mmepɔw a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri no so, ne ne kwaeberentuw mu.
The messengers whom you sent made fun of me. You said, “With my many chariots I have gone to the highest mountains, [even] to the highest mountains in Lebanon. We have cut down its tallest cedar [trees] and its nicest pine/cypress [trees]. We have been to the most distant/remote peaks and to its densest forests.
25 Matutu mmura wɔ ahɔho nsase bebree so de ne nsu pa no adwudwo me ho. Mpo, mepaee Misraim nsubɔnten mu sɛnea mʼakofo betumi atwa!’
We have dug wells [in many countries] and drunk water [from them]. And by marching through [MTY] the streams of Egypt, we dried them all up [HYP]!”
26 “Na Montee ɛ? Bere tenten a atwam, na mehyɛ too hɔ. Bere bi a atwam no na medwenee ho; afei mama aba mu sɛ, moadan ɔman a mosɛe nkuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban.
[But I, Yahweh, reply], “Have you never heard that long ago I determined [those things]; I planned them long ago, and now I have been causing those things to occur. I planned that your army would destroy cities and cause them to become piles of rubble.
27 Wɔn nkurɔfo a tumi afi wɔn nsa no ho adwiriw wɔn, na animguase aka wɔn. Wɔte sɛ afuw so nnua, ne afifide foforo a ɛyɛ mmrɛw. Wɔte sɛ sare a efifi ɔdan atifi a ɛhyew ansa na anyin.
The people in those cities have no power, and as a result they are dismayed and discouraged. They are [as frail as] [MET] grass and plants in the fields, as frail as grass that grows on the roofs of houses and is scorched by the hot east wind.
28 “Nanso minim nea wote bere a woba ne bere a wokɔ ne sɛnea wo bo huru tia me.
[But] I know [everything about you]; I know when you are [in your house and] when you go outside; I also know that you are (raging/speaking very angrily) against me.
29 Na esiane sɛ wo bo huru tia me na wʼahantan adu mʼasom nti, mede me darewa bɛhyɛ wo hwenem, na mede akwankyerɛ dade ahyɛ wʼanom, mɛma wo afa ɔkwan a wofaa so bae no so asan wʼakyi.
[So], because you have raged against me and because I have heard you speak very proudly/arrogantly, [it will be as though] I will put a hook in your nose and I will put an iron (bit/metal bar) in your mouth [in order that I can lead you where I want you to go], and I will force you to return [to your own country], on the same road on which you came [here, without conquering Jerusalem].”’
30 “Eyi na ɛbɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne ama wo, Hesekia: “Saa afe yi wubedi nea ɛno ankasa fifii. Afe a ɛto so abien no, wubedi nea efi mu ba. Nanso afe a ɛto so abiɛsa no de, wo ara dua na twa, yɛ bobe nturo na di so aba.
[Then I said to Hezekiah], ‘This will prove to you [that what I said will happen]: “This year, you(pl) will eat [only the crops] that grow by themselves, and next year the same thing will happen. But in the third year you will plant [crops] and harvest them; you will take care of your vineyards and eat the grapes.
31 Bio, nkae bi a ofi Yuda fi begye ntin wɔ fam na wasow aba wɔ soro.
And [you] people who are still [here] in Judah, will be strong and prosper again [MET].
32 Na nkae bi befi Yerusalem aba, na nkae dɔm afi Bepɔw Sion so. Asafo Awurade pɛ mu na eyi bɛyɛ.
A small number of my people will survive, and they will spread out from Jerusalem [DOU].” That will happen because [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, am desiring very much to accomplish it.’
33 “Eyi ne asɛm a Awurade ka fa Asiriahene ho: “Ɔrenhyɛn saa kuropɔn yi mu na ɔrentow bɛmma wɔ ha. Ɔremfa nkatabo mmegyina kuropɔn no akyi na ɔrensi pie ntua nʼano.
And this is what [I], Yahweh, say about the King of Assyria: ‘His [armies] will not enter Jerusalem; they will not [even] shoot arrows into it. His soldiers will not [march outside] the city gates holding their shields, and they will not build high mounds of dirt against the walls of the city [to enable them to attack the city].
34 Ɔhene no kwan a ɔfaa so bae no ara so na ɔbɛsan afa akɔ nʼankasa man mu.” Awurade ka se, “Ɔrenwura saa kurow yi mu.
And their king will return [to his own country] on the same road on which he came [here]. He will not enter this city!’ [That will happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!
35 Esiane mʼankasa mʼanuonyam ne mʼakoa Dawid nti, mɛbɔ ho ban.”
For the sake of my own reputation and because of what I promised King David, who served me [well], I will defend this city and prevent it from being destroyed.”
36 Afei Awurade bɔfo fii adi na okunkum asraafo mpem ɔha aduɔwɔtwe anum wɔ Asiria nsraban mu. Bere a nnipa no sɔree anɔpa no, wohuu sɛ amu gugu baabiara!
[That night], an angel from Yahweh went out to where the army of Assyria had set up their tents and killed 185,000 of their soldiers. When [the rest of the soldiers] woke up the next morning, they saw that there were corpses everywhere.
37 Enti Asiriahene Sanaherib pɔn nʼakofo. Ɔsan kɔɔ Ninewe kɔtenaa hɔ.
Then King Sennacherib left and returned home to Nineveh [in Assyria], and stayed there.
38 Da bi a na ɔresɔre ne nyame Nisrok wɔ abosonnan mu no, ne mma mmarima baanu, Adramelek ne Sareser de afoa kokum no, na woguan kɔɔ Ararat asase so. Na ne babarima Esarhadon bedii nʼade sɛ Asiriahene.
[One day], when he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his two sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords. Then they escaped and went to the Ararat [region northwest of Nineveh]. And another of Sennacherib’s sons, Esarhaddon, became the King of Assyria.
