< Isaiah 57 >

1 Righteous people [sometimes] die [when they are still young], and no one is concerned about it. Godly people [sometimes] die because of disasters, and no one understands why. They are taken away in order that they will not endure more calamities,
Ame dzɔdzɔe tsrɔ̃na, eye ame aɖeke mebua eŋu le eƒe dzi me o. Woɖea Mawumemewo ɖa, gake ame aɖeke mesea egɔme be ɖe woɖea ame dzɔdzɔewo ɖa be womagadze nu vɔ̃ɖi me o.
2 and now they have peace. They [continually] lived righteously, and [now] they rest [peacefully] in their graves.
Ame siwo zɔna le dzɔdzɔenyenye me la yina ɖe ŋutifafa me, le ku me ke hã, wodzudzɔna.
3 [Yahweh says, ] “But you who practice sorcery, come here! You who worship idols [MET], [listen to me]!
“Ke mite va afii, mi nyɔnunukala ƒe viwo. Mi ahasitɔwo kple gbolowo ƒe dzidzimeviwo!
4 Do you realize [RHQ] whom you are ridiculing, and whom you are insulting? Do you realize [RHQ] to whom you are sticking out your tongues? [You are insulting me, Yahweh]! You are [RHQ] always rebelling against me and always lying.
Ame ka ŋue miele fewu ɖum le? Ame ka ŋu mieke nu bãa ɖo hedo aɖe ɖe gota biɖaa na? Ɖe menye aglãdzelawo kple alakpatɔwo ƒe dzidzimeviwoe mienye oa?
5 You are eager to have sex under every [big] green tree where you worship your gods. You kill your children as sacrifices [to your idols] in the dry riverbeds, and [also] offer them [as sacrifices to your idols] in the rocky caves.
Fieŋufieŋu le lãme na mi ɖe legbawo ŋu, le logotiwo kple ati dama ɖe sia ɖe te. Mietsɔa mia viwo sãa vɔe le balimewo kple agakpetowo te.
6 [You take big] smooth stones from the riverbeds and worship them as your gods. You pour out [wine] to be an offering to them, and you bring grain [to burn for] an offering to them. Do you think that I should not punish you for doing all those things?
Legba siwo le balime kple kpe zɔsrɔ̃ewo dome lae nye wò gomekpɔkpɔ. Woawoe nye tɔwò. Woawoe nèƒoa aha ɖi na, eye nètsɔa nuɖuvɔsa hã naa wo. Le nu siawo katã ta la, ɖe mazi kpia?
7 You have sex [EUP] [with cult prostitutes] on every hill and mountain, and you go there to offer sacrifices [to your gods].
Èɖo aba ɖe togbɛ si kɔ bobobo la dzi. Afi mae nèyi hewɔ vɔsawo le.
8 You have put (fetishes/pagan symbols) behind your doors and doorposts, and you have deserted me. You have taken off your clothes [EUP] and climbed into your bed and invited more [of your lovers] to come to bed with you. You have paid them to have sex with you, and you have fondled their sexual organs.
Ètsɔ wò trɔ̃subɔnuwo da ɖe wò ʋɔtruwo kple ʋɔtrutiwo megbe. Ègbe nu le gbɔnye. Èklo nu le wò aba dzi hede edzi, eye nèkekee ɖe edzi hebla enu kple ame siwo ƒe abawo nèlɔ̃, eye nèkpɔ woƒe amame.
9 You have given [fragrant] oil and lots of perfume to your god Molech, and you sent messengers to distant countries [to find other gods to worship]; you [even tried to] send [messengers] to the place of the dead [to search for new gods]. (Sheol h7585)
Èyi ɖe Molek gbɔ kple ami, eye nètsɔ ami ʋeʋĩwo kpe ɖe eŋu fũu. Èɖo wò ame dɔdɔwo ɖe didiƒe ke, eye wò ŋutɔ nèyi tsiẽƒe! (Sheol h7585)
10 You became weary because of doing all those things, but you never said, ‘It is useless [for us to do that].’ You found new strength for worshiping idols, so you continued to do that [LIT].
Wò mɔwo na ɖeɖi te ŋuwò, gake mèdi be yeagblɔ be, ‘Wo katã nye tofloko’ o. Èkpɔ be wò ŋusẽ gaɖo yeye me, eya tae nu mete ŋuwò o.
11 Was it because you were afraid [of those idols more than you were afraid of me] that you lied [about what you were doing], and you do not even think about [DOU, RHQ] me? Was it because I did not punish you for a long time that you are not afraid of me [RHQ]?
“Ame kae dzi ŋɔ na mi nenema, eye ame kae mievɔ̃ na nenema gbegbe be mieto nyateƒe nam o, eye mieɖo ŋku dzinye alo bu nu sia ŋuti le miaƒe dzi me o? Ɖe menye esi mezi kpi eteƒe didi tae mievɔ̃na nam oa?
12 You [think that] [IRO] the things that you have done are right, but I will tell the truth. It will not help you to do any of those things.
Maɖe miaƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye kple miaƒe dɔwɔwɔwo ɖe go afia, ke womaɖe vi aɖeke na mi o.
13 When you cry out [for help] to your collection of idols, they will not rescue you. The wind will blow them away [DOU]. But those who trust in me will live in the land [of Israel], and [they will worship me on Zion], my sacred hill.”
Ne miedo ɣli be woakpe ɖe mia ŋu la, ekema mina miaƒe legba gbogboawo naxɔ na mi! Ya akplɔ wo katã adzoe, ne woɖo ƒuƒu teti ɖe wo la, wo katã woaƒo ya adzo; ke ame si tsɔm wɔ eƒe sitsoƒee la, anyi anyigba la ƒe dome, eye wòaxɔ nye to kɔkɔe la wòanye etɔ.”
14 Yahweh will say, “Prepare [yourselves to receive] me, [like] [MET] people build and prepare a road [for a king to come on]. Get rid of [the things that are causing you to sin] [like] [MET] people remove from a road (obstacles/things that cause people to stumble).
Woagblɔ be, “Mido mɔ, mido mɔ. Midzra mɔtata la dzi ɖo! Miɖe mɔxenuwo ɖa le mɔ me na nye dukɔ”,
15 Because this is what [I], Yahweh, who am holy and greatly honored and who live forever, say: I live in the highest heaven, where [everything] is holy, but I also am with those who are humble and who are sorry for the sinful things that they have done. I will greatly encourage [DOU] those who have repented.
elabena ale ame si nye gã, eye wòkɔ wu nuwo katã, ame si li tegbee, eye eƒe ŋkɔe nye Kɔkɔe la gblɔe nye esi, “Mele teƒe kɔkɔ si le kɔkɔe, gake meli kple ame si ƒe nu vɔ̃wo vee, eye wòbɔbɔ eɖokui ɖe anyi le gbɔgbɔ me be magbɔ agbe ame si bɔbɔ eɖokui ɖe anyi la ƒe gbɔgbɔ, eye magbɔ agbe ame si ƒe nu vɔ̃wo vee la ƒe dzi.
16 I will not accuse [people] forever; I will not always be angry [with them], because [if I did that], people would become weak/discouraged; all the people whom I created and caused to live would die.
Nyemanɔ fɔ bum ɖaa alo ado dɔmedzoe ɣe sia ɣi o, ne menye nenema o la, nu ati kɔ na ame ƒe gbɔgbɔ le ŋkunye me, eye nu ate luʋɔ siwo mewɔ la ŋu.
17 I was angry [with my people] because they sinned by wanting the things that others had. So because I was angry, I punished them and turned away from them, but they continued sinning.
Nye dɔmedzoe fla le eƒe ŋubiabiã ƒe nu vɔ̃ ta. Mehe to nɛ, eye meɣla nye ŋkume ɖee le dziku me, ke hã la, egayi eƒe lɔlɔ̃nuwɔwɔ dzi.
18 I have seen the evil things that they continually do, but I will restore them and lead them. I will encourage/comfort them. And to those who are mourning,
Mekpɔ eƒe mɔwo, gake mada gbe le eŋu. Mafia mɔe, eye magbugbɔ afa akɔ nɛ.
19 I will enable them to sing songs to praise me. I will restore [all my people], those who live near [Jerusalem] and those who live far away, and I will cause things to go well for them.
Matsɔ kafukafuha ade nu na Israel ƒe konyifalawo, eye ŋutifafa, ŋutifafa na ame siwo le kpuiƒe kple didiƒe siaa. Nye la, mayɔ dɔ wo katã.” Yehowae gblɔe.
20 Wicked [people do not have peace in their inner beings]; they are like [SIM] a sea [whose waves are] always churning up mud,
“Ke ame vɔ̃ɖiwo le abe atsiaƒu dzeagbo si mate ŋu anɔ anyi kpoo o la ene; esi ƒe ƒutsotsoewo le gbeɖuɖɔ kple ba ɖem ɖe go.”
21 and [I], Yahweh, say that things will never (go well/be peaceful) for those who are evil.”
Nye Mawu be, “Ŋutifafa meli na ame vɔ̃ɖi la o.”

< Isaiah 57 >