Yesaia 44
1 “Na afei tie, Yakob me somfo, Israel, nea mapaw no.
Yet listen now, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 Sɛɛ na Awurade se, nea ɔnwen wo, na ɔyɛɛ wo wɔ awotwaa mu, ɔno na ɔbɛboa wo: Nsuro Yakob, me somfo, Yeshurun, a mapaw no.
This is what the LORD who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: "Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 Na mehwie nsu agu asase a awo no so, ne nsuten wɔ asase kesee so; mehwie me Honhom agu wo mma so, ne me nhyira agu wʼasefo so.
For I will pour water upon the thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Ruach on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants:
4 Wobefifi sɛnea sare fifi wɔ mmoa adidibea, te sɛ mpampuro a ɛwɔ asuten ho.
and they will spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
5 Obi bɛka se, ‘Meyɛ Awurade de’; ɔfoforo bɛfrɛ ne ho se Yakob; afoforo bɛkɔ so akyerɛw wɔn nsa ho se, ‘Awurade de,’ na wɔafa din Israel.
One will say, 'I am the LORD's;' and another will be called by the name of Jacob; and another will write with his hand 'to the LORD,' and honor the name of Israel."
6 “Sɛɛ na Awurade Israelhene ne Ogyefo, Asafo Awurade se: Mene odikanfo ne okyikafo; Onyankopɔn biara nni hɔ sɛ me.
This is what the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts, says: "I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.
7 Hena na ɔne me sɛ? Ma ɔmpae mu nka. Ma ɔnka na ɔnkyerɛ wɔ mʼanim nea asisi fi bere a migyee me tete nkurɔfo sii hɔ, ne nea ɛrebɛba. Yiw, ma ɔnhyɛ nea ɛreba ho nkɔm.
Who is like me? Who will call, and will declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? Let them declare the things that are coming, and that will happen.
8 Mommma mo ho mpopo, munnsuro. Mampae mu anka eyi, manhyɛ ho amfi teteete ana? Mone me nnansefo. Onyankopɔn foforo bi ka me ho ana? Dabi, Ɔbotan foforo bi nni hɔ; minnim baako mpo.”
Do not fear, neither be afraid. Haven't I declared it to you long ago, and shown it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Indeed, there is not. I do not know any other Rock."
9 Wɔn a wɔyɛ ahoni nyinaa nka hwee, na nneɛma a ɛsom wɔn bo no so nni mfaso. Wɔn a anka wɔkasa ma wɔn no ani afura; wonnim wɔn ankasa animguase ho hwee.
Everyone who makes an engraved image is vain. The things that they delight in will not profit. Their own witnesses do not see, nor know, that they may be disappointed.
10 Hena na ɔbɔ onyame na ogu ohoni, a ne so mma no mfaso biara?
Who has fashioned a god, or molds an image that is profitable for nothing?
11 Ɔno ne wɔn a wɔte sɛ no nyinaa anim begu ase; adwumfo nyɛ hwee sɛ nnipa. Momma wɔn nyinaa mmɔ mu nsɔre nnyina, ehu ne animguase na ɛbɛka wɔn.
Look, all his fellows will be disappointed; and the workmen are mere men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up. They will fear. They will be put to shame together.
12 Ɔtomfo fa nʼatonnade ɔde hyehyɛ nnyansramma mu; ɔde asae bobɔ so yɛ no ohoni, ɔde nʼabasa mu ahoɔden mmoroso na ɛyɛ; ɔkɔm de no na ɔyɛ mmrɛw; ɔnnom nsu nti ɔtɔ beraw.
The blacksmith takes an axe, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint.
13 Duadwumfo de hama susuw na ɔde kyerɛwdua sensan; na ɔde pɛe yiyi ho afei ɔde kɔmpaase hyɛ no agyirae. Osen na ɛyɛ sɛ onipa sɛso, ɛyɛ sɛ onipa wɔ nʼanuonyam nyinaa mu, sɛ wɔde besi abosonnan mu.
The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. He marks it out with compasses, and shapes it like the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to reside in a house.
14 Otwitwaa sida, anaasɛ ebia ɔfaa kwabɔhɔre anaa odum. Ɔma enyinii wɔ kwae mu, anaa oduaa ɔpepaw, na osu ma enyinii.
He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak, and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir tree, and the rain nourishes it.
15 Ɛyɛ nea onipa de sɔ ogya; ɔde bi ka ne ho hyew, ɔde bi sɔ ogya to brodo. Nanso ɔde bi sen onyame na ɔsɔre no; ɔyɛ ohoni na ɔkotow no.
Then it will be for a man to burn; and he takes some of it, and warms himself. Yes, he burns it, and bakes bread. Yes, he makes a god, and worships it; he makes it an engraved image, and falls down to it.
16 Ɔde dua no mu fa sɔ ogya; so na ɔnoa nʼaduan, ɔtoto ne nam wɔ so na wawe amee. Afei ɔka ne ho hyew na ɔka se, Aa! mahu ogya; me ho ayɛ me hyew.
He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it, he eats meat. He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. Yes, he warms himself, and says, "Aha. I am warm. I have seen the fire."
17 Nkae no ɔde yɛ onyame, ne ohoni; ɔkotow no na ɔsɔre no. Ɔbɔ no mpae se, “Gye me; wo ne me nyame.”
The rest of it he makes into a god, even his engraved image. He bows down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, "Deliver me; for you are my god."
18 Wonnim hwee, na wɔnte hwee ase; wɔatare wɔn ani so nti wonhu ade, wɔato wɔn adwene mu nti wɔnte hwee ase.
They do not know, neither do they consider: for he has shut their eyes, that they can't see; and their hearts, that they can't understand.
19 Obiara nna nnwen ho, obiara nni nimdeɛ anaa nhumu a ɔde bɛka se, “Mede fa sɔɔ ogya; na mpo metoo brodo wɔ ne nnyansramma so; metotoo nam wɔ so wee. Ɛsɛ sɛ mede nkae no yɛ akyiwade ana? Ɛsɛ sɛ mekotow gyentia ana?”
No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, "I have burned part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?"
20 Saa onipa no di nsõ, nnaadaa koma ma no to kwan; ɔrentumi nnye ne ho, anaa nka se, “Nea mikura wɔ me nsa nifa yi nyɛ atoro ana?”
He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he can't deliver his soul, nor say, "Isn't there a lie in my right hand?"
21 “Kae saa nneɛma yi, Yakob, efisɛ, woyɛ me somfo, Israel. Me na meyɛɛ wo, woyɛ me somfo; Ao Israel, me werɛ remfi wo.
Remember these things, Jacob and Israel; for you are my servant. I have formed you. You are my servant. Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
22 Mapra wo mfomso agu te sɛ omununkum ne wo bɔne te sɛ anɔpa bosu. San bra me nkyɛn, efisɛ magye wo.”
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.
23 Momfa ahosɛpɛw nto dwom, ɔsorosoro, na Awurade na wayɛ eyi. Mommɔ ose, asase ase. Momma nnwonto so, mo mmepɔw, mo kwae ne emu nnua nyinaa, na Awurade agye Yakob, wada nʼanuonyam adi wɔ Israel.
Sing, you heavens, for the LORD has done it. Shout, you lower parts of the earth. Break out into singing, you mountains, O forest, all of your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.
24 “Sɛɛ na Awurade se, wo Gyefo a ɔnwen wo wɔ awotwaa mu no: “Mene Awurade, nea wayɛ nneɛma nyinaa, nea ɔno nko ara trɛw ɔsoro mu nea ɔno nko ara twee asase mu,
Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who makes all things; who alone stretches out the heavens; who spreads out the earth by myself;
25 nea ɔsɛe atoro adiyifo nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔma nkɔmhyɛfo yɛ nkwaseafo, nea otutu anyansafo adenim gu na ɔdan no nkwaseasɛm,
who foils the omens of the empty talkers, and makes fools of diviners; who turns sages back, and makes their knowledge foolish;
26 nea ɔma nʼasomfo nsɛm ba mu nea ɔhyɛ nʼasomafo nkɔmhyɛ mu ma, “nea ɔka fa Yerusalem ho se, ‘Wɔbɛtena mu,’ ne Yuda nkurow ho se, ‘Wɔbɛkyekye,’ ne mmubui ho se, ‘Mɛyɛ no foforo,’
who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; who says of Jerusalem, 'She will be inhabited;' and of the cities of Judah, 'They will be built,' and 'I will raise up its waste places;'
27 nea ɔka kyerɛ asubun se, ‘Yow, na mɛma wo nsuwa ayoyow,’
who says to the deep, 'Be dry,' and 'I will dry up your rivers;'
28 nea ɔka wɔ Kores ho se, ‘Ɔyɛ me guanhwɛfo na obewie nea mepɛ nyinaa yɛ; ɔbɛka afa Yerusalem ho se, “Ma wɔnkyekyere bio,” na waka afa asɔredan no ho se, “Ma wɔnto ne fapem.”’”
Who says of Koresh, 'He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure,' even saying of Jerusalem, 'She will be built;' and of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'"
