Yesaia 47
1 “Siane kɔ, tena mfuturo mu, Ɔbabaa bunu Babilonia; tena fam. Worentena ahennwa so bio, Ɔbabaa Babiloniafoɔ. Wɔremfrɛ wo bio sɛ, ɔbaabereɛ a wɔkorɔkorɔ no bio.
[Yahweh also says], “You people of Babylon, you should go and sit in the dust/dirt [to show that you are mourning], because your time to rule [MTY] [other countries] is almost ended. People will never again say that Babylonia is beautiful [like] a very attractive/beautiful young woman.
2 Fa owiyammoɔ na yam esiam; yi wo nkatanimu no. Pagya wʼatadeɛ kɔ soro, na wo nan ho ngu hɔ, na fa nsuwansuwa no mu.
[You will be slaves, so] take heavy stones and grind grain [like slave women do]. Take off your [beautiful] veils and take off your robes [as you prepare to cross streams to go where you will be forced to go].
3 Wʼadagya bɛda adi na wʼanimguaseɛ so renkata. Mɛtɔ were; memfa obiara ho nkyɛ no.”
You will be naked and [very] ashamed. I will get vengeance on you and not pity you.”
4 Yɛn Gyefoɔ, Asafo Awurade ne ne din, ɔno ne Israel Kronkronni.
The one who frees us [people of Judah], whom we call ‘the Commander of the armies of angels’, is the Holy One of Israel.
5 “Tena ase dinn, kɔhyɛ esum mu, Ɔbabaa Babilonia; wɔremfrɛ wo bio sɛ ahennie ahodoɔ so hemaa.
[Yahweh says], “You people of Babylon, sit silently in the darkness, because people will never again say that your city is [like] [MET] a queen that rules many kingdoms.
6 Me bo fuu me nkurɔfoɔ, na meguu mʼagyapadeɛ ho fi; mede wɔn hyɛɛ wo nsa, na woanhunu wɔn mmɔbɔ. Nkɔkoraa koraa mpo wosoaa wɔn kɔnnua duruduru.
I was angry with the people whom I chose [to belong to me], and I punished them. I allowed you [people of Babylon] to conquer them. But [when you conquered them], you did not have mercy on them. You (oppressed/treated cruelly) [MET] even the old people.
7 Wokaa sɛ, ‘Mɛkɔ so daa, ayɛ ɔhemmaa afebɔɔ.’ Nanso woannwene saa nneɛma yi ho na woansusu deɛ ɛbɛtumi asie ho.
You said, ‘We will rule [other nations] forever; [it is as though our city] will be the queen [of the world] forever!’ But you did not think about the things [that you were doing], or think about what would result.
8 “Afei tie, wo odwamanfoɔ, woredwodwo wo ho wɔ wo banbɔ mu na woka kyerɛ wo ho sɛ, ‘me ne no, na obiara nni hɔ sɛ me. Merenyɛ okunafoɔ da na merenni abawuo.’
You people [of Babylon] who enjoy pleasure and sex, listen to this: You enjoy a luxurious life and you feel secure. You say, ‘We are [like gods], and there are no others like us. Our women will never become widows, and our children will never be killed [in wars].’
9 Saa nneɛma mmienu yi bɛto wo prɛko pɛ, dakoro pɛ: abawuo ne kunayɛ. Saa nneɛma yi bɛba wo so pa ara, wʼabayisɛm bebrebe yi ne ntafowayie a emu yɛ den nyinaa akyi.
But both of those things will happen to you suddenly: Many of your women will become widows and many of your children will die, even though you perform much sorcery and many kinds of magic [to prevent bad things from happening to you].
10 Wode wo ho ato wʼamumuyɛ so na waka sɛ, ‘Obiara nhunu me.’ Wo nyansa ne nimdeɛ ma wo fom kwan ɛberɛ a woka kyerɛ wo ho sɛ, ‘Me ne no, obiara nni hɔ ka me ho.’
You felt protected even though you were doing many wicked things, and you said, ‘No one will see what we [are doing]!’ [You thought that] you were very wise and knew many things, and you said, ‘We are gods, and there are no others like us,’ but you deceived yourselves.
11 Amanehunu bɛto wo, na worenhunu ɛkwan ko a wobɛfa so ayi afiri hɔ. Ɔhaw bi bɛba wo so a worentumi mfa mpatadeɛ nyi mfiri hɔ; atoyerɛnkyɛm a ɛnnaa ne ho adi nkyerɛɛ wo bɛba wo so mpofirim.
So you will experience terrible things, and you will not be able to prevent them by working magic. You will experience disasters, and you will not be able to pay anyone to prevent those things from happening. (A catastrophe/Something terrible) will happen to you suddenly, something that you will not realize [is about to happen].
12 “Kɔ so yɛ wo ntafowayie ne wʼabayisɛm bebrebe a wode adi dwuma firi wo mmɔfraase no. Ebia wobɛdi nkonim, ebia wode ehu bɛba.
So you can continue to perform all your magic spells [IRO]! You can perform the many kinds of sorcery that you have practiced for many years! Perhaps [doing those things will enable you to] be successful; perhaps you will be able to cause your enemies to be afraid of you!
13 Woabrɛ wɔ afotufoɔ bebrebe a woanya no mu! Ma wo nsoromma ho anyansafoɔ mmra anim, wɔn a wɔhwɛ nsoromma mu no ka deɛ ɛreba bosome biara mu no, ma wɔnnnye wo mfiri deɛ ɛreba wo so no mu.
But [all that has resulted from your] doing all the things that the magicians have told you to do is that you have become tired! The men who look at the stars every month and predict what will happen should come forward and rescue you [from the disasters that you are about to experience].
14 Nokorɛm, wɔte sɛ nnyentia; ogya bɛhye wɔn. Na wɔntumi nnye wɔn ankasa ho mfiri egyadɛreɛ ano den no ho. Ogyasramma biara nni ha a ɛbɛka wo hye; ogya biara nni ha a wɔbɛtena ho ato.
But [they cannot do that, because] they are like [SIM] straw that is burning in a fire; they cannot save themselves from being burned up in the flames. Those men are unable to help you [MET]; they are as useless as stubble [that burns quickly and produces no heat] for you.
15 Deɛ wɔbɛtumi ayɛ ama wo ara ne no, yeinom na wo ne wɔn abrɛ na wo ne wɔn anante firi mmɔfraase. Wɔn mu biara afa ne kwan; ɔbaako mpo nni hɔ a ɔbɛtumi agye woɔ.
The people whom you have associated with and worked with since you were young [will not help you], because they will just continue doing their own foolish things, and they will not pay any attention to you [when you cry out for help].”
