Yesaia 44
1 “Na afei tie, Yakob me somfo, Israel, nea mapaw no.
But now, you people of Israel whom Yahweh has chosen to serve him, listen to me.
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.
Yahweh, the one who created you and helps you, says this: “You dear people of Israel whom I have chosen, you who serve me, do not be afraid.
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.
I will pour water on your dry land and cause streams to flow. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and greatly bless them.
4 Wobefifi sɛnea sare fifi wɔ mmoa adidibea, te sɛ mpampuro a ɛwɔ asuten ho.
They will grow up like [SIM] grass grows along the water, like [SIM] willow/poplar [trees] grow well along a riverbank.
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.
Some of them will say, ‘I belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say, ‘We are descendants of Jacob,’ and others will write on their hands, ‘We belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say, ‘We are Israelis.’”
6 “Sɛɛ na Awurade Israelhene ne Ogyefo, Asafo Awurade se: Mene odikanfo ne okyikafo; Onyankopɔn biara nni hɔ sɛ me.
Yahweh, the King of Israel, the one who saves us, the Commander of the armies of angels, says this: “I am the one who begins everything and who ends everything; there is no other 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.
If there is anyone like me [RHQ], he should proclaim it! He should speak and tell me [now]! He should tell what has happened since I caused my people [of Israel] to become a nation long ago, and he should also tell what things will happen; he should predict what will happen in the future.
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.”
[My people], do not be afraid. Long ago I told you things that would happen [RHQ]; I predicted them, and you can testify that I did that. There certainly is not [RHQ] any other God. There is no other God who is able to protect you [MET]; I know that there is no other God!”
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.
All those who make idols are foolish, and the idols that they (think highly of/greatly respect) are worthless. And the people who worship those idols— [it is as though] they are blind, and they will be ashamed [for having worshiped those idols].
10 Hena na ɔbɔ onyame na ogu ohoni, a ne so mma no mfaso biara?
Only [foolish people] [RHQ] would make idols in a mold, idols that would never help them at all.
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.
Those who make idols and those who worship them will be ashamed. Those who make idols are only human beings, [but they claim that they are making gods]! They should stand in front of God in a court, and [when they hear what he says], they will be terrified, and they will all be disgraced.
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.
Metalworkers stand in front of hot coals in order to make idols. They pound them strongly with hammers, and shape them. Because they work very hard, they become hungry and weak; they become very thirsty and feel exhausted.
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.
Then a woodcarver takes a big block/piece of wood and he measures it; then he marks it to show where he will cut it. He uses a chisel and other tools to carve it to resemble a human. He causes it to become a very beautiful [idol], and then he puts it in a shrine.
14 Otwitwaa sida, anaasɛ ebia ɔfaa kwabɔhɔre anaa odum. Ɔma enyinii wɔ kwae mu, anaa oduaa ɔpepaw, na osu ma enyinii.
[Before he carves an idol from that block of wood], he has cut down a cedar tree, or he has selected a cypress tree or an oak tree and allowed it to grow tall in the forest. Or, he has planted a pine/evergreen tree and the rain has watered it [and caused it to grow tall].
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.
[And after he uses part of the tree to make an idol], he uses the other part of the tree to make a fire, either to warm himself or to bake bread. But he uses [part of the same tree] to make for himself an idol to worship! He makes an idol and then he bows down to worship 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 the wood of the tree to cook his meat and eats the meat and his stomach becomes full, and he burns part of the wood to warm his body, and he says, “I feel warm while I am watching the flames in 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.”
Then he takes the rest of the wood and makes an idol which is his god. He bows down to it and worships it, and prays to it and says, “You are my god, so save me!”
18 Wonnim hwee, na wɔnte hwee ase; wɔatare wɔn ani so nti wonhu ade, wɔato wɔn adwene mu nti wɔnte hwee ase.
Those people are very stupid and ignorant [SAR]. [It is as though] they are blind and cannot see, and their minds are closed and they cannot think well.
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?”
They do not think about what they are doing, that they are taking a block of wood and burning half of it to warm themselves and using some of the rest to bake bread and roast some meat! [They do not say to themselves], “It is stupid [RHQ] to take the rest of the wood to make a detestable idol! It does not make sense to bow down to a block of wood!”
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?”
They are very stupid to [worship something that if you burn it, it becomes] ashes! They trust in something that cannot save them; they do not admit, “In my hand I hold something that is not really a god! [RHQ]”
21 “Kae saa nneɛma yi, Yakob, efisɛ, woyɛ me somfo, Israel. Me na meyɛɛ wo, woyɛ me somfo; Ao Israel, me werɛ remfi wo.
[Yahweh says, “You descendants of] [MTY] Jacob, you people of Israel who should be serving me, I created you, and I will not forget you.
22 Mapra wo mfomso agu te sɛ omununkum ne wo bɔne te sɛ anɔpa bosu. San bra me nkyɛn, efisɛ magye wo.”
I have gotten rid of your sins like [SIM] [the wind blows away] a cloud. [It is as though] your transgressions were a morning mist [SIM] that I have blown away. Return to me because I have rescued 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.
[The sun and moon and stars] in the sky should sing, and all the things that are beneath the ground should shout joyfully! All the mountains and forests, and all you trees, should sing loudly, because Yahweh has rescued [the descendants of] [MTY] Jacob; [the people of] Israel will praise/honor him.
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,
Yahweh, who saved you and created you, says this: “I am Yahweh, the one who created everything. I am the only one who stretched out the sky. There was [RHQ] no one who (was with/helped) me when I created the earth.
25 nea ɔsɛe atoro adiyifo nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔma nkɔmhyɛfo yɛ nkwaseafo, nea otutu anyansafo adenim gu na ɔdan no nkwaseasɛm,
I show that the false prophets are liars, and I show that those who perform rituals to predict the future are fools. Some people who [falsely think that they] are [IRO] wise [say that they] know a lot, but I show that they are 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,’
But I always cause to happen what my prophets predict [DOU]. [I tell them to] say to [the people of] [MTY] Jerusalem, ‘[Some day] people will live here again.’ [And I tell them to] say to [the people in other] towns in Judah [that Yahweh says], ‘Your towns will be rebuilt; I will cause the places that are only ruins to be rebuilt.’
27 nea ɔka kyerɛ asubun se, ‘Yow, na mɛma wo nsuwa ayoyow,’
When I say to the rivers, ‘Dry up!’, they will become dry.
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.”’”
When I say about King Cyrus, ‘He will [take care of my people like] [MET] a shepherd [takes care of his sheep], he will do what I want him to do,’ he will say about Jerusalem, ‘We must rebuild it!’, and he will also say, ‘We must rebuild the temple!’”
