Yesaia 28
1 Nnome nka nhwiren abotire a ɛyɛ Efraim asabofoɔ ahohoahoadeɛ no, nka nhwiren a ɛrepa a nʼahoɔfɛ wɔ animuonyam ma Israelfoɔ na ɛda asase bereɛ bɔnhwa so. Nnome nka kuropɔn no, deɛ nnipa a nsa asɛe wɔn no de hoahoa wɔn ho no.
Alas! for the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, And for his fading wreath of majestic beauty, —Which is on the head of the fertile valley, of them who are overcome with wine.
2 Hwɛ, Awurade wɔ obi a ɔwɔ tumi ne ahoɔden. Ɔte sɛ asukɔtweaa ne mframa a ɛsɛe adeɛ. Ɔte sɛ osutɔ a ɛne mframa nam, ne osubrane a ɛhyɛ nsuka ma. Ɔbɛto no ahwe fam ahoɔden so.
Lo! My Lord hath one who is, strong and bold, Like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, Like a storm of mighty waters overflowing, Hath he thrust it down to the earth with force:
3 Saa nhwiren abotire no a ɛyɛ Efraim asabofoɔ ahohoahoadeɛ no, wɔbɛtiatia so.
With the feet shall be trodden down, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,
4 Saa nhwiren a nʼahoɔfɛ ɛrepa wɔ animuonyam mu deɛ ɛda asase bereɛ bɔnhwa so no, ɛbɛyɛ sɛ borɔdɔma a ɛbere ansa na otwa berɛ aduru. Sɛ obi hunu na ɔte a ɔdi no ntɛm so.
So shall his fading wreath of majestic beauty, Which is on the head of the fertile valley, become—Like the first-ripe fig before fruit-harvest, Which when he that looketh upon it seeth while it is yet in his hand, he swalloweth it up.
5 Saa ɛda no Asafo Awurade bɛyɛ Animuonyam ahenkyɛ, nhwiren abotire fɛfɛ ama ne nkurɔfoɔ nkaeɛfoɔ no.
In that day, will Yahweh of hosts become A crown of beauty, and A diadem of majesty, —Unto the remnant of his people:
6 Ɔbɛyɛ atɛntenenee honhom ama ɔtemmufoɔ a wɔte adwa mu. Ɔbɛyɛ ahoɔden farebae ama wɔn a wɔpam atamfoɔ wɔ nkuro apono ano.
Even a spirit of justice—to him that presideth over justice, And strength to them who would turn back the battle at the gate.
7 Nanso seesei deɛ, asabofoɔ na wɔdi Israel so, na nsaden ma wɔhinhim; nsaden ma asɔfoɔ ne adiyifoɔ tɔ ntentan na nsã ma wɔn ani so yɛ wɔn totɔtotɔ; na wɔhinhim. Wɔtɔ ntentan ɛberɛ a wɔrenya anisoadehunu, na wɔn ano fonfom wɔ adwenkyerɛ mu.
But as for these, With wine, do they reel, and With strong drink, do they stagger, —Priest and prophet, reel with strong drink They are swallowed up through wine They stagger through strong drink, They reel in prophetic vision, They totter in pronouncing judgment.
8 Ɛfeɛ agugu apono nyinaa so, na baabiara ayɛ efi.
For, all tables, are full of filthy vomit, —There is no place!
9 Wɔka sɛ, “Deɛn na Awurade dwene fa yɛn ho? Ɔdwen sɛ yɛyɛ mmɔfra anaa? Mmɔfra a wɔatwa wɔn nufoɔ anaa?
Whom, would he teach knowledge? And, whom, would he cause to understand the message? Them who are weaned from the milk? taken from the breasts?
10 Ɔkasa bebree: Ɔka yei, na waka yei ɔma mmara foforɔ akyi mmara; ɔkyerɛ ɛha kakra, na wakyerɛ ɛhɔ nso kakra.”
For it is—Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, —A little here a little there.
11 Ɛno enti, ɛyɛ ananafoɔ ano ne kasa foforɔ na Onyankopɔn de bɛkasa akyerɛ saa nkurɔfoɔ yi.
For, with a jabbering lip, and with an alien tongue, must he speak unto this people!
12 Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Ɛha ne ahomegyebea no, momma abrɛfoɔ no nhome; ahodwobea nso nie,” nanso wɔantie no.
To whom he said—This, is the rest—give ye rest to the weary, and This, is the quietness, —But they were unwilling to hear.
13 Enti afei Awurade bɛti asɛm a ɔde maa wɔn no mu bio: Ɔbɛka yei, na waka yei, ɔbɛma mmara foforɔ akyi mmara; ɔbɛkyerɛ ɛha kakra, na wakyerɛ ɛhɔ nso kakra, na ɛbɛma wɔn apini wɔn akyi; wɔbɛpirapira, na wɔatɔ afidie mu, na wɔakye wɔn.
So the word of Yahweh must be to them—Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, A little here, a little there, —That they may go and fall backward and be torn and snared and captured.
14 Ɛno enti, montie Awurade asɛm, mo fɛdifoɔ a modi saa nkurɔfoɔ yi so wɔ Yerusalem.
Wherefore, hear ye the word of Yahweh, Ye men who scoff, —Ye rulers of this people that is in Jerusalem.
15 Mohoahoa mo ho sɛ, “Yɛ ne owuo ayɛ apam, yɛ ne damena ayɛ nhyehyɛeɛ sɛ asotwe a ano yɛ den ba a, ɛrentumi nka yɛn, ɛfiri sɛ yɛde atorɔ ayɛ yɛn dwanekɔbea ne nnaadaa ayɛ yɛn atɛeɛ.” (Sheol h7585)
Because ye have said—We have solemnised a covenant with death, And with hades, have we effected a vision, —The overflowing scourge when it sweepeth by, shall not reach unto us, For we have made lying our refuge. And in falsehood, have we hid ourselves, (Sheol h7585)
16 Enti, deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ nie, “Hwɛ! Mede ɛboɔ bi retim Sion, ɛboɔ a wɔasɔ ahwɛ, tweatiboɔ a ɛsom bo ma fapem a ɛyɛ den; deɛ ɔde ne ho to soɔ no abasa mu rentu.
Therefore, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, Behold me! founding in Zion a stone, A stone of testing, The costly corner of a well-laid foundation, he that trusteth, shall not make haste!
17 Mede atɛntenenee bɛyɛ susuhoma na teneneeyɛ ayɛ ɔfasuo kyirebennyɛ susuhoma. Asukɔtweaa bɛsɛe wo dwanekɔbea, a ɛyɛ atorɔ no, na nsuo abɛkata wʼatɛeɛ hɔ.
But I will make—Justice the line, and Righteousness the plummet, —And the hail shall, sweep away, your refuge of lying, And your hiding-place, the waters shall overflow;
18 Mɛtwa apam a wo ne owuo ayɛ no mu; nhyehyɛeɛ a wo ne damena ayɛ no nso rennyina. Sɛ asotwe a ano yɛ den no ba a, ɛbɛtwi afa mo so. (Sheol h7585)
So shall be wiped out your covenant with death, And your vision with hades, not stand, —When the overflowing scourge, sweepeth past, then shall ye be thereby beaten down: (Sheol h7585)
19 Mperɛ dodoɔ biara a ɛbɛba no, ɛbɛsoa mo akɔ; anɔpa, awia ne anadwo biara, ɛbɛfa mu akɔ.” Saa nkra yi nteaseɛ de ehu bɛba.
As often as it sweepeth past, it shall take you away, For morning by morning, shall it pass along. By day and by night, —And it shall be nothing less than a terror to make out the message;
20 Mpa no yɛ tia dodo ma sɛ wɔtene wɔn mu wɔ so. Nnasoɔ no yɛ tiaa sɛ ɛbɛ so wɔn ho kata.
For too short is the couch to stretch oneself out, —And, the coverlet, too narrow, when one draweth up his feet.
21 Awurade bɛsɔre sɛdeɛ ɔsɔree wɔ Perasim bepɔ so no. Ɔbɛkanyane ne ho sɛdeɛ ɔyɛɛ wɔ Gibeon Bɔnhwa mu no yɛɛ nʼadwuma nwanwasoɔ no, na ɔdii dwumadie a ebi mmaa da no.
For as in Mount Perazim, will Yahweh, arise, As in the vale of Gibeon, will he be stirred, —To do his work—foreign is his work, And to perform his task—strange is his task.
22 Afei gyae wo fɛdie no, anyɛ saa a, wo nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn mu bɛyɛ duru; Awurade, Asafo Awurade aka akyerɛ me ɔsɛeɛ ho mmaraden a wɔahyɛ atia asase no nyinaa.
Now, therefore do not show yourselves scoffers, Lest your fetters, be bound fast, —For, of a full end, and that a decreed one, have I heard from My Lord, Yahweh of hosts upon all the land
23 Montie na monte me nne; monwɛn mo aso na montie deɛ meka.
Give ear, and hear ye my voice, —Hearken, and hear ye my speech: —
24 Sɛ okuafoɔ funtum asase sɛ ɔrebɛdua so a, ɔyɛ no daa anaa? Ɔkɔ so tutu, fɛntɛm asase no anaa?
All day long, doth the plowman plow for sowing? Doth he continue laying open and harrowing his soil?
25 Sɛ ɔsiesie asase no ani a, ɔnnua ɛme, na ɔmpete tɛtɛ wɔ so anaa? Ɔnnua ayuo ne atokoɔ mu biara wɔ nʼafa anaa?
Doth he not when he hath levelled the face thereof, Cast abroad the fennel? And, the cummin, doth he not scatter? And plant wheat in rows, And barley in a lot, And spelt in the border thereof?
26 Ne Onyankopɔn ma no akwankyerɛ na ɔkyerɛ no ɛkwan pa no.
Yea One hath trained him to good judgment, His God, directeth him.
27 Wɔmfa asaeɛ mpɔ ɛme ho, wɔmfa teaseɛnam hankra mfa tɛtɛ so; wɔde poma na ɛboro ɛme, na wɔde abaa aboro tɛtɛ.
For not with a sledge, must, black coriander be threshed, Nor must, the wheel of a cart, on cummin, be turned, But with a staff, must fennel be beaten, And cummin with a rod:
28 Wɔyam aburoo de to burodo enti obi nnkɔ so nyam a ɔnwie da. Ɛwom sɛ ɔde nʼayuporeɛ teaseɛnam hankra fa so deɛ, nanso ɛnyɛ nʼapɔnkɔ na wɔyam.
Bread-corn, must be crushed, —Yet would he not be evermore, threshing, it, So he hasteneth over it the wheel of his cart, with his horsemen, He crusheth it not!
29 Yeinom nyinaa firi Asafo Awurade, afutuo mu nwanwani, na ne nyansa boro so.
Even this, from Yahweh of hosts, cometh forth, —Who hath bestowed distinction upon counsel, And magnified sound wisdom.
