Isaiah 44
1 Now, then—hear, O Jacob, my Servant, —and Israel whom I have chosen:
“Ke azɔ la, ɖo to, o nye dɔla Yakob, Israel, ame si metia.
2 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;
Ale Yehowa ame si wɔ wò, ame si me wò ɖe vidzidɔ me, ame si akpe ɖe ŋuwò la gblɔe nye esi, Mègavɔ̃ o, O! Yakob, nye dɔla. Yerusalem, ame si metia,
3 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;
elabena makɔ tsi ɖe kuɖiɖinyigba dzi kple tɔʋuwo ɖe anyigba ƒuƒu dzi. Makɔ nye gbɔgbɔ ɖe viwòwo dzi kple nye yayra ɖe wò dzidzimeviwo dzi.
4 So will they spring up among the grass, As willows by the water-courses:
Woamie abe gbe si le gbedzi ene, eye woanɔ abe amutiwo le tɔʋuwo to ene.
5 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.
Ɖeka agblɔ be, ‘Yehowa tɔ menye.’ Bubu atsɔ Yakob ƒe ŋkɔ na eɖokui, eye ame bubu hã aŋlɔ ɖe eƒe asi ŋuti be, ‘Yehowa tɔ,’ eye wòatsɔ ŋkɔ be Israel.
6 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.
“Ale Yehowa, Israel ƒe Fia kple Ɖela, Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gblɔe nye esi: Nyee nye gbãtɔ kple mlɔetɔ. Mawu bubu aɖeke mekpe ɖe ŋunye o.
7 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.
Ekema ame kae sɔ kplim? Neɖe gbeƒãe. Neva gblɔe, eye wòaɖee afia le ŋkunye me, nu siwo dzɔ tso esime meɖo nye blemamewo gɔme anyi kple nu si gbɔna eme va ge. Ɛ̃, negblɔ nu si ava dzɔ.
8 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!
Migadzo nyanyanya o. Migavɔ̃ o. Ɖe nyemeɖe gbeƒã esia, eye megblɔe da ɖi gbe aɖe gbe ke oa? Miawoe nye nye ɖasefowo. Ɖe Mawu bubu aɖe gali kpe ɖe ŋunyea? Ao, Agakpe aɖeke megali o.”
9 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.
Ame siwo katã ha legbawo la, mele ɖeke me o, eye nu siwo ŋu wode asixɔxɔe la nye tofloko. Ame siwo ƒoa nu ɖe wo nu la nye ŋkugbagbãtɔwo, numanyala siwo menya ŋukpe o.
10 Who hath fashioned a GOD, Oran image, hath molten? It cannot profit!
Ame kae kpa aklamakpakpɛ mawo, eye wòli legba si mahe viɖe aɖeke vɛ nɛ o?
11 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!
Woado ŋukpe aklamakpakpɛwɔla kple aklamakpakpɛ la siaa, elabena aɖaŋudɔwɔlawo hã, amegbetɔwo ko wonye. Wo katã neƒo ƒu ne woaɖo kpe nu dzi, ke hã la, woaƒo wo aƒu anyi kple ŋɔdzi kple dɔléle.
12 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!
Gbede tsɔ eƒe dɔwɔnu de gayibɔdzo me. Etsɔ eƒe zu wɔ dɔ le gayibɔ la ŋu kple eƒe abɔ sesẽ, eye wòwɔe wòzu legba. Dɔ wui, eye wògbɔdzɔ. Meno tsi o, ale nu ti kɔ nɛ vevie.
13 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!
Atikpala tsɔ nudzidzenu, eye wòtsɔ ɣe te fli ɖe teƒe siwo wòdzidze. Etsɔ nukpafi zrɔ̃ teƒeteƒewoe, eye wòtsɔ nudzidzega dzidzee. Ekpae ɖe ame ƒe nɔnɔme me, le ame ƒe dzedze nyuitɔ me be wòate ŋu atsɔe ada ɖe trɔ̃xɔ me.
14 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;
Atikpala la lã sedati, papawu alo logoti. Ena wòtsi le avemetiwo dome. Ɖewohĩ edo gboti hã, eye tsidzadza na wòtsi.
15 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:
Ame la tsɔe wɔ nakee. Etsɔ ɖe do dzoe le ƒuƒum. Etsɔ ɖe do dzoe, me abolo. Etsɔ ɖe wɔ mawue. Ke etsɔ ɖe wɔ mawue hesubɔna, eye wòtsɔ ɖe wɔ aklamakpakpɛ hedea ta agu nɛ.
16 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;
Etsɔ ati la ƒe afã do dzoe heɖa nu le edzi. Eme lã le edzi, eye wòɖu nu ɖi ƒo. Azɔ eƒu dzo la hegblɔ be: “Aa! Mekpɔ dzo le ƒuƒum, eye nye lãme xɔ dzo.”
17 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!
Etsɔ ati la ƒe mamlɛa wɔ aklamakpakpɛ, mawu si wòdea ta agu na hesubɔna. Edo gbe ɖa nɛ be, “Ɖem, wòe nye nye mawu.”
18 They have not taken note, neither can they perceive, —He hath besmeared—past seeing—their eyes, Past understanding, their hearts;
Ame siawo menya naneke o. Womese naneke gɔme o. Nu tsyɔ woƒe ŋkuwo dzi be womegakpɔ nu o, eye woƒe susuwo me xe be womagase naneke gɔme o.
19 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?
Nunya mele wo dometɔ aɖeke si wòagblɔ be, “Metsɔ afã wɔ nakee. Meme abolo gɔ̃ hã le eƒe dzokawo dzi, eye meme lã hã le edzi heɖu o. Ɖe matsɔ mamlɛa awɔ ŋunyɔnuea? Ɖe madze klo na atikpoa.”
20 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?
Etsɔ eƒe susu da ɖe dzofi dzi, eye dzi si woble la kplɔe trae, ale mate ŋu aɖe eɖokui alo agblɔ be, “Ɖe nu si melé ɖe nye nuɖusime la menye aʋatso oa?”
21 Remember these things, O Jacob, And, Israel, —for, my Servant, thou art, —I have fashioned thee, a Servant of mine, thou art.
“Ɖo ŋku nu siawo dzi, O! Yakob, elabena wòe nye nye dɔla, O! Israel. Nyee me wò, eye nye dɔlae nènye. O! Israel, nyemaŋlɔ wò be akpɔ o.
22 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.
Mekplɔ wò vodadawo dzoe abe lilikpo ene, eye mena wò nu vɔ̃wo nu va yi abe ahũ si dza le fɔŋli ene. Trɔ̃ va gbɔnye, elabena meɖe wò.”
23 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.
O! Dziƒowo, midzi ha kple dzidzɔ, elabena Yehowae wɔ esia. O! Anyigba do ɣli sesĩe. Mido ha ɖa, mi towo, avewo kple avemetiwo, elabena Yehowa ɖe Yakob. Eɖe eƒe Ŋutikɔkɔefia le Israel.
24 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;
“Ale Yehowa, wò Ɖela, ame si me wò ɖe dɔ me la gblɔe nye esi: “Nyee nye Yehowa si wɔ nuwo katã. Ame si he dziƒowo me, eye nye ŋutɔe keke anyigbawo me.
25 Frustrating the signs of praters, And, diviners, he confoundeth, —Turning wise men backwards, And their knowledge, he maketh folly;
Nyee gblẽa alakpanyagblɔɖilawo ƒe dzesiwo me, eye medoa abunɛ bokɔwo ƒe nukakawo, ame si ɖea nunyalawo le zi dzi, eye wòtrɔa woƒe nunya wòzua bometsitsi.
26 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!
Ame si wɔna ɖe eƒe dɔlawo ƒe biabiawo dzi, eye wònaa eƒe dɔlawo ƒe nyagblɔɖiwo vaa eme. “Ame si gblɔ le Yerusalem ŋu be, ‘Amewo aganɔ me wò,’ na Yuda ƒe duwo be, ‘Woagbugbɔ mi atso,’ eye na aƒedowo be, ‘Magbugbɔ mi aɖo te.’
27 Who saith to the deep—Be dry and Thy rivers, will I drain!
Ame si gblɔ na tɔ goglowo be, ‘Mimie, mana mia me tsiwo namie.’
28 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!
Ame si gblɔ le fia Sirus ŋu be, ‘Eyae nye nye alẽkplɔla, eye awɔ nu siwo katã dze ŋunye. Agblɔ le Yerusalem ŋu be, “Woagbugbɔe atu,” eye le gbedoxɔ la ŋu be, “Mina woaɖo eƒe gɔmeɖokpewo anyi.”’
