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].

Ampa ara Awurade nsa nyɛ tiaa sɛ ɛrennye nkwa, na nʼasom nyɛ den sɛ ɛrente asɛm.

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.

Nanso mo amumɔyɛ na atetew mo ne mo Nyankopɔn ntam; mo bɔne ama nʼanim ahintaw mo, a enti ɔrente.

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].

Na mogya akeka mo nsa ho, afɔdi asra mo nsateaa ho. Mo ano akeka atosɛm, mo tɛkrɛma de amumɔyɛsɛm di nseku.

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.

Obiara nhwehwɛ atɛntrenee; obiara mfa nokwaredi mmɔ ne nkurow. Wɔde wɔn ho to nsɛnhuhuw so na wotwa nkontompo; wonyinsɛn ɔhaw na wɔwo bɔne.

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.

Wosow nhurutoa nkesua na wɔnwen ananse ntontan. Nea odi wɔn nkesua biara bewu, mu baako nso bɔ a, ɛpae ahurutoa.

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.

Wɔn ntontan nye mma adurade; wɔrentumi mfa nea wɔyɛ nkata wɔn ho. Wɔn nneyɛe yɛ nneyɛe bɔne, na wodi akakabensɛm.

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.

Wotu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne; wɔnkyɛ opira ne awudi ho. Baabiara a wɔbɛkɔ no, wɔsɛe hɔ pasaa.

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.

Asomdwoe kwan no, wonnim; atɛntrenee nni wɔn akwan so. Wɔadan wɔn akwan kɔntɔnkye obiara a ɔnantew so no rennya asomdwoe.

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].

Enti atɛntrenee ne yɛn ntam aware, na adetrenee mmɛn yɛn. Yɛhwehwɛ hann, nanso ne nyinaa yɛ sum; nea ɛhyerɛn, nanso yɛnam sum kabii mu.

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.

Te sɛ anifuraefo no, yɛkeka wɔ afasu ho hwehwɛ ɔkwan te sɛ nnipa a wonni ani. Owigyinae no yehintihintiw sɛnea onwini adwo; yedu ahoɔdenfo mu a yɛte sɛ awufo.

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.

Yɛn nyinaa woro so te sɛ sisi; yɛde awerɛhow kurum sɛ mmorɔnoma. Yɛhwehwɛ atɛntrenee nso yenhu bi; ogye, nanso ɛwɔ akyirikyiri.

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.

Efisɛ, yɛn mfomso adɔɔso wɔ wʼani so, na yɛn bɔne di adanse tia yɛn. Yɛn mfomso da yɛn anim daa, na yegye yɛn amumɔyɛ to mu:

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.

atuatew ne nkontompo a etia Awurade, yɛn akyi a yɛdan kyerɛ yɛn Nyankopɔn, nhyɛso ne atuatew a yɛfoa so, atosɛm a efi koma mu a yɛka.

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.

Enti wɔapam atɛntrenee kɔ nʼakyi, na adetrenee akogyina baabi; nokware ahwe ase wɔ mmɔnten so nokwaredi ntumi mma mu.

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.

Nokware nni baabiara, obiara a ɔtwe ne ho fi bɔne ho no bɛyɛ ɔtamfo. Awurade hwɛe na ansɔ nʼani sɛ atɛntrenee nni hɔ.

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].

Ohuu sɛ obiara nni hɔ, ɛyɛɛ no nwonwa sɛ obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛpata; enti ɔno ankasa basa dii nkwagye ho dwuma maa no, na ne trenee wowaw no.

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.

Ɔhyɛɛ trenee sɛ nkatabo, ne nkwagye dadekyɛw wɔ ne ti so. Ɔhyɛɛ aweretɔ ntade na ofuraa mmɔdemmɔ sɛ ntama.

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].

Obegyina nea wɔayɛ so atua so ka nʼatamfo benya nʼabufuwhyew wɔn a wɔne no ayɛ dɔm benya so akatua; nsupɔw no nso obetua wɔn ka sɛnea ɛfata wɔn.

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.

Efi atɔe fam, nnipa besuro Awurade din na efi apuei, wɔde nidi bɛma nʼanuonyam. Na ɔbɛba sɛ asu a ayiri tɛnn na Awurade ahomegu repia no.

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).

“Ogyefo no bɛba Sion, na obeyi amumɔyɛsɛm nyinaa afi Yakob asefo mu,” sɛɛ na Awurade se.

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.”

“Me de, eyi yɛ me ne wɔn apam,” sɛnea Awurade se ni. “Me Honhom a ɔwɔ mo so, ne me nsɛm a mede ahyɛ mo anom, remfi mo anom, anaa mo mma, ne mo mma asefo anom, efi saa bere yi kosi daa apem,” sɛɛ na Awurade se.