Isaiah 59

1 Listen to this! Yahweh’s power [MTY] is not ended/gone, with the result that he cannot save [you]. He has not become deaf [MTY], with the result that he cannot hear [you when you call to him for help].

Kpɔ ɖa, Yehowa ƒe alɔ mele kpuie akpa be mate ŋu aɖe ame, alo eƒe to mexe be mate ŋu ase nu o;

2 But, you have separated yourselves from your God by the sins that you have committed. Because of your sins, he has turned away from you, with the result that he does not pay attention to what you request him to do.

ke boŋ miaƒe nu vɔ̃woe ma mi kple miaƒe Mawu dome. Miaƒe nu vɔ̃woe na wòɣla eƒe ŋkume ɖe mi be maɖo to mi o,

3 You do violent things [MTY] [to others], with the result that your hands are stained with their blood. You [constantly] tell [MTY] lies, and you say [MTY] evil things [about others].

elabena miaƒe asiwo ƒo ʋu, eye vodada le asibidɛ ŋu na mi. Miaƒe nuyiwo da alakpa, eye miaƒe aɖewo gblɔ nya tovowo.

4 When you accuse someone in court, what you say is not fair and it is not true. You accuse people falsely. You are [constantly] planning to cause trouble for others, and then you do those evil things that you planned.

Ame aɖeke meli si gblɔna be wometso afia dzɔdzɔe o. Ame aɖeke meʋlia eɖokui ta to mɔ dzɔdzɔe dzi o, ke boŋ woɖoa ŋu ɖe nyahehe dzodzrowo ŋu. Wodaa alakpa. Wofɔa fuɖename ƒe fu hedzia nu vɔ̃ɖi.

5 What you plan to do to harm people [MET] is as dangerous as the eggs of a (cobra/poisonous snake), because cobras will hatch from those eggs. You trap people like [MET] spiders trap/catch insects in their webs.

Woƒoa da ƒe aziwo, eye wolɔ̃a yiyiɖɔ. Ame si ɖu woƒe aziwo la, aku, eye ne ɖe gbã la, ƒli ado tso eme.

6 We people cannot hide/cover our skin with clothes made of spider webs [MET], and similarly you cannot hide the evil things that you have done. You are [constantly] acting [MTY] violently.

Woƒe yiyiɖɔ menyo na avɔ o. Womate ŋu atsyɔ nu si wowɔ la o. Woƒe dɔwɔwɔwo nye dɔwɔwɔ vɔ̃ɖiwo, eye nu baɖa wɔwɔ le woƒe asiwo me.

7 You [SYN] are very quick to go and do evil things, and you hurry to murder people [MTY] who are innocent. You are [continually] thinking about sinning. Wherever you go, you destroy things and cause people to suffer.

Woƒe afɔwo ƒua du gena ɖe nu vɔ̃ me, eye woɖea abla le ʋu maɖifɔ kɔkɔ ɖi me. Woƒe susuwo nye susu vɔ̃ɖiwo. Gbegblẽ kple tsɔtsrɔ̃ bɔ ɖe woƒe mɔwo dzi.

8 You do not know how to act peacefully or to treat others fairly. You always are (dishonest/deceiving others) [MET], and those who imitate your behavior never have any inner peace.

Womenya ŋutifafa ƒe mɔ o. Nu dzɔdzɔe wɔwɔ mele woƒe mɔwo dzi o. Wotrɔ woƒe mɔwo wozu mɔ gɔglɔ̃wo, eye ame siwo azɔ wo dzi ayi la, manya ŋutifafa o,

9 Because of that, God does not rescue us [from our enemies]; [it seems that] he is not acting fairly/righteously toward us. We expect [God to give us] light, but all [he gives us] is darkness [DOU].

eya ta nuteƒewɔwɔ le adzɔge na mi, eye dzɔdzɔenyenye metsɔ ɖe mia gbɔ o. Miekpɔ mɔ na kekeli, ke viviti sɔŋ ƒo xlã mi. Míekpɔ mɔ na xexea me ƒe kɔkɔ, ke blukɔ me boŋ ko zɔm miele.

10 We are like [SIM] blind people who have to feel along a wall to be able to walk anywhere. We stumble [and trip] at noontime like [SIM] we would when it is dark. We are like [SIM] dead people who are among healthy people.

Miele asi tsam le gli ŋu abe ŋkugbagbãtɔwo ene, eye miele mɔ dim kple asi abe ame siwo mele nu kpɔm o la ene. Miele nu klim le ŋdɔkutsu dzatsi abe zã me ene, eye míele lãmesesẽtɔwo dome abe ame kukuwo ene.

11 We growl like [SIM] [hungry] bears; we continually moan like [SIM] doves. We seek [people who do] what is just/fair, but we cannot find any [anywhere]. [We want God] to rescue us, but [it seems that] he is far away.

Mi katã miele gbe tem abe sisiblisiwo ene, eye miele xɔxlɔ̃m nublanuitɔe abe ahɔnɛwo ene. Miele mɔ kpɔm na ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ dzɔdzɔe, gake miekpɔ ɖeke o. Miele mɔ kpɔm na ɖeɖe, gake metsɔ ɖe mia gbɔ o,

12 [But these things are happening] because [it is as though] our sins are piled high in the presence of God, and that they testify [PRS] against us. We cannot deny it; we know that we have done many wrong things.

elabena míaƒe dzidadawo sɔ gbɔ le ŋkuwò me eye míaƒe nu vɔ̃wo le mía nu tsom. Míenya míaƒe dzidadawo, eye míedze si miaƒe nu vɔ̃,

13 [We know that] we have rebelled against Yahweh; we have turned away from him. We (oppress people/treat people cruelly) by what we testify [against them]; we do not allow them to get what they have a right to get. We [SYN] think about the lies that we can tell, and then we tell them.

siwo nye aglãdzedze, nugbeɖoɖo ɖe Yehowa ŋu, megbetɔtrɔ̃ de míaƒe Mawu la, ameteteɖeto, tsitretsitsi ɖe ame ŋu kple alakpanya siwo míeɣla ɖe míaƒe dzi me la gbɔgblɔ.

14 [In our courts, the judges] do not decide cases/matters fairly; no one is acting righteously. In plazas where people gather together, no one tells the truth [PRS]; [it seems that people] are not allowed to say what is true.

Ale wonya ʋɔnu dzɔdzɔe dɔdrɔ̃ do ɖe megbe, eye nu dzɔdzɔe wɔwɔ tsi tsitre ɖe adzɔge. Nyateƒe le nu klim le kpɔdomewo, eye nuteƒewɔwɔ mate ŋu age ɖe ame o.

15 No one tells the truth, and people try to ruin [the reputations of] those who quit doing evil. Yahweh looked around, and he saw that no one was doing what is just/fair, and he was [very] displeased.

Ale nyateƒe mele afi aɖeke woakpɔ o, eye ame si gbe nu le nu vɔ̃ɖi gbɔ la zu nuhaha. Yehowa ɖo ŋku anyi hekpɔ nu, ke mekpɔ nu dzɔdzɔe wɔwɔ le afi aɖeke o, eye medzɔ dzi nɛ o.

16 He was disgusted when he saw that no one tried to help [those who were being treated cruelly]. So he used his own power [MTY] to rescue them; it is because he is always righteous that he did that [PRS].

Yehowa kpɔ be ame aɖeke meli o. Ewɔ moya nɛ be ame aɖeke meli si alé avu o, ale wòtsɔ eya ŋutɔ ƒe alɔ xɔ na eɖokui, eye eya ŋutɔ ƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye lée ɖe te.

17 [It is as though he is a soldier who] [MET] puts on his armor and a helmet; his continually doing what is right is like [MET] his armor, and his ability to rescue people is [like] his helmet. His being extremely angry and his being ready to get revenge [on those who do evil] are like [MET] his robes.

Edo dzɔdzɔenyenye abe eƒe akɔtakpoxɔnu ene, eye xɔxɔ ƒe gakuku le ta nɛ. Etsɔ hlɔ̃biabia ƒe awuwo do, eye wòtsɔ ŋuʋaʋã xatsa ɖe eɖokui ŋu abe doɖedzi ene.

18 He will repay his enemies for the evil things that they have done. He will severely punish [MTY] even those who live far [from Jerusalem].

Axe fe na wo ɖe nu siwo wowɔ la nu. Atsɔ dɔmedzoe axe fee na eƒe futɔwo, eye wòatsɔ teƒeɖoɖo axe fee na eƒe ketɔwo. Atsɔ nu si dze la axe fee na ƒukpowo.

19 When that happens, people everywhere, from the east to the west, will respect and honor Yahweh [MTY], because he will come like [SIM] a rushing river that is pushed along by the strong wind that Yahweh sent.

Ɣetoɖoƒetɔwo avɔ̃ Yehowa ƒe ŋkɔ, eye ɣedzeƒetɔwo ade bubu eƒe ŋutikɔkɔe ŋu, elabena ele vava ge abe tsiɖɔɖɔ si le sisim kple ŋusẽ, eye Yehowa ƒe gbɔgbɔ nyae ɖe du nu la ene.

20 And Yahweh says that he will come to Jerusalem to free [his people]; he will come to rescue those in Judah who have quit (doing sinful things/their sinful behavior).

Yehowa be, “Ɖela ava Zion na Yakob ƒe ame siwo trɔ tso woƒe nu vɔ̃wo me.”

21 This is what Yahweh says to his people: “This is the agreement that I will make with you: My Spirit will not leave you, and you will always have my message. You will [be able to] declare it [MTY], and your children and grandchildren will [be able to] declare it forever.”

Yehowa be, “Nye la, esiae nye nye nubabla kpli wo. Nye Gbɔgbɔ si le dziwò, nye nya siwo metsɔ de nuwò la madzo le nuwò alo le viwòwo ƒe nu alo le wò dzidzimeviwo ƒe nu tso azɔ dzi yi ɖe mavɔ me o,” Yehowae gblɔe.