Yesaia 44
1 “Na, afei, Ao Yakob me ɔsomfoɔ, Israel, deɛ mapa no.
Now, then—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 Yahweh—Who made thee and formed thee from birth, Who helpeth thee: Do not fear O my Servant Jacob, and Jeshurun 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, Water upon the thirsty soil, and Floods upon the dry ground, —I will pour My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring;
4 Wɔbɛfifiri sɛdeɛ ɛserɛ fifiri wɔ mmoa adidibea, te sɛ mpampuro a ɛwɔ asutene ho.
So will they spring up among the grass, As willows by the water-courses:
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.
This one, will say Yahweh’s, am I, and That one, will call himself by the name of Jacob, and Yonder one will write on his hand—Yahweh’s, And after the name of Israel, will one entitle himself.
6 “Sei na Awurade Israelhene ne Ɔgyefoɔ, Asafo Awurade seɛ: Mene Ahyɛaseɛ ne Awieeɛ; Onyankopɔn biara nni hɔ sɛ me.
Thus saith Yahweh—King of Israel, Even his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts, —I, am, First, and, I, 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 then, like me, can call, and declare it, and order it, for me, Seeing that I appointed an age-abiding people, —Or things yet to be, and that shall come to pass, Let them declare on their part.
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.”
Do not ye dread, nor yet be alarmed, Have I not from olden time, told thee and declared? So that, ye, are my witnesses, —Whether there is a GOD besides me? Or is no Rock—I knew of none!
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 fashioners of an image—all of them, are emptiness, And, the things they delight in, cannot profit, —And, their, witnesses, they, neither see nor know, That they may be ashamed.
10 Hwan na ɔsene onyame na ɔgu ohoni, a ne ho mma no mfasoɔ biara?
Who hath fashioned a GOD, Oran image, hath molten? It cannot profit!
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.
Lo! all his partners, turn pale, Even, the artificers themselves, are of the sons of earth, —Let them gather themselves together—all of them. Let them take their stand, Let them dread, and turn pale, 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.
As for the smith, [with his] cutting-tool, —When he hath wrought in the live coals, And, with hammers, hath fashioned it, —And hath wrought it with his strong arm, Anon he is hungry, and hath no strength, He hath drunk no water and so hath become faint!
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.
As for the carpenter, —He hath stretched out a line hath drawn it with a pencil, Hath made it with carving tools, With compasses, hath rounded it, —And so hath made it after the figure of a great man, After the beauty of a son of earth, that it may remain in a house!
14 Ɔtwitwaa ntweneduro, anaasɛ ebia ɔfaa kwabɔhɔrɔ anaa odum. Ɔmaa ɛnyiniiɛ wɔ kwaeɛ mu, anaa ɔduaa pepeaa, na osutɔ ma ɛnyiniiɛ.
When one was cutting him down cedars, Then took he a holm-tree and an oak, And secured them for himself, among the trees of the forest, —He planted a fir-tree and the pouring rain made it grow;
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.
So it serveth for a man to burn, And he hath taken of the branches and warmed himself, Also he kindleth a fire, and baketh bread, —Also he maketh a GOD, and hath bowed himself down, Hath made of it a carved image, and adored 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.
The half thereof, hath he burned in the fire, Over half thereof, he eateth flesh, He roasteth roast, that he may be satisfied, —Also he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen a blaze;
17 Nkaeɛ no ɔde yɛ onyame, ne honi; ɔkoto no na ɔsɔre no. Ɔbɔ no mpaeɛ sɛ, “Gye me; wone me nyame.”
And the residue thereof, Into a GOD, he maketh, Into his carved image, —Adoreth it, and boweth down and prayeth unto it, And saith Deliver me, for, my GOD, thou art!
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 taken note, neither can they perceive, —He hath besmeared—past seeing—their eyes, Past understanding, their hearts;
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?”
And no one reflecteth—There is neither knowledge nor discernment—to say, Half thereof, have I burned up in the fire Moreover also I have baked, on the coals thereof, bread, I roasted flesh, and have been eating, —And of the remainder thereof, an abomination, shall I make? And, to a log of wood, shall I pay adoration?
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?”
He is feeding on ashes, A deluded heart, hath turned him aside, —And he cannot deliver his own soul nor say, Is there not a falsehood 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, my Servant, thou art, —I have fashioned thee, a Servant of mine, thou art.
22 Mapra wo mfomsoɔ agu te sɛ ɛbɔ ne wo bɔne te sɛ anɔpa bosuo. Sane bra me nkyɛn, ɛfiri sɛ magye wo.”
O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me, I have wiped out, As with a thick cloud, thy transgressions, And as with a broad cloud, thy sins, —Return unto 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.
Shout in triumph ye heavens for Yahweh, hath effectually wrought. Shout, O ye underparts of the earth, Ring out, Ye mountains, into cries of triumph, Thou forest, and every tree therein, —For, Yahweh, hath redeemed, Jacob, And in Israel, will he get himself glory.
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 Yahweh Who hath redeemed thee, Who hath fashioned thee from birth, —I—Yahweh, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens, alone, Spreading forth the earth, of myself;
25 deɛ ɔsɛe atorɔ adiyifoɔ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ na ɔma nkɔmhyɛfoɔ yɛ nkwaseafoɔ; deɛ ɔtutu anyansafoɔ adenim guo na ɔdane no nkwaseasɛm,
Frustrating the signs of praters, And, diviners, he confoundeth, —Turning wise men backwards, And their knowledge, he maketh folly;
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,’
Establishing the word of his Servant, And the counsel of his Messengers, he maketh good, —Who saith of Jerusalem—She shall be inhabited! And of the cities of Judah—They shall be built! And the ruins thereof, will I set up!
27 deɛ ɔka kyerɛ nsubunu sɛ, ‘We, na mɛma wo asutene awewe,’
Who saith to the deep—Be dry and Thy rivers, will I drain!
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 saith of Cyrus—My Shepherd! and All my pleasure, shall he make good Even saying of Jerusalem—She shall be built! And of the temple—Be her foundation laid!
