Yesaia 44
1 “Na, afei, Ao Yakob me ɔsomfoɔ, Israel, deɛ mapa no.
And now hear, O Jacob, my servant, and Israel whom I have chosen.
2 Sei na Awurade seɛ, deɛ ɔnwonoo wo, na ɔyɛɛ wo wɔ awotwaa mu, ɔno na ɔbɛboa wo: Nsuro, Ao Yakob, me ɔsomfoɔ, Yeshurun, a mapa noɔ.
Thus saith the Lord that made and formed thee, thy helper from the womb: Fear not, O my servant Jacob, and thou most righteous whom I have chosen.
3 Na mɛhwie nsuo agu asase a awo no so, ne asutene wɔ asase kesee so; mɛhwie me Honhom agu wo mma so, ne me nhyira agu wʼasefoɔ so.
For I will pour out waters upon the thirsty ground, and streams upon the dry land: I will pour out my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy stock.
4 Wɔbɛfifiri sɛdeɛ ɛserɛ fifiri wɔ mmoa adidibea, te sɛ mpampuro a ɛwɔ asutene ho.
And they shall spring up among the herbs, as willows beside the running waters.
5 Obi bɛka sɛ, ‘Meyɛ Awurade dea’; ɔfoforɔ bɛfrɛ ne ho sɛ Yakob; bio ɔfoforɔ bɛtwerɛ ne nsa ho sɛ, ‘Awurade dea,’ na wafa edin Israel.
One shall say: I am the Lord’s, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand, To the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
6 “Sei na Awurade Israelhene ne Ɔgyefoɔ, Asafo Awurade seɛ: Mene Ahyɛaseɛ ne Awieeɛ; Onyankopɔn biara nni hɔ sɛ me.
Thus saith the Lord the king of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts: I am the brat, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God.
7 Hwan na ɔne me sɛ? Ma ɔmpae mu nka. Ma ɔnka na ɔnkyerɛ wɔ mʼanim deɛ asisi firi ɛberɛ a megyee me tete nkurɔfoɔ sii hɔ, ne deɛ ɛrebɛba, aane, ma ɔnhyɛ deɛ ɛreba ho nkɔm.
Who is like to me? let him call and declare: and let him set before me the order, since I appointed the ancient people: and the things to come, and that shall be hereafter, let them shew unto them.
8 Mommma mo ho mpopo, monnsuro. Mampae mu anka yei, manna no adi teteete anaa? Mone mʼadansefoɔ. Onyankopɔn foforɔ bi ka me ho anaa? Dabi, Ɔbotan foforɔ bi nni hɔ; mennim obiara.”
Fear ye not, neither be ye troubled, from that time I have made thee to hear, and have declared: you are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me, a maker, whom I have not known?
9 Wɔn a wɔyɛ ahoni nyinaa nka hwee, na nneɛma a ɛsom wɔn bo no ho nni mfasoɔ. Wɔn a anka wɔkasa ma wɔn no ani afira; wɔnnim wɔn ankasa animguaseɛ ho hwee.
The makers of idols are all of them nothing, and their best beloved things shall not profit them. They are their witnesses, that they do not see, nor understand, that they may be ashamed.
10 Hwan na ɔsene onyame na ɔgu ohoni, a ne ho mma no mfasoɔ biara?
Who hath formed a god, and made a graven thing that is profitable for nothing?
11 Ɔno ne wɔn a wɔte sɛ no nyinaa anim bɛgu ase; adwumfoɔ nyɛ hwee sɛ nnipa. Momma wɔn nyinaa mmɔ mu nsɔre nnyina, ehu ne animguaseɛ na ɛbɛka wɔn.
Behold, all the partakers thereof shall be confounded: for the makers are men: they shall all assemble together, they shall stand and fear, and shall be confounded together.
12 Ɔtomfoɔ fa nʼatondadeɛ ɔde hyehyɛ egyasramma mu; ɔde asaeɛ bobɔ so yɛ no ohoni, ɔde nʼabasamu ahoɔden mmorosoɔ na ɛyɛ; ɛkɔm de no na ɔyɛ mmrɛ; ɔnnom nsuo enti ɔtɔ baha.
The smith hath wrought with his file, with coals, and with hammers he hath formed it, and hath wrought with the strength of his arm: he shall hunger and faint, he shall drink no water, and shall be weary.
13 Duadwumfoɔ de ahoma susu na ɔde twerɛdua sensane; na ɔde fitiɛ yiyi ho afei ɔde kɔmpase hyɛ no agyiraeɛ. Ɔsene na ɛyɛ sɛ onipa sɛso, ɛyɛ sɛ onipa wɔ nʼanimuonyam nyinaa mu, sɛ wɔde bɛsi abosonnan mu.
The carpenter hath stretched out his rule, he hath formed it with a plane: he hath made it with corners, and hath fashioned it round with the compass: and he hath made the image of a man as it were a beautiful man dwelling in a house.
14 Ɔtwitwaa ntweneduro, anaasɛ ebia ɔfaa kwabɔhɔrɔ anaa odum. Ɔmaa ɛnyiniiɛ wɔ kwaeɛ mu, anaa ɔduaa pepeaa, na osutɔ ma ɛnyiniiɛ.
He hath cut down cedars, taken the holm, and the oak that stood among the trees of the forest: he hath planted the pine tree, which the rain hath nourished.
15 Ɛyɛ deɛ onipa de sɔ ogya; ɔde ebi ka ne ho hye, ɔde bi sɔ ogya to burodo. Nanso ɔde ebi sene onyame nso na ɔsɔre no; ɔyɛ ohoni na ɔkoto no.
And it hath served men for fuel: he took thereof, and warmed himself: and he kindled it, and baked bread: but of the rest he made a god, and adored it: he made a graven thing, and bowed down before it.
16 Ɔde dua no mu fa sɔ ogya; ɛso na ɔnoa nʼaduane, ɔtoto ne nam wɔ so na wawe amee. Afei ɔka ne ho hye na ɔka sɛ, Aa! Mahunu ogya; me ho ayɛ me hye.
Part of it he burnt with fire, and with part of it he dressed his meat: he boiled pottage, and was filled, and was warmed, and said: Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.
17 Nkaeɛ no ɔde yɛ onyame, ne honi; ɔkoto no na ɔsɔre no. Ɔbɔ no mpaeɛ sɛ, “Gye me; wone me nyame.”
But the residue thereof he made a god, and a graven thing for himself: he boweth down before it, and adoreth it, and prayeth unto it, saying: Deliver me, for thou art my God.
18 Wonnim hwee, na wɔnte hwee ase; wɔasram wɔn ani so enti wɔnhunu adeɛ, wɔato wɔn adwene mu enti wɔnte hwee ase.
They have not known, nor understood: for their eyes are covered that they may not see, and that they may not understand with their heart.
19 Obiara nna nnwene ho, obiara nni nimdeɛ anaa nhunumu a ɔde bɛka sɛ, “Mede ɛfa sɔɔ ogya; na mpo metoo burodo wɔ ne gyaframa so; metotoo nam wɔ so weeɛ. Ɛsɛ sɛ mede nkaeɛ no yɛ akyiwadeɛ anaa? Ɛsɛ sɛ mekoto gyentia anaa?”
They do not consider in their mind, nor know, nor have the thought to say: I have burnt part of it in the fire, and I have baked bread upon the coals thereof: I have broiled flesh and have eaten, and of the residue thereof shall I make an idol? shall I fall down before the stock of a tree?
20 Nsõ na ɔdie, nnaadaa akoma ma no yera kwan; ɔrentumi nye ne ho, anaa ɔrentumi nka sɛ, “Deɛ mekura wɔ me nsa nifa yi nnyɛ atorɔ anaa?”
Part thereof is ashes: his foolish heart adoreth it, and he will not save his soul, nor say: Perhaps there is a lie in my right hand.
21 “Kae saa nneɛma yi, Ao, Yakob, ɛfiri sɛ, woyɛ me ɔsomfoɔ, Ao Israel. Me na meyɛɛ wo, woyɛ me ɔsomfoɔ; Ao Israel, me werɛ remfiri wo.
Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for thou art my servant. I have formed thee, thou art my servant, O Israel, forget me not.
22 Mapra wo mfomsoɔ agu te sɛ ɛbɔ ne wo bɔne te sɛ anɔpa bosuo. Sane bra me nkyɛn, ɛfiri sɛ magye wo.”
I have blotted out thy iniquities as a cloud, and thy sins as a mist: return to me, for I have redeemed thee.
23 Momfa ahosɛpɛ nto dwom, Ao ɔsorosoro, na Awurade na wayɛ yei. Mommɔ ose, Ao, asase ase. Momma nnwontoɔ so, mo mmepɔ, mo kwaeɛ ne emu nnua nyinaa, na Awurade agye Yakob, wada nʼanimuonyam adi wɔ Israel.
Give praise, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath shewn mercy: shout with joy, ye ends of the earth: ye mountains, resound with praise, thou, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and Israel shall be glorified.
24 “Sei na Awurade seɛ, wo Gyefoɔ a ɔnwonoo wo wɔ awotwaa mu no: “Mene Awurade, deɛ wayɛ nneɛma nyinaa, deɛ ɔno nko ara trɛɛ ɔsoro mu deɛ ɔno nko ara twee asase mu,
Thus saith the Lord thy redeemer, and thy maker, from the womb: I am the Lord, that make all things, that alone stretch out the heavens, that establish the earth, and there is none with me.
25 deɛ ɔsɛe atorɔ adiyifoɔ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ na ɔma nkɔmhyɛfoɔ yɛ nkwaseafoɔ; deɛ ɔtutu anyansafoɔ adenim guo na ɔdane no nkwaseasɛm,
That make void the tokens of diviners, and make the soothsayers mad. That turn the wise backward, and that, make their knowledge foolish.
26 deɛ ɔma nʼasomfoɔ nsɛm ba mu deɛ ɔhyɛ nʼasomafoɔ nkɔmhyɛ no mu ma, “deɛ ɔka fa Yerusalem ho sɛ, ‘Wɔbɛtena ne mu,’ ne Yuda nkuro ho sɛ, ‘Wɔbɛkyekyere,’ ne mmubuiɛ ho sɛ, ‘Mɛyɛ no foforɔ,’
That raise up the word of my servant and perform the counsel of my messengers, who say to Jerusalem: Thou shalt be inhabited: and to the cities of Juda: You shall be built, and I will raise up the wastes thereof.
27 deɛ ɔka kyerɛ nsubunu sɛ, ‘We, na mɛma wo asutene awewe,’
Who say to the deep: Be thou desolate, and I will dry up thy rivers.
28 deɛ ɔka wɔ Kores ho sɛ, ‘Ɔyɛ me dwanhwɛfoɔ na ɔbɛwie deɛ mepɛ nyinaa yɛ; ɔbɛka afa Yerusalem ho sɛ, “Ma wɔnkyekyere bio,” na waka afa asɔredan no ho sɛ, “Ma wɔnto ne fapem.”’”
Who say to Cyrus: Thou art my shepherd, and thou shalt perform all my pleasure. Who say to Jerusalem: Thou shalt be built: and to the temple: Thy foundations shall be laid.
