Yesaia 8

1 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Fa nwoma mmobɔeɛ kɛseɛ no na fa twerɛdua biara twerɛ so.

And the Lord said to me, Take to yourself a volume of a great new [book], and write in it with a man's pen concerning the making a rapid plunder of spoils; for it is near at hand.

2 Na mɛfrɛ ɔsɔfoɔ Uria ne Yeberekia babarima Sakaria sɛ mʼadansefoɔ nokwafoɔ aba.”

And make me witnesses [of] faithful men, Urias, and Zacharias the son of Barachias.

3 Afei mekɔɔ nkɔmhyɛni baa no ho, na ɔnyinsɛneeɛ, woo ɔbabarima. Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Frɛ no Maher-Salal-Has-Bas.

And I went in to the prophetess; and she conceived, and bore a son. And the Lord said to me, Call his name, Spoil quickly, plunder speedily.

4 Ansa na abarimaa no bɛtumi aka, ‘Mʼagya’ anaa sɛ ‘me maame’ no, Asiriahene bɛba abɛfa Damasko ahodeɛ ne Samaria afodeɛ nyinaa akɔ.”

For before the child shall know [how] to call [his] father or [his] mother, [one] shall take the power of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria before the king of the Assyrians.

5 Awurade kasa kyerɛɛ me bio sɛ,

And the Lord spoke to me yet again, [saying],

6 “Esiane sɛ saa nkurɔfoɔ yi apo Siloa nsuo a ɛresene brɛoo na wɔdi ahurisie wɔ Resin ne Remalia babarima no ho enti,

Because this people chooses not the water of Siloam that goes softly, but wills to have Rassin, and the son of Romelias [to be] king over you;

7 Awurade reyɛ de Asubɔnten no yire kɛseɛ no atia wɔn, Asiriahene ne ne kɛseyɛ nyinaa. Ɛbɛyiri afa ne mmɔnka nyinaa mu, na abu afa ne nkonkɔn so

therefore, behold, the Lord brings up upon you the water of the river, strong and abundant, [even] the king of the Assyrians, and his glory: and he shall come up over every valley of yours, and shall walk over every wall of yours:

8 na apra abɛfa Yuda, akontono afa ho, atene afa mu abɛdeda ɛkɔn mu. Na atrɛtrɛ akata asase no nyinaa so Ao Immanuel.”

and he shall take away from Juda [every] man who shall be able to lift up his head, [and every one] able to accomplish anything; and his camp shall fill the breadth of your land, [O] God with us.

9 Momma ɔko nteamu so, mo aman na wɔndwɛre mo! Montie mo akyirikyiri aman. Monsiesie mo ho mma ɔko, na wɔndwɛre mo! Monsiesie mo ho mma ɔko, na wɔndwɛre mo!

Know, you Gentiles, and be conquered; listen you, even to the extremity of the earth: be conquered, after you strengthened yourselves; for even if you should again strengthen yourselves, you shall again be conquered.

10 Hwehwɛ ɛkwan a wobɛfa soɔ, nanso wɔbɛsɛe no; da wo nsusuiɛ adi, nanso ɛrennyina, ɛfiri sɛ Onyankopɔn ne yɛn wɔ hɔ.

And whatever counsel you shall take, the Lord shall bring it to nothing; and whatever word you shall speak, it shall not stand among you: for God is with us.

11 Awurade de ne nsa denden no too me so, ka kyerɛ me bɔɔ me kɔkɔ sɛ, mennante saa nkurɔfoɔ yi kwan so. Ɔkaa sɛ,

Thus says the Lord, With a strong hand they revolt from the course of the way of this people, saying,

12 “Ɛnyɛ biribiara a saa nkurɔfoɔ yi frɛ no tirisopam na ɛyɛ tirisopam. Monnsuro deɛ wosuro, na momma ɛmmɔ mo hu.

Let them not say, [It is] hard, for whatever this people says, is hard: but fear not you their fear, neither be dismayed.

13 Asafo Awurade nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wobu no kronkron, ɔno na ɛsɛ sɛ wosuro no, ɔno na ne ho yɛ hu,

Sanctify you the Lord himself; and he shall be your fear.

14 ɔbɛyɛ kronkronbea: nanso Israel afie mmienu no deɛ, ɔbɛyɛ suntiboɔ ne ɔbotan a ɛma wɔhwe ase. Na ne nnipa a ɛwɔ Yerusalem deɛ ɔbɛyɛ afidie a ɛbɛyi wɔn.

And if you shall trust in him, he shall be to you for a sanctuary; and you shall not come against [him] as against a stumbling-stone, neither as against the falling of a rock: but the houses of Jacob are in a snare, and the dwellers in Jerusalem in a pit.

15 Wɔn mu bebree bɛsuntisunti; wɔbɛhwe ase a wɔnnsɔre bio; wɔbɛsum wɔn afidie na ayi wɔn.”

Therefore many among them shall be weak, and fall, and be crushed; and they shall draw near, and men shall be taken securely.

16 Kyekyere adanseɛ no sɔ mmara no ano ma mʼasuafoɔ.

Then shall those who seal themselves that they may not learn the law be made manifest.

17 Mɛtwɛn Awurade a wayi nʼani afiri Yakob efie so mede me werɛ bɛhyɛ ne mu.

And [one] shall say, I will wait for God, who has turned away his face from the house of Jacob, and I will trust in him.

18 Me ne mma a Awurade de wɔn ama me no nie. Yɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ ne ahyɛnsodeɛ wɔ Israel, na yɛfiri Asafo Awurade a ɔte Sion Bepɔso no nkyɛn.

Behold I and the children which God has given me: and they shall be [for] signs and wonders in the house of Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells in mount Sion.

19 Sɛ nnipa tu mo fo sɛ monkɔ hunu asamanfrɛfoɔ ne nnunsifoɔ a wɔkasa aso mu na emu nteɛ a, adɛn enti na wɔmmmisa wɔn Onyankopɔn? Adɛn enti na mobisa adeɛ wɔ awufoɔ nkyɛn ma ateasefoɔ?

And if they should say to you, Seek those who have in them a divining spirit, and them that speak out of the earth, them that speak vain words, who speak out of their belly: shall not a nation diligently seek to their God? why do they seek to the dead concerning the living?

20 Sɛ wɔannyina mmara ne adanseɛ yi so anka asɛm yi a, wonni adekyeɛ mu hann.

For he has given the law for a help, that they should not speak according to this word, concerning which there are no gifts to give for it.

21 Wɔde ahohiahia ne ɛkɔm bɛnantenante asase no so; na sɛ wɔtɔ baha a, wɔn bo bɛfu na wɔbɛma wɔn ani so adome wɔn ɔhene ne wɔn Onyankopɔn.

And famine shall come sorely upon you, and it shall come to pass, [that] when you shall be hungry, you shall be grieved, and you shall speak ill of the prince and your fathers' ordinances: and they shall look up to heaven above,

22 Afei wɔbɛhwɛ asase no so, na wobɛhunu ahohiahia ne esum a ɛyɛ hu, na wɔde wɔn bɛhyɛne esum kabii mu.

and they shall look on the earth below, and behold severe distress, and darkness, affliction, and anguish, and darkness so that [one can’t] see; and he that is in anguish shall not be distressed only for a time.