Yesaia 8

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

And Yahweh said unto me: Take thee a large tablet, —and write thereon in plain characters, To Maher-shalal-hash-baz. ["Speed-spoil-hurry-prey".]

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

That I may take in attestation, faithful witnesses, —even Uriah the priest, and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.

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

Then approached I unto the prophetess, and she conceived and bare a son, —and Yahweh said unto me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

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 boy shall have knowledge to cry, My father! and, My mother! the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria.

5 Awurade kasa kyerɛɛ me bio sɛ,

And again Yahweh spake unto me yet further 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 hath refused the waters of Shiloah which flow softly, —and are rejoicing with Rezin and the son of Remaliah,

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

now therefore, lo! the Lord is about to bring up against them the waters, strong and many, of the River ["Euphrates"], even the king of Assyria and all his glory, —and he shall rise over all his channels, and flow over all his banks;

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

and roll on throughout Judah—overflow and pass along, till unto the neck, he shall reach, —and it shall be, that, the stretching out of his wings, shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel!

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!

Rage, O ye peoples, —and be overthrown, And give ear, all ye distant parts of the earth, —Gird yourselves and be overthrown, Gird yourselves, and be overthrown:

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

Determine a plan, —and it shall be frustrated, —Speak a word, and it shall not stand, For With-us-is-GOD!

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,

For, thus, spake Yahweh unto me like a firm grasp of the hand, —when he admonished me, not to walk in 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.

Ye shall not say—A confederacy! of everything of which this people may say. A confederacy! And their fear, shall ye not fear or regard as awful:

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

Yahweh of hosts, him, shall ye hallow, —And let, him, be your fear, and let, him inspire you with awe;

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.

So shall he become a hallowed asylum, —But a stone to strike against, and a rock to stumble over unto both houses of Israel A trap and a snare to the dweller in Jerusalem;

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

And many, shall stumble among them, —and fall and be torn, and snared, and captured.

16 Kyekyere adanseɛ no sɔ mmara no ano ma mʼasuafoɔ.

Bind thou up the testimony, —Seal the instruction amongst my disciples.

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

I will therefore long for Yahweh, Who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, —And will wait, for 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.

Lo! I and the children whom Yahweh hath given me, are for signs and for wonders in Israel, —from Yahweh of hosts, who is making his habitation in Mount Zion.

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?

But, when they say unto you—Seek ye unto the necromancers and unto the wizards, who chirp, and who mutter, Should not a people seek, unto its God? In behalf of the living, [should it seek] unto the dead?

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

To the law and to the testimony! If they speak not according to this word, [It is], because they have no dawning day.

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.

Therefore shall they pass through it hard pressed and hungry, —And it shall be when they hunger, then will they rage and revile their king and their god and turn their faces upwards;

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

And unto the land, shall they look hard, And lo! distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, driven away!