Yesaia 8

1 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Fa nhoma mmobɔwee kɛse no na fa kyerɛwdua biara kyerɛw so.

And Yahweh said unto me: Take thee a large tablet, —and write thereon in plain characters, To Maher-shalal-hash-baz. ["Speed-spoil-hurry-prey".]

2 Na mɛfrɛ ɔsɔfo Uria ne Yeberekia babarima Sakaria sɛ me dansefo nokwafo aba.”

That I may take in attestation, faithful witnesses, —even Uriah the priest, and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.

3 Afei mekɔɔ nkɔmhyɛnibea no ho, na onyinsɛnee, woo ɔbabarima. Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Frɛ no Maher-Salal-Has-Bas.

Then approached I unto the prophetess, and she conceived and bare a son, —and Yahweh said unto me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

4 Ansa na abarimaa no betumi aka, ‘Mʼagya’ anaasɛ ‘me na’ no, Asiriahene bɛba abɛfa Damasko ahode ne Samaria asade nyinaa akɔ.”

For before the boy shall have knowledge to cry, My father! and, My mother! the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria.

5 Awurade kasa kyerɛɛ me bio se,

And again Yahweh spake unto me yet further saying:

6 “Esiane sɛ saa nkurɔfo yi apo Siloa nsu a ɛsen brɛoo na wodi ahurusi wɔ Resin ne Remalia babarima no ho nti,

Because this people hath refused the waters of Shiloah which flow softly, —and are rejoicing with Rezin and the son of Remaliah,

7 Awurade reyɛ de Asubɔnten no yiri kɛse no atia wɔn, Asiriahene ne ne kɛseyɛ nyinaa. Ebeyiri afa nʼabon nyinaa mu, na abu afa ne konkɔn so

now therefore, lo! the Lord is about to bring up against them the waters, strong and many, of the River ["Euphrates"], even the king of Assyria and all his glory, —and he shall rise over all his channels, and flow over all his banks;

8 na apra abɛfa Yuda, akɔntɔn afa ho, ateɛ afa mu abɛdeda kɔn mu. Na atrɛtrɛw akata asase no nyinaa so Immanuel.”

and roll on throughout Judah—overflow and pass along, till unto the neck, he shall reach, —and it shall be, that, the stretching out of his wings, shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel!

9 Momma ɔko nteɛmu so, mo aman na wɔnnwerɛw mo! Muntie mo akyirikyiri aman. Munsiesie mo ho mma ɔko, na wɔnnwerɛw mo! Munsiesie mo ho mma ɔko, na wɔnnwerɛw mo!

Rage, O ye peoples, —and be overthrown, And give ear, all ye distant parts of the earth, —Gird yourselves and be overthrown, Gird yourselves, and be overthrown:

10 Hwehwɛ ɔkwan a wobɛfa so, nanso wɔbɛsɛe no; da wo nsusuwii adi, nanso ɛrennyina, efisɛ Onyankopɔn ne yɛn wɔ hɔ.

Determine a plan, —and it shall be frustrated, —Speak a word, and it shall not stand, For With-us-is-GOD!

11 Awurade de ne nsa dennen no too me so, ka kyerɛ me, bɔɔ me kɔkɔ se mennantew saa nkurɔfo yi kwan so. Ɔkae se,

For, thus, spake Yahweh unto me like a firm grasp of the hand, —when he admonished me, not to walk in the way of this people, saying:

12 “Mommfrɛ no tirisopam biribiara a saa nkurɔfo yi frɛ no tirisopam no; Munnsuro nea wosuro, na momma ɛmmɔ mo hu.

Ye shall not say—A confederacy! of everything of which this people may say. A confederacy! And their fear, shall ye not fear or regard as awful:

13 Asafo Awurade nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wubu no ɔkronkron, ɔno na ɛsɛ sɛ wusuro no, ɔno na ne ho yɛ hu,

Yahweh of hosts, him, shall ye hallow, —And let, him, be your fear, and let, him inspire you with awe;

14 ɔbɛyɛ kronkronbea: nanso Israel ne Yuda de, ɔbɛyɛ hintibo ne ɔbotan a ɛma wɔhwe ase. Na ne nnipa a wɔwɔ Yerusalem de, ɔbɛyɛ afiri a ebeyi wɔn.

So shall he become a hallowed asylum, —But a stone to strike against, and a rock to stumble over unto both houses of Israel A trap and a snare to the dweller in Jerusalem;

15 Wɔn mu bebree bɛwatiri; wɔbɛhwe ase a wɔrensɔre bio, wobesum wɔn afiri na ayi wɔn.”

And many, shall stumble among them, —and fall and be torn, and snared, and captured.

16 Kyekyere kɔkɔbɔ adanse no sɔw mmara no ano ma mʼasuafo.

Bind thou up the testimony, —Seal the instruction amongst my disciples.

17 Mɛtwɛn Awurade a wayi nʼani afi Yakobfi so mede me werɛ bɛhyɛ ne mu.

I will therefore long for Yahweh, Who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, —And will wait, for him.

18 Me ne mma a Awurade de wɔn ama me no ni. Yɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne ne agyiraehyɛde wɔ Israel, na yefi Asafo Awurade a ɔte Sion Bepɔw so no nkyɛn.

Lo! I and the children whom Yahweh hath given me, are for signs and for wonders in Israel, —from Yahweh of hosts, who is making his habitation in Mount Zion.

19 Sɛ nnipa tu mo fo sɛ monkohu samanfrɛfo ne nnunsifo a wɔkasa aso mu na emu ntew a, adɛn nti na wommmisa wɔn Nyankopɔn? Adɛn nti na mubisa ade wɔ awufo nkyɛn ma ateasefo?

But, when they say unto you—Seek ye unto the necromancers and unto the wizards, who chirp, and who mutter, Should not a people seek, unto its God? In behalf of the living, [should it seek] unto the dead?

20 Sɛ wɔannyina mmara ne adanse yi so anka asɛm yi a, wunni adekyee mu hann.

To the law and to the testimony! If they speak not according to this word, [It is], because they have no dawning day.

21 Wɔde ahohiahia ne ɔkɔm bɛnantenantew asase no so; na sɛ wɔtɔ beraw a, wɔn bo befuw na wɔbɛma wɔn ani so adome wɔn hene ne wɔn Nyankopɔn.

Therefore shall they pass through it hard pressed and hungry, —And it shall be when they hunger, then will they rage and revile their king and their god and turn their faces upwards;

22 Afei wɔbɛhwɛ asase no so, na wubehu ahohiahia ne sum a ɛyɛ hu, na wɔde wɔn bɛhyɛn sum kabii mu.

And unto the land, shall they look hard, And lo! distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, driven away!