Isaiah 47
1 [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.
“Ɖi ɖe anyi nànɔ ke me, wò Babilonia ƒe vinyɔnu si menya ŋutsu o. Wò Babiloniatɔwo ƒe vinyɔnu, nɔ anyi ɖe anyigba, menye ɖe fiazikpui dzi o. Womagayɔ wò be lɔlɔ̃vi alo ame si woalé be na o.
2 [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].
Yi te dzi nàtu wɔ. Ɖe wò motsyɔvɔ da ɖi. Klo wò avɔ ɖe dzi. Na wò afɔwo nadze, eye nàtso tɔwo.
3 You will be naked and [very] ashamed. I will get vengeance on you and not pity you.”
Woaɖe amama wò, eye woaklo nu le wò ŋukpeƒe dzi. Mabia hlɔ̃, eye nyemaɖe ame aɖeke le eme o.”
4 The one who frees us [people of Judah], whom we call ‘the Commander of the armies of angels’, is the Holy One of Israel.
Miaƒe Ɖelae nye Israel ƒe Kɔkɔetɔ la. Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔe nye eŋkɔ.
5 [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.
“Babiloniatɔwo ƒe vinyɔnu nɔ anyi le ɖoɖoezizi me. Yi ɖe blukɔ me. Womagayɔ wò be, Fiaɖuƒewo ƒe fianyɔnu o.
6 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.
Medo dziku ɖe nye amewo ŋuti, eye medo gu nye domenyinu. Metsɔ wo de asi na wò, eye mekpɔ nublanui na wo o. Ètsɔ kɔkuti kpekpe da ɖe ametsitsi belibeliwo gɔ̃ hã dzi.
7 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.
Ègblɔ be, ‘Nye la, mayi edzi tegbee. Manye fianyɔnu yi ɖe mavɔ me!’ Ke mèbu nu siawo ŋu alo de ŋugble le nu si ava dzɔ la ŋu o.
8 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].’
“Ke azɔ la, ɖo to afii. Wò nugblẽla vloe si ɖe dzi ɖi blewu le wò dedinɔnɔ me, eye nègblɔ na ɖokuiwò be, ‘Nye koe, mawu aɖeke megali kpe ɖe ŋunye o. Nyemanye ahosi alo ana vinyewo natsrɔ̃ o.’
9 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].
Esiawo kple evea katã ava dziwò le aɖabaƒoƒo ɖeka me le ŋkeke ɖeka dzi. Viwòwo atsrɔ̃, eye nàzu ahosi. Wo katã woava dziwò pɛpɛpɛ togbɔ be afakalawo kple gbesa sesẽ geɖewo le asiwò hã.
10 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.
Èka ɖe wò vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖitɔnyenye dzi hegblɔ be, ‘Ame aɖeke mekpɔam o.’ Wò nunya kple gɔmesese ble wò nègblɔ na ɖokuiwò be, ‘Nye koe, mawu aɖeke megali kpe ɖe ŋunye o.’
11 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].
Gbegblẽ aƒo ɖe dziwò, eye mànya ale si nàwɔ asa gbe adee wòadzo o. Dzɔgbevɔ̃e adzɔ ɖe dziwò, esi màte ŋu aɖe ɖa kple awɔbanu o. Tsɔtsrɔ̃ si mèle mɔ kpɔm na o la, aƒo ɖe dziwò kpoyi.
12 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!
“Eya ta yi wò amlimagbesawo, wò nukakawo dzi, esiwo me nèƒo ɖokuiwò ɖo tso wò ɖevime ke. Ɖewohĩ akpɔ dzidzedze, ɖewohĩ ahe ŋɔdzi vɛ.
13 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].
Aɖaŋudede gbogbo siwo katã nèxɔ la, ɖeko wona nègbɔdzɔ! Na wò ɣletivimenunyalawo nava. Ame siwo léa ŋku ɖe ɣletiviwo ŋu hegblɔa nya ɖi dzinu sia dzinu la, na ne woaɖe wò tso nu siwo gbɔna dzɔdzɔ ge ɖe dziwò la me.
14 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.
Vavãe wole abe atitakpo ƒuƒu ene. Dzo afia wo katã. Womate ŋu aɖe wo ɖokui gɔ̃ hã tso dzo ƒe aɖewo me o. Afi sia dzoka xɔxɔwo meli ame aɖeke naƒu o. Afi sia womedo dzo ɖi, ame aɖeke naƒu o.
15 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].”
Ame siwo nèwɔ dɔ sesẽwo kpli, eye nèzɔ mɔ geɖewo kpli wo tso wò ɖevime ke la, esia koe nye nu si woate ŋu awɔ na wò. Ɖe sia ɖe lé eƒe mɔ tsɔ le vodada me, eye ɖeka hɔ̃ɔ hã meli si aɖe wò o.”
