Yesaia 8
1 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Fa nhoma mmobɔwee kɛse no na fa kyerɛwdua biara kyerɛw so.
Then Yahweh said to me, “Make a large signboard. And write clearly on it, ‘Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’ [which means ‘quickly (plunder/take by force) and steal everything’].”
2 Na mɛfrɛ ɔsɔfo Uria ne Yeberekia babarima Sakaria sɛ me dansefo nokwafo aba.”
[So] I requested Uriah the [Supreme] Priest and Jeberekiah’s son Zechariah, men who were both honest/trustworthy witnesses, to watch me as I was doing that.
3 Afei mekɔɔ nkɔmhyɛnibea no ho, na onyinsɛnee, woo ɔbabarima. Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Frɛ no Maher-Salal-Has-Bas.
Then I had sex with [EUP] [my wife, who was] a prophetess, and she became pregnant and [then] gave birth to a son. Then Yahweh said to me, “Give him the name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (which means ‘suddenly attacked, quickly conquered’),
4 Ansa na abarimaa no betumi aka, ‘Mʼagya’ anaasɛ ‘me na’ no, Asiriahene bɛba abɛfa Damasko ahode ne Samaria asade nyinaa akɔ.”
because before he is old enough to say ‘papa’ or ‘mama’, the King of Assyria will [come with his army and] quickly take away all the valuable things in Damascus and in Samaria.”
5 Awurade kasa kyerɛɛ me bio se,
Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “[Tell the people of Judah, ]
6 “Esiane sɛ saa nkurɔfo yi apo Siloa nsu a ɛsen brɛoo na wodi ahurusi wɔ Resin ne Remalia babarima no ho nti,
‘[I have taken good care of] you people, but you have rejected that, [thinking that] my help was very little, like [MET] the little canal through which water flows from the Gihon Spring into Jerusalem. Instead, you have been happy [to request help from] King Rezin and King Pekah.
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
Therefore, I will cause the people of Judah to be attacked by [the powerful army of] the King of Assyria, which will be [like] a great flood from the [Euphrates] River. Their soldiers will [be everywhere in your country, like] a river that overflows all its banks.
8 na apra abɛfa Yuda, akɔntɔn afa ho, ateɛ afa mu abɛdeda kɔn mu. Na atrɛtrɛw akata asase no nyinaa so Immanuel.”
Those soldiers will go all over Judah— [like a river whose water] [MET] rises as high as a person’s neck. Their army will spread over the land [quickly], like an eagle, and they will cover your entire land! But I will be with you!’”
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!
Listen, all you [people in] distant countries! [You can] prepare to attack Judah. [You can] prepare [for battle, and shout your] war-cries, but your [armies will] be crushed/shattered!
10 Hwehwɛ ɔkwan a wobɛfa so, nanso wɔbɛsɛe no; da wo nsusuwii adi, nanso ɛrennyina, efisɛ Onyankopɔn ne yɛn wɔ hɔ.
[You can] prepare for what you will do [to attack Judah], but what you plan to do will not happen! You will not succeed, because God is with us!
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,
Yahweh strongly warned me [MTY] not to act like the [other] people in Judah did. He said to me,
12 “Mommfrɛ no tirisopam biribiara a saa nkurɔfo yi frɛ no tirisopam no; Munnsuro nea wosuro, na momma ɛmmɔ mo hu.
“Do not say that everything that people do is conspiring/rebelling [against the government], like [other] people say, and do not (be afraid of/worry about) the things that other people are afraid of.
13 Asafo Awurade nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wubu no ɔkronkron, ɔno na ɛsɛ sɛ wusuro no, ɔno na ne ho yɛ hu,
[I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, am the one you should consider to be holy. And I am the one you should fear, the one you should revere.
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.
I will protect you(sg). [But as for] the [other] people [MTY] in Israel and Judah, I will be [like] [MET] a stone that causes people to stumble, a rock that causes them to fall down. [And as for] the people of Jerusalem, I will be [like] [MET] a trap or a snare [DOU].
15 Wɔn mu bebree bɛwatiri; wɔbɛhwe ase a wɔrensɔre bio, wobesum wɔn afiri na ayi wɔn.”
Many [people] will stumble and fall down and never get up again. They will experience great troubles; they will be captured [by their enemies].”
16 Kyekyere kɔkɔbɔ adanse no sɔw mmara no ano ma mʼasuafo.
[So, I say to you who are my disciples], seal up this scroll on which I have written the messages that God has given to me, and give his instructions to [others] who have accompanied me.
17 Mɛtwɛn Awurade a wayi nʼani afi Yakobfi so mede me werɛ bɛhyɛ ne mu.
I will wait to see what Yahweh [will do]. He has rejected the descendants [MTY] of Jacob, but I will confidently expect him to help me.
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.
I and the children that Yahweh has given to me are [like] signs to warn [the people of] Israel; we are warnings from the Commander of the armies of angels the one who lives [in his temple] on Zion Hill [in Jerusalem].
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?
Some people may urge you(pl) to (consult/go and talk with) those who talk with the spirits of dead people or with those who say that they receive messages from those spirits. They whisper and mutter [about what we should do in the future]. But God is [RHQ] the one whom we should ask to guide us! It is ridiculous [RHQ] for people who are alive to request spirits of dead people to tell us [what we should do]!
20 Sɛ wɔannyina mmara ne adanse yi so anka asɛm yi a, wunni adekyee mu hann.
Pay attention to God’s instructions and teaching! If people do not say things that agree with what God teaches us, [what they say is worthless]. [It is as though] those people are in darkness.
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.
They will wander through the land, worried/discouraged and hungry. And when they become [very] hungry, they will become very angry. They will look up [toward heaven] and curse God and [will also] curse their king.
22 Afei wɔbɛhwɛ asase no so, na wubehu ahohiahia ne sum a ɛyɛ hu, na wɔde wɔn bɛhyɛn sum kabii mu.
They will look around the land and see only trouble/distress and darkness and things that cause them to despair. And [then] they will be thrown into the very black darkness [of hell]. (questioned)
