Yesaia 41
1 “Monyɛ komm wɔ mʼanim, mo nsupɔ! Ma aman no nhyɛ wɔn ho den! Ma wɔmmra ha mmɛkasa; momma yɛn mmom nhyia mu wɔ asɛnniiɛ hɔ.
[Yahweh says], “You [people who live on] [APO] islands in the ocean, be silent in front of me [while I ask you some questions]! Then you can be courageous and talk to me. We will meet together and decide [which one of us is right].
2 “Hwan na wakanyane deɛ ɔfiri apueeɛ no, afrɛ no tenenee mu sɛ ɔmmɛsom no? Ɔde aman hyɛ ne nsa na ɔbrɛ ahemfo ase wɔ nʼanim. Ɔde nʼakofena ma wɔdane mfuturo, ɔde ne bɛma ma wɔdane ntɛtɛ a mframa bɔ hwete.
Who has urged this king to come from the east? Who has enabled his [army] to righteously defeat many nations and to trample their kings under their feet? With their swords they cut [their enemies] into tiny pieces [HYP]; with their arrows they cause their enemies to scatter like [SIM] the wind scatters chaff.
3 Ɔtaa wɔn na ɔkɔ nʼanim a biribiara enti ne ho, wɔ ɛkwan a ɔmfaa so da so.
Even though they march through areas where they have not gone previously, they pursue [their enemies] and continue to march, and nothing stops them.
4 Hwan na wayɛ yei akɔsi awieeɛ, afrɛ awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ afiri mfitiaseɛ? Me Awurade, mene Ahyɛaseɛ ne Awieeɛ no. Mene ɔno ara.”
Who has enabled rulers to do [DOU] mighty things like that? Who has done that throughout all generations? It is I, Yahweh; I was the first [one to do things like that], and I will be the last one [to do them].”
5 Nsupɔ no ahunu na wɔbɔ hu; nsase ano ho popo. Wɔtwi bɛn, na wɔba anim;
[People who live on] [PRS] islands in the ocean are afraid while they watch. People in remote areas tremble and gather together.
6 na obiara boa ne yɔnko na ɔka kyerɛ ne nua sɛ, “Yɛ den!”
They encourage each other and say to each other, “Be strong!'
7 Odwumfoɔ hyɛ sikadwumfoɔ nkuran, na deɛ ɔde asaeɛ yɛ no tromtrom boa deɛ ɔbɔ atomboɔ so. Ɔka fa ɔsɔ no ho sɛ, “Ɛyɛ pa ara.” Ɔbobɔ ohoni no mu nnadewa sɛdeɛ ɛrentu nhwe fam.
The craftsmen encourage those who make things from gold, and the men who flatten metal encourage those who hammer metal (on an anvil/into shape). They all say, “The idol has been well made!” And then they carefully nail down the idol in order that it will not topple over!
8 “Nanso wo, Ao Israel, me ɔsomfoɔ, Yakob, deɛ mayi no no, mo, mʼadamfo Abraham asefoɔ.
[Yahweh says], “[You people of] Israel [are like] my servants; you are [descendants of] Jacob, whom I chose; [you are] descendants of Abraham, who [I said is] my friend.
9 Mefaa wo firi nsase ano, firi nʼakyirikyiri ntweaso, na mefrɛɛ wo. Mekaa sɛ, ‘Woyɛ me ɔsomfoɔ’; mapa wo na me ne wo wɔ hɔ.
I summoned you from very distant places [DOU] on the earth, and I said ‘I [want you to] serve me; I have chosen you, and I will not reject you.’
10 Nsuro, na me ne wo wɔ hɔ; mma wʼabasam mmu, na mene wo Onyankopɔn. Mɛhyɛ wo den, na mɛboa wo; mede me tenenee nsa nifa bɛpagya wo.
Do not be afraid, because I will (be with/help) you. Do not be discouraged, because I am your God. I will enable you to be strong, and I will help you; I will hold you up with my powerful arm by which you will be rescued.
11 “Wɔn a wɔn bo afu wo no nyinaa, ampa ara wɔn ani bɛwu na wɔn anim agu ase; wɔn a wɔtia wo no rensɛ hwee na wɔbɛwu.
It is certain that all those who are angry with you [Israeli people] will be disgraced [DOU]. Those who oppose you will be wiped out; they will all die.
12 Ɛwom sɛ wobɛhwehwɛ wʼatamfoɔ deɛ, nanso worenhunu wɔn. Wɔn a wɔtu wo so sa no rensɛ hwee koraa.
If you search for those who tried to conquer you, you will not find them, [because they will all have disappeared]. Those who attacked you will not exist [any more].
13 Na mene Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn, deɛ ɔkura wo nsa nifa mu na ɔka kyerɛ wo sɛ, nsuro; mɛboa wo.
[It will be as though] I will hold you up by your right hand. I am Yahweh, your God, and I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid, [because] I will help you.’
14 Nsuro, Ao, ɔsonsono Yakob, Ao Israel a wo sua, na mʼankasa mɛboa wo,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, wo gyefoɔ, Israel Ɔkronkronni no.
Although you people of Israel [DOU] [think that you are as insignificant as] worms, do not be afraid [of your enemies], because I will help you. I am Yahweh, the one who rescues you; I am the Holy One of Israel.
15 “Hwɛ, mede wo bɛyɛ nhusoɔ apa, a ɛyɛ mono, ano yɛ nnam na ɛwɔ ɛse bebree. Wobɛhuhu mmepɔ no so na woadwiri wɔn, na woama nkokoɔ ayɛ sɛ ntɛtɛ.
[I will cause] you to be like [MET] a (threshing sledge/big piece of metal that has sharp teeth for separating grain from chaff). You will tear [your enemies to bits], causing them to be like bits of chaff on the mountains.
16 Wobɛhuhu wɔn so, mframa bɛma wɔn so, na ahum abɔ wɔn akɔ. Nanso wʼani bɛgye wɔ Awurade mu na woahyɛ Israel Ɔkronkronni no animuonyam.
You will toss them up into the air, and a strong wind will blow them away [DOU]. [When that happens], you will rejoice about what I [have done for you]; you will praise me, the Holy One of Israel.
17 “Ohiani ne mmɔborɔni kyini pɛ nsuo, nanso ebi nni hɔ; osukɔm ama wɔn tɛkrɛma so awe. Nanso me Awurade, mɛma wɔn mmuaeɛ. Me, Israel Onyankopɔn, merennya wɔn.
When poor and needy people need water and they have no water, and their tongues are very dry because they are very thirsty, I, Yahweh, will come and help them. I, the God to whom you Israeli people belong, will never abandon them.
18 Mɛma nsubɔntene atene wɔ sorɔnsorɔmmea bonini no so, na nsutire apue wɔ bɔnhwa mu. Mɛdane anweatam ayɛ no nsubura, na nsase a awo adane nsutire bebree.
I will cause rivers to flow for them on the barren hills. I will give them fountains in the valleys. I will fill [HYP] the desert with pools of water. Water from springs will flow into rivers, and the rivers will flow across the dry ground.
19 Mɛduadua wɔ anweatam so, ntweneduro, okuo, ohwam ne ngo nnua. Mɛduadua pepeaa, wɔ asase wesee so asɛsɛ ne kwabɔhɔrɔ abɔ mu,
I will plant [trees] in the desert— cedar [trees], acacia [trees], myrtle [trees], olive [trees], cypress [trees], fir [trees], and pine [trees].
20 sɛdeɛ nnipa bɛhunu na wɔate, na wɔasusu ho na wɔate aseɛ sɛ, Awurade nsa na ayɛ saa adeɛ yi; Israel ɔkronkronni no na ɔma ɛbaeɛ.
[I will do that] in order that people who see it will think about it, and they will know and understand [DOU] that it is [I], Yahweh, who have done it; it is what [I], the Holy One of Israel, have done.
21 “Bɔ wo nkuro,” Awurade na ɔseɛ. “Kyerɛkyerɛ wʼasɛm mu,” Yakob Ɔhene na ɔseɛ.
[I], Yahweh, the true king of Israel say [to you nations], “Tell what your idols can do for you!
22 “Fa wʼahoni no bra na wɔmmɛka deɛ ɛbɛsi nkyerɛ yɛn. Wɔmmɛka sɛdeɛ na kane nneɛma no teɛ nkyerɛ yɛn, sɛdeɛ yɛbɛdwene ho afa na yɛahunu deɛ ɛbɛfiri mu aba. Anaa sɛ wɔmpae mu nka nneɛma a ɛbɛsi nkyerɛ yɛn.
Bring them here to tell us what is going to happen! Ask them to tell us what things happened long ago, in order that we may think about those things, and learn if those things that they predicted really happened. Or, ask them to tell us about the future, in order that we can know what will happen.
23 Monka nkyerɛ yɛn deɛ ɛbɛsi daakye, na ama yɛahunu sɛ moyɛ anyame. Monyɛ biribi, sɛ ɛyɛ anaa ɛnyɛ, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a yɛn aba mu bɛbu na ehu aka yɛn.
[Yes], those idols should tell us what will happen in the future. If they do that, we will know that they are really gods. Tell them to do something—either something good or something bad! Tell them to do something that will cause us to be amazed and afraid!
24 Nanso, monnka hwee, na mo nnwuma ho nni mfasoɔ; deɛ ɔfa mo no yɛ akyiwadeɛ.
But [that is impossible, because] idols are absolutely worthless [HYP]; they can do nothing, and I detest those who decide [to worship] idols.”
25 “Makanyane obi a ɔfiri atifi fam na ɔreba, deɛ ɔfiri owia apueeɛ na ɔbɔ me din. Ɔtiatia sodifoɔ so te sɛ dɔteɛ a wɔde si dan, te sɛ ɔnwomfoɔ a ɔrewɔ dɔteɛ.
“[But] I have incited/urged a ruler who will come [with his army] from the north. I have summoned him to come from [his country, which is] east [of Israel], and I have given him my authority [MTY]. I will [enable his army to conquer other rulers]; they will trample those leaders like [SIM] a man who makes clay pots first tramples the clay.
26 Hwan na ɔkaa yei ho asɛm firii ahyɛaseɛ, sɛdeɛ anka ɛbɛma yɛahunu, anaa waka ato hɔ, sɛdeɛ yɛbɛtumi aka sɛ, ‘Ne deɛ no yɛ’? Obiara anka yei, obiara anni ɛkan anka, obiara ante nsɛm biara amfiri wo nkyɛn.
(Who told you people long ago that this would happen?/No one told you people long ago that this would happen!) [RHQ] (Who predicted it, with the result that we can say, ‘What he predicted was correct!’?/No one predicted it, with the result that we can say, ‘What he predicted was correct!’) [RHQ] No one else said that it would happen.
27 Me na medii ɛkan ka kyerɛɛ Sion, ‘Hwɛ, wɔn nie!’ Mɛma Yerusalem ɔsomafoɔ bi a ɔde asɛmpa bɛba.
I was the first one to tell [the people of] Jerusalem, ‘Listen to this! I have appointed a messenger to tell good news to you!’
28 Mehwɛ nanso obiara nni hɔ, obiara nni wɔn mu a ɔbɛtu wɔn fo, sɛ mebisa wɔn a, obiara ntumi mma mmuaeɛ.
None of your idols told you that [DOU]. And when I asked them questions, none of them was able to give me any answers.
29 Hwɛ, wɔn nyinaa yɛ atorofoɔ! Wɔn nneyɛeɛ nka hwee; wɔn nsɛsodeɛ yɛ mframa ne basabasayɛ nko ara.
Think about it: Those idols are all useless, worthless [DOU] things. They are [as meaningless as] [MET] the wind.”
