Yesaia 3
1 Afei hwɛ, Awurade, Asafo Awurade, rebɛgyae deɛ ɔde ma wɔ Yerusalem ne Yuda nyinaa: aduane ne nsuo a ɔde ma wɔn nyinaa.
For the Lord, the Lord of armies, is about to take away from Jerusalem and from Judah all their support; their store of bread and of water;
2 Nnɔmmarima ne akofoɔ, ɔtemmufoɔ ne odiyifoɔ, nkɔmhyɛni ne ɔpanin,
The strong man and the man of war; the judge and the prophet; the man who has knowledge of secret arts, and the man who is wise because of his years;
3 aduonum so panin ne deɛ ɔwɔ diberɛ, ɔfotufoɔ, odwumfoɔ nyansafoɔ ne nkaberɛkyerefoɔ oniferefoɔ.
The captain of fifty, and the man of high position, and the wise guide, and the wonder-worker, and he who makes use of secret powers.
4 “Mede mmerantewaa bɛyɛ wɔn nnwuma so mpanimfoɔ; na mmɔfra adi wɔn so.”
And I will make children their chiefs, and foolish ones will have rule over them.
5 Nnipa bɛhyɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho so, ɔbarima bɛtia ɔbarima, ɔyɔnko bɛtia ne yɔnko. Mmabunu bɛsɔre atia wɔn mpanimfoɔ, apapahwekwaa bɛtia onimuonyamfoɔ.
And the people will be crushed, every one by his neighbour; the young will be full of pride against the old, and those of low position will be lifted up against the noble.
6 Ɔbarima bɛsɔ ne nuanom baako mu wɔ nʼagya efie aka sɛ, “Wowɔ atadeɛ, bɛyɛ yɛn dikanfoɔ; wɔ kuro a adane mmubuiɛ sie yi so.”
When one man puts his hand on another in his father's house, and says, You have clothing, be our ruler and be responsible for us in our sad condition:
7 Nanso, ɛda no ɔbɛteam sɛ, “Menni deɛ mede bɛyɛ. Menni aduane anaa ntoma wɔ me fie; mfa me nyɛ nnipa no so dikanfoɔ.”
Then he will say with an oath, I will not be a helper, for in my house there is no bread or clothing: I will not let you make me a ruler of the people.
8 Yerusalem retɔ ntintan, Yuda rehwe ase; wɔn nsɛm ne nneyɛeɛ tia Awurade. Wɔmmu nʼanimuonyam a ɛwɔ wɔn mu.
For Jerusalem has become feeble, and destruction has come on Judah, because their words and their acts are against the Lord, moving the eyes of his glory to wrath.
9 Sɛdeɛ wɔn anim teɛ no di adanseɛ tia wɔn; wɔda wɔn bɔne adi te sɛ Sodom; wɔmmfa nsie. Nnome nka wɔn! Wɔakɔfa amanehunu aba wɔn ho so.
Their respect for a man's position is a witness against them; and their sin is open to the view of all; like that of Sodom, it is not covered. A curse on their soul! for the measure of their sin is full.
10 Ka kyerɛ teneneefoɔ sɛ ɛbɛsi wɔn yie, ɛfiri sɛ wɔbɛdi wɔn nneyɛeɛ so aba.
Happy is the upright man! for he will have joy of the fruit of his ways.
11 Nnome nka amumuyɛfoɔ! Amanehunu wɔ wɔn so! Wɔbɛtua wɔn so ka wɔ deɛ wɔn nsa ayɛ no ho.
Unhappy is the sinner! for the reward of his evil doings will come on him.
12 Mmabunu hyɛ me nkurɔfoɔ so, mmaa di wɔn so. Ao me nkurɔfoɔ, mo akwankyerɛfoɔ ma mo yera; wɔma mo mane firi kwantempɔn no so.
As for my people, their ruler is acting like a child, and those who have authority over them are women. O my people, your guides are the cause of your wandering, turning your footsteps out of the right way.
13 Awurade tena ase wɔ nʼasɛnniiɛ. Ɔma ne mu so bu nkurɔfoɔ no atɛn.
The Lord is ready to take up his cause against his people, and is about to come forward as their judge.
14 Awurade bu atɛn de tia ne nkurɔfoɔ mpanimfoɔ ne akannifoɔ sɛ, “Mo na moasɛe me bobe turo; apoobɔdeɛ a ɛfiri ahiafoɔ nkyɛn wɔ mo afie mu.
The Lord comes to be the judge of their responsible men and of their rulers: it is you who have made waste the vine-garden, and in your houses is the property of the poor which you have taken by force.
15 Aseɛ ne sɛn enti na modwɛre me nkurɔfoɔ na mode ahiafoɔ anim twitwiri fam?” Sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.
By what right are you crushing my people, and putting a bitter yoke on the necks of the poor? This is the word of the Lord, the Lord of armies.
16 Awurade kasa sɛ, “Sion mmammaa yɛ ahantan; wɔnante toto wɔn kɔn, wɔdeda wɔn ani akyi, wɔtutu wɔn anammɔn ntiawa ntiawa, na wɔn nan ase nkawa gyegye.
Again, the Lord has said, Because the daughters of Zion are full of pride, and go with outstretched necks and wandering eyes, with their foot-chains sounding when they go:
17 Enti Awurade bɛma tikuro abɛgu Sion mmaa tiri ho. Awurade bɛma wɔn tiri so apa.”
The Lord will send disease on the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will let their secret parts be seen.
18 Ɛda no Awurade bɛyiyi wɔn afɛfɛdeɛ: nkawa, ntomaban ne kɔnmuadeɛ,
In that day the Lord will take away the glory of their foot-rings, and their sun-jewels, and their moon-ornaments,
19 nsomuadeɛ, nkapo ne nkatanimu,
The ear-rings, and the chains, and the delicate clothing,
20 Wɔn mmɔtire, ananse ntweaban, abɔwomu, nnuhwam ntoa ne nkaberɛ,
The head-bands, and the arm-chains, and the worked bands, and the perfume-boxes, and the jewels with secret powers,
21 ntimsoɔ mpɛtea ne hwenemu nkawa,
The rings, and the nose-jewels,
22 ntadetenten pa, ngugusoɔ tiawa a ɛnni nsa, ntadeɛ yuu ne sika nkotokuo;
The feast-day dresses, and the robes, and the wide skirts, and the handbags,
23 nhwehwɛ, serekye ntadeɛ, tirinwi so nkawa ne abatiri so ngugusoɔ.
The looking-glasses, and the fair linen, and the high head-dresses, and the veils.
24 Nkabɔne bɛsi deɛ ɛyɛ hwam anan mu; ntampehoma bɛsi nkatakɔnmu anan mu; tire a ɛso apa bɛsi tirinwi a wɔasiesie anan mu; ayitoma bɛsi ntoma pa anan mu; honam ani atwaatwa bɛsi ahoɔfɛ anan mu.
And in the place of sweet spices will be an evil smell, and for a fair band a thick cord; for a well-dressed head there will be the cutting-off of the hair, and for a beautiful robe there will be the clothing of sorrow; the mark of the prisoner in place of the ornaments of the free.
25 Wo mmarima bɛtotɔ akofena ano, wʼakofoɔ bɛtotɔ wɔ ɔko mu.
Your men will be put to the sword, and your men of war will come to destruction in the fight.
26 Sion apono bɛtwa adwo, adi awerɛhoɔ; na deɛ ɔnnibie bɛtena fam asu.
And in the public places of her towns will be sorrow and weeping; and she will be seated on the earth, waste and uncovered.
