Yesaia 49

1 Muntie me, mo mpoano aman; monyɛ aso mo akyirikyiri aman ansa na wɔrebɛwo me no, Awurade frɛɛ me ɔbɔɔ me din ansa na wɔrewo me.

Listen to me, ye distant lands! Attend, ye nations from afar! Jehovah called me at my birth; In my very childhood he called me by name.

2 Ɔyɛɛ mʼano sɛ afoa nnamnam, Ɔde me hintaw ne nsa ase nwini mu; ɔde me yɛɛ agyan a ano yɛ nnam na ɔde me hyɛɛ ne boha mu.

He made my mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of his hand did he hide me. He made me a polished shaft; In his quiver did he hide me.

3 Ɔka kyerɛɛ me se, “Woyɛ me somfo, Israel, wo mu na mɛda mʼanuonyam adi.”

He said to me, Thou art my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

4 Nanso mekae se, “Mabrɛ agu masɛe mʼahoɔden kwa, mannya mu hwee nanso nea ɛwɔ me wɔ Awurade nsam na mʼakatua wɔ me Nyankopɔn nkyɛn.”

Then I said, I have labored in vain; For naught, for vanity, have I spent my strength; Yet my cause is with Jehovah, And my reward with my God.

5 Na afei, Awurade kasa se, nea ɔnwen me wɔ awotwaa mu sɛ memmɛyɛ ne somfo sɛ memfa Yakob nsan mmra ne nkyɛn na me mmoaboa Israel ano mma no no, wahyɛ me anuonyam wɔ Awurade ani so na me Nyankopɔn ayɛ mʼahoɔden.

And now thus saith Jehovah, Who formed me from my birth to be his servant To bring Jacob to him again, And that Israel might be gathered to him, —For I am honored in the eyes of Jehovah, And my God is my strength, —

6 Ɔka se, “Ɛyɛ ade ketewa bi ma wo sɛ wobɛyɛ me somfo sɛ wode Yakob mmusuakuw bɛsan aba na wode Israelfo a mede wɔn asie bɛsan aba. Mɛma moayɛ amanamanmufo nyinaa kanea, ɛnam mo so na wobegye wiasefo nyinaa nkwa.”

He said, It is a small tiling that thou shouldst be my servant, To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved of Israel; I will also make thee the light of the nations, That my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.

7 Sɛɛ na Awurade se, Ogyefo ne Israel ɔkronkronni no de kɔma nea aman buu no animtiaa na wokyii no, ahemfo somfo no; “Ahene behu wo na wɔasɔre ahenemma behu wo na wɔakotow wo esiane Awurade a ɔyɛ ɔnokwafo, Israel ɔkronkronni a wayi wo no nti.”

Thus saith Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, To him that is despised by men, abhorred by the people, To the servant of tyrants; Kings shall see, and stand up, Princes, and they shall pay homage, On account of Jehovah, who is faithful, The Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.

8 Sɛɛ na Awurade se: “Bere a ɛsɛ mu no, mebua wo, na nkwagyeda no, mɛboa wo; mɛkora wo na mede wo ayɛ apam ama nkurɔfo no, de agye asase no asi hɔ akyekyɛ agyapade ahorow a asɛe no bio,

Thus saith Jehovah; In the time of favor will I hear thee; In the day of deliverance will I help thee; I will preserve thee, and make thee a mediator for the people, To restore the land, to distribute the desolated inheritances;

9 wobɛka akyerɛ nneduafo se, ‘Mumfi mmra!’ ne wɔn a wɔwɔ sum mu se, ‘Momfa mo ho nni!’ “Wobedidi wɔ akwan ho wobenya adidibea wɔ koko kesee biara so.

To say to the prisoners, Go forth! To them that are in darkness, Come to the light! They shall feed in the ways, And on all high places shall be their pasture.

10 Ɔkɔm renne wɔn na osukɔm nso renne wɔn; nweatam so hyew ne owia ano hyew renka wɔn, nea ɔwɔ ayamhyehye ma wɔn no bɛkyerɛ wɔn kwan na ɔde wɔn akɔ nsuaniwa ho.

They shall not hunger, neither shall they thirst; Neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; For he that hath compassion on them shall lead them; To springs of water shall he guide them.

11 Mɛyɛ me mmepɔw nyinaa akwan, na mʼatempɔn nso mɛma akrɔn.

And I will make all my mountains a highway; And my roads shall be prepared.

12 Hwɛ, wufi akyirikyiri bɛba ebinom befi atifi fam, ebinom befi atɔe fam ebinom nso befi Sinin mantam mu.”

Behold! these shall come from far; And behold! these from the North and from the West, And these from the land of Sinim.

13 Momfa anigye nteɛ mu, ɔsoro; di ahurusi, asase; mompae mu nnwonto mu, mmepɔw! Na Awurade kyekye ne nkurɔfo werɛ, na obehu nʼamanehunufo mmɔbɔ.

Sing, O ye heavens, and rejoice, O earth! Break forth into singing, ye mountains! For Jehovah comforteth his people, And hath compassion on his afflicted ones.

14 Nanso Sion kae se, “Awurade agyaw me hɔ, Awurade werɛ afi me.”

Zion saith, “Jehovah hath forsaken me; The Lord hath forgotten me.”

15 “Ɛna werɛ betumi afi ne ba a otua nufu ano a ɔrennya ayamhyehye mma ɔba a waturu no no ana? Ebia ne werɛ befi, na me werɛ remfi wo!

Can a woman forget her sucking child, So as not to have compassion on the son of her womb? Yet, should they forget, I will never forget thee!

16 Hwɛ, makurukyerɛw wo din agu me nsa yam wʼafasu wɔ mʼani so daa.

Behold, I have graven thee on the palms of my hands; Thy walls are ever before my eyes.

17 Mo mmabarima resan aba ntɛm so; na wɔn a wɔsɛe mo no refi mo nkyɛn akɔ.

Thy children shall make haste; They that destroyed and laid thee waste shall depart from thee.

18 Momma mo ani so nhwɛ mo ho nhyia; mo mmabarima nyinaa reboa wɔn ho ano aba mo nkyɛn. Sɛ mete ase yi” sɛnea Awurade se, “mode wɔn bɛyɛ ahyehyɛde ama mo ho mubefura wɔn sɛ ayeforokunu.

Lift up thine eyes around, and see! They all assemble themselves, and come to thee. As I live, saith Jehovah, Thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with a rich dress; Thou shalt bind them on thee, as a bride her jewels.

19 “Ɛwɔ mu sɛ wɔsɛee mo yɛɛ mo pasaa maa mo asase daa mpan, afei nnipa bɛhyɛ wo so ma, ama aboro wo so, na wɔn a wɔsɛee wo no bɛkɔ akyirikyiri.

For thy waste and desolate places, and thy land laid in ruins, Shall now be too narrow for the inhabitants; And they that devoured thee shall be far away.

20 Mmofra a wɔwoo wɔn wɔ mo nna bɔne mu no bɛka ama moate sɛ, ‘Ɛha sua ma yɛn dodo; momma yɛn asase no bi nka ho na yɛntena so.’

Thou, that hast been childless, shalt yet hear thy sons exclaim: “The place is too narrow for me; make room for me that I may dwell.”

21 Na wobɛka wɔ wo koma mu se, ‘Hena na ɔwoo eyinom maa me? Na meyɛ ɔwerɛhowni ne obonin; wotuu me kɔɔ asase foforo so na wɔpoo me. Hena na ɔtetew eyinom? Wogyaw me nko ara na eyinom, he na wofi bae?’”

And thou shalt say in thy heart, Who hath begotten me these? I surely was childless and unfruitful, An exile, and an outcast; who then hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, then, where were they?

22 Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: “Hwɛ, menyama amanamanmufo, mɛma me frankaa no so akyerɛ nkurɔfo no wobeturu wo mmabarima wɔ wɔn nsa so aba na wɔbɛsoa wo mmabea wɔ wɔn mmati so.

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will lift up my hand to the nations, And set up my standard to the kingdoms; They shall bring thy sons in their arms, And thy daughters upon their shoulders.

23 Ahemfo bɛyɛ mo agyanom nsiananmu, na wɔn ahemmea ayɛ ɛnanom a wɔbɛhwɛ mo. Wɔbɛkotow mo a wɔn anim butubutuw fam; wɔbɛtaforo mo nan ase mfutuma. Afei mubehu sɛ mene Awurade. Wɔn a wɔn ani da me so no, merenni wɔn huammɔ.”

And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, And queens thy nursing mothers; Upon their faces shall they bow down before thee, And lick the dust of thy feet. Thus shalt thou know that I am Jehovah; And they who trust in me shall not be put to shame.

24 Wobetumi agye asade afi akofo nsam; anaa wobetumi agye nnommumfo afi otirimɔdenfo nsam?

Shall the prey be taken away from the mighty? Or shall the spoil of the terrible be rescued?

25 Nanso, sɛɛ na Awurade se: “Yiw, wobegye nnommumfo afi akofo nsam na wɔagye asade afi otirimɔdenfo nsam; me ne wɔn a wɔne wo nya no benya na megye wo mma nkwa.

Yea, thus saith Jehovah, The prey shall be taken away from the mighty, And the spoil of the terrible shall be rescued; For with him that contendeth with thee will I contend, And I will save thy children.

26 Mema wɔn a wɔhyɛ wo so no awe wɔn ankasa honam; wɔn mogya bɛbow wɔn sɛnea wɔanom nsa. Afei adesamma nyinaa behu sɛ me, Awurade, me ne wʼAgyenkwa no, wo Gyefo, Yakob Tumfo No.”

And I will cause thine oppressors to eat their own flesh; With their own blood shall they be drunk, as with new wine; And all flesh shall know that I Jehovah am thy saviour; That thy redeemer is the Mighty One of Jacob.