Yesaia 44
1 “Na, afei, Ao Yakob me ɔsomfoɔ, Israel, deɛ mapa no.
Yet listen now, 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.
This is what the LORD who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: “Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, 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 on him who is thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring;
4 Wɔbɛfifiri sɛdeɛ ɛserɛ fifiri wɔ mmoa adidibea, te sɛ mpampuro a ɛwɔ asutene ho.
and they will spring up amongst the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
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 will say, ‘I am the LORD’s.’ Another will be called by the name of Jacob; and another will write with his hand ‘to the LORD,’ and honour the name of Israel.”
6 “Sei na Awurade Israelhene ne Ɔgyefoɔ, Asafo Awurade seɛ: Mene Ahyɛaseɛ ne Awieeɛ; Onyankopɔn biara nni hɔ sɛ me.
This is what the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of Armies, says: “I am the first, 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 me? Who will call, and will declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? Let them declare the things that are coming, and that will happen.
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.”
Don’t fear, neither be afraid. Haven’t I declared it to you long ago, and shown it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Indeed, there is not. I don’t know any other Rock.”
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.
Everyone who makes a carved image is vain. The things that they delight in will not profit. Their own witnesses don’t see, nor know, that they may be disappointed.
10 Hwan na ɔsene onyame na ɔgu ohoni, a ne ho mma no mfasoɔ biara?
Who has fashioned a god, or moulds an image 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 his fellows will be disappointed; and the workmen are mere men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up. They will fear. They will be put to shame 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 blacksmith takes an axe, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is 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.
The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. He marks it out with compasses, and shapes it like the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to reside 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 cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak, and strengthens for himself one amongst the trees of the forest. He plants a cypress tree, and the rain nourishes it.
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.
Then it will be for a man to burn; and he takes some of it and warms himself. Yes, he burns it and bakes bread. Yes, he makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to 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.
He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it, he eats meat. He roasts a roast and is satisfied. Yes, he warms himself and says, “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.”
The rest of it he makes into a god, even his engraved image. He bows down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me, for you are 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 don’t know, neither do they consider, for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see, and their hearts, that they can’t understand.
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?”
No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burnt part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”
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 feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he can’t deliver his soul, nor say, “Isn’t there 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, Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant. I have formed you. You are my servant. Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
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, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.
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.
Sing, you heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth! Break out into singing, you mountains, O forest, all of your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.
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,
The LORD, your Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb says: “I am the LORD, who makes all things; who alone stretches out the heavens; who spreads out the earth by myself;
25 deɛ ɔsɛe atorɔ adiyifoɔ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ na ɔma nkɔmhyɛfoɔ yɛ nkwaseafoɔ; deɛ ɔtutu anyansafoɔ adenim guo na ɔdane no nkwaseasɛm,
who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes 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,’
who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited;’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be built,’ and ‘I will raise up its waste places;’
27 deɛ ɔka kyerɛ nsubunu sɛ, ‘We, na mɛma wo asutene awewe,’
who says to the deep, ‘Be dry,’ and ‘I will dry up your 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 says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure,’ even saying of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built;’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”
