< Isaiah 38 >

1 About that time, Hezekiah became [very] ill and was close to dying. [So] I went to see him. And I gave him this message: “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You should tell the people in your palace what you want them to do after you die, because you will not recover from this illness. You are going to die’”
Le ŋkeke mawo me la, Hezekia dze dɔ, eye wòɖo kudo nu. Nyagblɔɖila Yesaya, Amoz ƒe vi, yi egbɔ, eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi, ‘Ɖɔ wò aƒe ɖo, elabena èle kuku ge, eye màhaya o.’”
2 Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed this:
Hezekia trɔ mo ɖo ɖe gli ŋu, eye wòdo gbe ɖa, ɖe kuku na Yehowa be,
3 “Yahweh, do not forget that I have always served you very faithfully, and I have done things that pleased you!” Then Hezekiah [started to] cry loudly.
“O! Yehowa, ɖo ŋku ale si metsɔ dzi blibo kple nyateƒe zɔ le ŋkuwò mee, eye mewɔ nu si nyo le ŋkuwòme la dzi.” Eye Hezekia fa avi kple ɣli.
4 [I left his room, but] Yahweh gave me this message:
Tete Yehowa ƒe gbe va na Yesaya be:
5 “Go [back] to Hezekiah and tell him that this is what I, the God to whom your ancestor King David belonged, say: ‘I have heard what you prayed, and I have seen you crying. So listen: I will enable you to live 15 years more.
“Yi nàgblɔ na Hezekia be, ‘Ale Yehowa, fofowò David ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi, “Mese wò gbedodoɖa, eye mekpɔ wò aɖatsiwo. Matsɔ ƒe wuiatɔ̃ akpe ɖe wò agbenɔƒewo ŋu.”
6 And, I will rescue you and this city from the power [MTY] of the King of Assyria. I will defend this city.
Maɖe wò kple du sia tso Asiria fia ƒe asi me. Maʋli du sia ta.
7 And this is what I will do to prove that I will do what I have just now promised. I will cause the shadow of the sun to move ten steps backward on the sundial that was built by King Ahaz.’”
“‘Esiae nye Yehowa ƒe dzesi na wò, be Yehowa awɔ nu si ŋugbe wòdo.
8 So the shadow of the sun on the sundial moved backward ten steps.
Mana be vɔvɔli nagbugbɔ ɖe megbe ɖoƒe ewo tso Ahaz ƒe ɣetrɔti gbɔ.’” Ale ɣe ƒe vɔvɔli he ɖe megbe ɖoƒe ewo.
9 When King Hezekiah was almost well again, he wrote this:
Esiae nye Yuda fia, Hezekia, ƒe nyaŋlɔɖiwo, esi wòhaya tso eƒe dɔléle la me vɔ megbe:
10 I thought to myself, “Is it necessary for me to die and go to the place where the dead people are during this time of my life when I am still strong? Is Yahweh going to rob me of the remaining years that I [should live]?” (Sheol h7585)
Megblɔ be, “Le nye agbe ƒe kekeli me, ɖe mato ku ƒe agbowo me, eye woaxɔ nye agbemeŋkeke mamlɛawo le asinyea?” (Sheol h7585)
11 I said, “I will not see Yahweh [again] in this world where people are alive. I will not see my friends again, or be with others who [now] are alive in this world.
Megblɔ be, “Nyemagakpɔ Yehowa o. Nyemagakpɔ Yehowa le agbagbeawo ƒe anyigba dzi o; nyemagakpɔ amegbetɔwo alo anɔ anyi kple ame siwo le xexe sia me o.
12 [It is as if] my life has been taken away like [SIM] a tent [whose pegs] have been pulled up by a shepherd and taken away. My time to live has been cut short, like a piece of cloth that a weaver [cuts and] rolls up [after he has finished weaving a cloth].” Suddenly, [it seemed that] my life was ending.
Womu nye agbadɔ hexɔe le asinye abe ale si wowɔa alẽkplɔla ƒe agbadɔe ene. Abe ale si avɔlɔ̃la ŋlɔa eƒe avɔe heɖenɛ tso agbati me ene la, nenemae meŋlɔ nye agbee, eye nèna nye agbe wu enu zã kple keli.
13 I waited patiently all during the night, but [my pain was as though] [MET] I was being torn apart by lions. [It seemed that] my life was finished.
Melala dzigbɔɖitɔe va se ɖe fɔŋli, gake èŋe nye ƒuwo abe dzata ene, eye zã kple keli nèna nye agbe wu enu.
14 [I was delirious, and] I chirped like a swift or a swallow, and moaned like a dove. My eyes became tired looking up [toward heaven] for help. I cried out, Lord, help me, [because] I am distressed!’
Medo ɣli abe sagbadre alo tsalĩ ene, eye mele xɔxlɔ̃m abe ahɔnɛ si tsi akogo ene. Nye ŋkuwo dzi wɔ dɔ̃ɔ esi mewu mo dzi le dziƒo kpɔm. O! Aƒetɔ, mele nu xam, va nàkpe ɖe ŋutinye.”
15 But there was really nothing [RHQ] that I could say and ask him to reply to me, because it was Yahweh who sent this illness. [So now] I will live humbly during my [remaining] years because I am very anguished.
Nu ka gblɔ ge mala? Egblɔ nya nam, eye eya ŋutɔ wɔ ɖe edzi. Eya ta mazɔ ɖokuibɔbɔtɔe. Le nye agbemeŋkekewo katã me, le nye luʋɔ ƒe vevesese ta.
16 Yahweh, the sufferings (OR, the promises) that you give are good, [because] what you do and what you say bring [new] life and health to us. And you restore/heal me and allow me [to continue] to live!
O! Aƒetɔ, nu siawo ŋue amewo nɔa agbe ɖo, eye nye hã nye gbɔgbɔ kpɔ agbe le wo me. Èna mehaya, eye nègana mele agbe.
17 Truly, my suffering was good for me; you loved me, and as a result you have rescued me from dying and have also forgiven all my sins.
Le nyateƒe me la, nye nyonyo tae nèna meto vevesese mawo me. Wò lɔlɔ̃ na be nèɖem tso gbegblẽ ƒe do globo me, eye nètsɔ nye nu vɔ̃wo ƒu gbe ɖe megbe wò.
18 Dead people [MTY] cannot praise you; they cannot sing to praise you. Those who have descended to their graves cannot confidently expect you to faithfully [do things for them]. (Sheol h7585)
Elabena yɔdo mate ŋu akafu wò o, ku mate ŋu adzi kafukafuhawo na wò o, eye ame siwo yi aʋlime la mate ŋu akpɔ mɔ na wò nuteƒewɔwɔ o. (Sheol h7585)
19 Only people who are still alive, like I am, can praise you. Fathers tell their children how you are faithful, [and if I remain alive, I will do the same thing].
Ame gbagbewo koe akafu wò abe ale si mele wɔwɔm egbe ene, eye fofowo agblɔ wò nuteƒewɔwɔ na wo viwo.
20 [I know that] Yahweh will fully heal me, [so] I will sing to praise him while others praise him playing musical instruments; I will do that every day of my life, in the temple of Yahweh.”
Yehowa aɖem, eye míadzi ha kple kasaŋkuwo le míaƒe agbemeŋkekewo katã me, le Yehowa ƒe gbedoxɔ me.
21 I had [previously] said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Prepare an ointment from [mashed] figs, and spread it on his boil, and then he will recover.” [So they did that, and Hezekiah recovered].
Azɔ Yesaya gblɔ be, “Mitsɔ gbotsetse miaɖu, atikee. Mitsɔe ɖo ƒoƒoea dzi nɛ ekema ahaya.”
22 And Hezekiah had [previously] asked, “What will Yahweh do to prove that I will [recover and be able to] go to his temple?”
Hezekia bia be, “Nu kae anye dzesi be magayi Yehowa ƒe gbedoxɔ me?”

< Isaiah 38 >