Yesaia 48

1 “Muntie eyi, Yakobfifo mo a wɔde Israel din frɛ mo, na moyɛ Yuda asefo, mo a mobɔ Awurade din ka ntam, na mofrɛ Israel Nyankopɔn, nanso ɛnyɛ nokware anaa trenee mu,

[Yahweh says], “You descendants [MTY] of Jacob, who are [also] descendants of Judah and are now called [the people of] Israel, Listen to me! You make solemn promises using my name, Yahweh, and you request that I, the God to whom you Israeli people belong, [will hear you], but you do not do it sincerely.

2 mo a mofrɛ mo ho kurow kronkron no mma na mode mo ho to Israel Nyankopɔn so, Asafo Awurade ne ne din.

You say that you live in the holy city [of Jerusalem], and [you insincerely say] that you are relying on me, the God to whom you [people of] Israel belong, the one who is the Commander of the armies of angels.

3 Mehyɛɛ nneɛma a atwa mu no ho nkɔm dedaada, mebɔɔ nkae, na medaa no adi; afei mpofirim mekekaa me ho na ɛbaa mu.

Long ago I [MTY] predicted what would happen [DOU]. And then suddenly, I caused those things to happen.

4 Na minim sɛnea moyɛ asoɔden fa mo kɔn ho ntin yɛ dade na mo moma yɛ kɔbere mfrafrae.

I knew that you people are very stubborn; I knew that your heads are [MET] [as hard as] iron or brass [DOU].

5 Enti, mekaa saa nsɛm yi kyerɛɛ mo dedaada ansa na ɛrebesisi no, mebɔɔ mo nkae sɛnea morentumi nka se, ‘Mʼahoni na wɔyɛe: me dua nsɛsode ne me dade nyame na ɔhyɛe.’

That is why I told you those things long ago. Long before they occurred, I announced that they would occur, in order that [when they happened] you could not say ‘Our idols did it; our statue made of wood and our idol made of metal caused them to happen.’

6 Moate eyinom nyinaa; monhwɛ wɔn nyinaa. Morennye wɔn nto mu ana? “Efi saa bere yi de rekɔ mɛka nsɛm foforo akyerɛ mo, ɛfa nneɛma a ahintaw a munnim ho.

You have heard those things [that I predicted] and now you have seen that they have all occurred, so why do you not admit it [RHQ]? Now I will tell you new things, things that you have not known previously.

7 Afei na wɔayɛ koraa, ɛnkyɛe; ebesi nnɛ no na anka montee ho hwee. Enti morentumi nka se, ‘Yiw na minim dedaw!’

I am causing them to happen now; they are not things I did long ago. So you cannot say, ‘We already knew about those things.’

8 Wontee, na wontee ase; efi tete nyinaa wʼaso asiw. Na minim sɛ woyɛ ɔfatwafo; wɔfrɛɛ wo otuatewfo fi ɔyafunu mu.

[I will tell you about] things that you have never heard about or understood before. Even long ago you did not pay attention to me [IDM]. I know that you act very deceitfully/treacherously; you have rebelled against me since you first became a nation [MTY].

9 Me din nti metwentwɛn mʼabufuw so; mʼayeyi nti miyi fi wo so, sɛnea merensɛe wo koraa.

But, for my own sake, in order that I will be honored, I will not punish [MTY] you immediately and I will not completely get rid of you.

10 Hwɛ mahoa mo ho, ɛnyɛ sɛnea wɔnan dwetɛ ho; mmom, masɔ wo ahwɛ wɔ amanehunu fononoo mu.

I have purified you, but not the way [people refine] silver. Instead, I have caused you to suffer very much [to get rid of your impure behavior], like [MET] [people put metal in a very hot] furnace [to get rid of the impurities].

11 Me nti, me nti, na meyɛ eyi. Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ mema ho kwan na wɔsɛe me din? Memma obi nnye mʼanuonyam.

But for my [MTY] own sake I will delay punishing you more; I will do it for my own sake in order that my reputation will not be damaged [RHQ]. I will not allow any [person or any idol] to be honored as I [deserve to be] honored.”

12 “Tie me, Yakob, Israel a mafrɛ no; Me ne no; Me ne odikanfo ne okyikafo.

“You descendants [MTY] of Jacob, you people of Israel whom I have chosen, listen to me! [Only] I am God; I am the one who begins everything and who causes everything to end.

13 Me ara me nsa na ɛtoo asase fapem, na me nsa na ɛtrɛw ɔsorosoro mu; sɛ mefrɛ wɔn a, wɔn nyinaa bɔ mu sɔre.

I [SYN] am the one who laid the foundation of the earth. I stretched out the sky with my hand. And when I tell [the stars] to appear, they all do what I tell them.

14 “Mo nyinaa mommɔ mu mmra mmetie: ahoni no mu nea ɔwɔ he na waka saa nsɛm yi dedaw? Awurade boafo a wapaw no bɛma nʼatirimpɔw a etia Babilonia aba mu; ne basa betia Babiloniafo.

All of you, gather together and listen to me. None of your idols has [RHQ] told this to you: I, Yahweh, have chosen [Cyrus] to assist me, and he will do to Babylon what I want him to do, and his army will get rid of [the army of] Babylonia.

15 Me, me na makasa. Yiw, mafrɛ no. Mede no bɛba, na obewie nʼadwuma nkonimdi so.

I have said it; I have summoned [Cyrus]. I have appointed him, and he will accomplish everything that he attempts to do.

16 “Montwiw mmɛn me na muntie eyi: “Efi nkaebɔ a edi kan no, menkasaa wɔ kokoa mu; bere biara a ebesi no, na mewɔ hɔ.” Na afei Asafo Awurade de ne Honhom asoma me.

Come close to me and listen to what I say. Long ago [MTY] I told you plainly/clearly [LIT] [what would happen], and when those things occurred, I was [causing them to happen].” And now Yahweh the Lord and his Spirit have sent me [to give you a message].

17 Sɛɛ na Awurade se, mo gyefo, Israel Kronkronni no: “Mene Awurade mo Nyankopɔn, nea ɔkyerɛ mo nea eye ma mo, na ɔkyerɛ mo ɔkwan a ɛsɛ sɛ mofa so.

This is what Yahweh, the one who saves you, the Holy God of [us] Israelis, says: “I am Yahweh, your God; I teach you what is important for you [to know]; I direct you and lead you to the roads that you should walk on [MET].

18 Sɛ mudii mʼahyɛde so a, anka mo asomdwoe ayɛ sɛ asubɔnten, na mo trenee ayɛ sɛ po asorɔkye.

I wish that you had paid attention to my commands! If you had done that, things would have gone well for you like [SIM] a river that flows gently; you would have been successful again and again, like [SIM] waves that come without ceasing.

19 Anka mo asefo ayɛ sɛ nwea, na mo mma ayɛ sɛ ne mmosea a wontumi nkan; wɔn din rempepa da wɔrensɛe mfi mʼanim.”

Your descendants would have been [as many as] [MET] the grains of sand [on the seashore] [which no one can count]. I would not have needed to get rid of you; the country of [MTY] [Israel] would not have been destroyed.”

20 Mumfi Babilonia, munguan mfi Babiloniafo nkyɛn! Momfa osebɔ nteɛmu mmɔ nkae na mompae mu nka eyi. Momfa nkɔ nsase ano; monka se, “Awurade abegye ne somfo Yakob.”

[However, now I tell you], leave Babylon! Flee from [being slaves of the people of] Babylonia! Proclaim this message joyfully; send it to the most remote/distant places on the earth: Yahweh freed the people of Israel [from being slaves in Egypt].

21 Osukɔm anne wɔn bere a odii wɔn anim, wɔ nweatam ahorow so no, ɔmaa nsu fii ɔbotan mu ba maa wɔn; ɔpaee ɔbotan no mu, maa nsu tue fii mu.

They were not thirsty when he led them through the desert, because he split open the rock and caused water to gush/flow out for them [to drink].

22 “Asomdwoe nni hɔ mma amumɔyɛfo.” Sɛɛ na Awurade se.

“But things will not go well [like that] for wicked people,” says Yahweh.