Isaiah 49
1 All you people who live on islands [in the ocean] and in other distant areas, pay attention [DOU] to what I will say! Yahweh called/chose me before I was born; he chose/appointed me when I was still in my mother’s womb.
Miɖo tom, mi ƒukpowo, mise nya sia, mi didiƒe dukɔwo: Hafi woava dzim la, Yehowa yɔm. Tso nye vidzĩ me wòyɔ nye ŋkɔ.
2 [When I grew up], he caused my messages to be like [SIM] a sharp sword. He has protected me with his hand [SYN]. [He protects me] [MET] like someone protects sharp arrows in a quiver.
Ewɔ nye nu abe yi ɖaɖɛ ene. Etsɔm ɣla ɖe eƒe asi ƒe vɔvɔli te. Etsɔm wɔ aŋutrɔ ɖaɖɛ, eye wòɣlam ɖe eƒe daku me.
3 He said to me, “You will serve my Israeli [people], and you will cause people to honor me.”
Egblɔ nam be, “Wòe nye nye dɔla, Israel, si me maɖe nye atsyɔ̃ afia le.”
4 I replied, “My work has been useless; I have used my strength, but I have accomplished nothing worthwhile; everything that I have done has been (in vain/useless). However, Yahweh can honor me as he pleases; my God is the one who will reward me [as I deserve].”
Ke megblɔ be, “Nye agbagbadzedzewo nye dzodzro. Megblẽ nye ŋusẽ ɖe yame, eye nyemeɖe vi aɖeke o. Ke hã la, nu si nye tɔnye gome la, le Yehowa ƒe asi me, eye nye fetu le nye Mawu gbɔ.”
5 Yahweh formed me when I was in [my mother’s] womb in order that I would serve him; he appointed me to bring [the people of] Israel back to himself [DOU]. Yahweh has honored me, and he is the one who has caused me to be strong.
Azɔ la, ale Yehowa, ame si mem ɖe dɔ me be manye yeƒe dɔla la, be makplɔ Yakob gbɔe ne maƒo ƒu Israel ɖe egbɔ, elabena wode bubu ŋunye le Yehowa ŋkume, eye nye Mawu nye nye ŋusẽ la gblɔe nye esi:
6 He says to me, “It is not enough for you to serve me by bringing the descendants of Jacob back to worship me again [DOU]; I also want you to be like [MET] a light for the non-Jews; I want you to take my [my message] about how to be saved to [people] all over the world.”
“Nu tsɛ ko wònye le ŋkuwò me be, nènye nye dɔla, be nàgaɖo Israel ƒe towo te, eye nàkplɔ Israel ƒe ame siwo mesusɔ ɖi la gbɔe. Gawu la, mawɔ wò nànye kekeli na ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la, be nàhe nye ɖeɖe vɛ na anyigba ƒe mlɔenuwo ke.”
7 Yahweh, the one who saves us, the Holy God of us Israeli [people], says to the one who was despised and rejected by the [people of many] nations, the one who is the slave of rulers, “[Some day] kings will stand up to respect you when they see you, and princes will bow down before you because [you serve] me, Yahweh, the one who faithfully [does what I promise]. I am the Holy God to whom you Israelis belong, the one who has chosen you.”
Ale Yehowa, Ɖela kple Israel ƒe Kɔkɔetɔ la gblɔ na dziɖulawo ƒe dɔla be, “Fiawo akpɔ wò, eye woatso anɔ tsitre. Fiaviwo akpɔ wò, eye woade ta agu na Yehowa nuteƒewɔla, Israel ƒe Kɔkɔetɔ la, ame si tia wò la ta.”
8 This is also what Yahweh says: “At a time when it pleases me, I will answer your prayers. On the day when you will be rescued [from your oppressors], I will help you. I will protect you and enable you to establish an agreement with other nations. And by what you do, I will re-establish your nation of Israel and allow you to live/settle again in your land that was abandoned.
Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi, “Le nye dɔmenyo ƒe ɣeyiɣiwo me la, matɔ na wò, eye le xɔxɔgbe makpe ɖe ŋu wò. Malé wò ɖe asi, eye mawɔ wò nànye nubabla na amewo, be nàgbugbɔ anyigba aɖo te, eye nagbugbɔ eƒe domenyinu siwo tsi yame la ama,
9 I will say to those who were captured [and (exiled/taken to Babylonia)], ‘Leave [Babylonia] and return to your own country!’ And I will say to those who are in dark prisons, ‘Come out into the light!’ When that happens, they will again be like [MET] sheep that eat grass in green pastures, on hills where [previously] there was no grass.
ekema nàgblɔ na aboyomenɔlawo be, ‘Mido va’, eye na ame siwo le blukɔ me la be, ‘Miva kekeli nu!’ “Woaɖu nu le mɔwo to, eye woakpɔ gbeɖuƒe le togbɛ ƒuƒluwo tame.
10 They will not be hungry or thirsty [any more]; the hot sun will not beat upon them again [DOU]. I, Yahweh, will act mercifully toward them and lead them; I will lead them to where there are springs of cool water.
Dɔ kple tsikɔ magawu wo azɔ o. Dzogbe xɔdzo alo ŋdɔkutsu magaɖu wo azɔ o. Ame si kpɔa nublanui na wo la anye woƒe mɔfiala, eye wòakplɔ wo ayi tɔʋuwo to.
11 And I will cause the mountains to become [as though they were] level roads, and I will prepare good highways [for my people to travel on, to return to Jerusalem].
Matrɔ nye towo katã woazu mɔtatawo, eye woakɔ nye mɔ dodowo ɖe dzi.
12 My people will return from far away; some will come from the north, some from the west, some from southern Egypt.”
Kpɔ ɖa, woatso teƒe didiwo ava. Ɖewo atso anyiehe, ɖewo atso ɣetoɖoƒe, eye ɖewo hã atso Aswan nutowo me.”
13 [Because of what Yahweh has promised to do], everything should shout joyfully— the sky and the earth and the mountains should sing, because Yahweh comforts his people, and he will pity those who are suffering.
Mido dzidzɔɣli, o mi dziƒowo! O! Anyigba netso aseye. Mido ha ɖa kple dzidzɔ. O, mi towo! Elabena Yehowa fa akɔ na eƒe dukɔ, eye wòakpɔ nublanui na ame siwo ŋu wode abie.
14 [The people of] Jerusalem say, “Yahweh has abandoned us; he has forgotten about us.”
Ke Zion gblɔ be, “Yehowa gblem ɖi, Aƒetɔ la ŋlɔm be.”
15 But [Yahweh replies], “That is not true! (Can a woman forget the infant that she is nursing?/A woman certainly cannot forget the infant that she is nursing!) [RHQ] (Can she stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth?/She certainly cannot stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth!) [RHQ] But even if a woman would do that, I will not forget you!
“Ɖe nyɔnu aŋlɔ vi si le no nu la be, eye makpɔ nublanui na vi si eya ŋutɔ dzi oa? Togbɔ be ate ŋu aŋlɔe be hã la, nye ya nyemaŋlɔ wò be o!
16 Note that I have written your [names] on the palms of my hands; in my mind I can always see the walls of your city.
Kpɔ ɖa, meŋlɔ wò ŋkɔ ɖe nye asiƒowo me, eye wò gliwo le ŋkunye me ɖaa.
17 Soon your children will be returning there (OR, Those who rebuild your city will work more quickly than those who destroyed it), and all those who destroyed your city will leave.
Viwò ŋutsuwo ɖe abla trɔ gbɔ, eye ame siwo ha mi la dzo le mia gbɔ.
18 You will look around and see all of your children coming back to you. As surely as I live, they will be around you [for you to show to people] like [SIM] a bride shows her wedding ornaments!
Mifɔ mo dzi, eye miatsa ŋku godoo. Mia viŋutsuwo katã aƒo ƒu ava mia gbɔ, zi ale si mele agbe.” Yehowae gblɔe. “Miado wo abe ale si wodoa atsyɔ̃ɖonuwoe ene, eye miatsɔ wo ado abe ale si ŋugbetɔ doa nu ene.
19 Your land has been ruined and caused to become desolate/abandoned [DOU], but [some day] it will be filled with people, and those who conquered you will be far away.
“Togbɔ be wogbã mi, miezu aƒedo, eye miaƒe anyigba zu gbegbe hã la, azɔ la, anɔ sue akpa na wò amewo, eye ame siwo vuvu mi la, anɔ adzɔge na mi.
20 The children who were born while you were (exiled/in Babylonia) [MET] will return [to Jerusalem] and say, ‘This city is too small for us; We need more space to live in!’
Vi siwo wodzi na mi le miaƒe konyifaɣiwo me la, agblɔ ɖe to me na mi be, ‘Teƒe sia le sue akpa na mí. Mina teƒe keke mí míanɔ.’
21 Then you will think to yourselves [MTY], ‘It is amazing that we have [RHQ] all these children! Most of our children were dead, and the rest were exiled. We were left here alone; so we do not know [RHQ] where all these children have come from! Who raised them?'”
Ekema àgblɔ le wò dzi me be, ‘Ame kae dzi ame siawo katã nam? Kunyawo dzɔ ɖe dzinye, eye metsi ko. Woɖe aboyom hegbe nu le gbɔnye. Ame kae nyi ame siawo wotsi? Nye ɖeka ko wogblẽ ɖi, ke ame siawo ɖe afi ka wotso?’”
22 This is what Yahweh our God says: “Watch! [It is as though] I will lift up my hand to signal to those who are not Israelis. And they will carry your little sons and daughters on their shoulders and bring them back to you.
Ale Aƒetɔ, Yehowa gblɔe nye esi, “Kpɔ ɖa, mamia asi Trɔ̃subɔlawo, makɔ nye aflaga dzi na amewo. Woalé mia viŋutsuwo ɖe woƒe abɔwo dome atsɔ vɛ, eye woakɔ mia vinyɔnuwo ɖe abɔta vɛ.
23 Kings will serve you and will tutor/teach your children, and their queens will take care of your young children. They will prostrate themselves in front of you and [humble themselves by] licking the dust off your feet. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do]; and those who trust in me will never be disappointed.”
Fiawo aɖu fofo na mia viwo, fia nyɔnuwo ana no mia viwo. Woade ta agu, atsyɔ mo anyi na mi le ŋkuwò me, eye woaɖuɖɔ ke le afɔŋu na wò. Ekema ànyae be nyee nye Yehowa, ame siwo tsɔa woƒe mɔkpɔkpɔwo dana ɖe dzinye la, nyemenana ŋu kpea wo o.”
24 There is no one [RHQ] who can snatch valuable things from a soldier who has captured those things [in a war]; there is no one [RHQ] who can force a (tyrant/cruel man) to free the people whom he has captured.
Ɖe woate ŋu axɔ nu siwo kalẽtɔwo ha la le wo si alo axɔ aboyomewo le ŋutasẽlawo sia?
25 But Yahweh says this: “[Some day], those who have been captured will be freed, and the valuable things that (tyrants/cruel men) have snatched from others will be returned, because I will fight against those who fight against you, and I will rescue your children.
Ke ale Yehowa gblɔ nye esi, “Ɛ̃, woate ŋu axɔ nuhahawo le kalẽtɔwo si, eye woaɖe aboyomewo le ŋutasẽlawo ƒe fego me. Mawɔ avu kple ame siwo awɔ avu kpli wò, eye maɖe viwòwo.
26 And I will cause your enemies to destroy themselves [MET] instead of murdering others. When that happens, everyone [in the world] will know that I, Yahweh, am the one who saves you, the one who rescues you from your enemies; everyone will know that I am the mighty God to whom [you descendants of] [MTY] Jacob belong.”
Mana ame siwo te wò ɖe enyi la naɖu woawo ŋutɔ ƒe ŋutilã, eye woano woawo ŋutɔ ƒe ʋu wòamu wo abe wain ene, ekema amegbetɔƒomea anyae be, nye Yehowae nye wò Ɖela, eye Yakob ƒe Ŋusẽtɔ lae nye wò Xɔnametɔ.”
