The Lord Judges and Saves
1The Lord says, “I made myself known to those who were not asking for me.
I was found by those who were not trying to find me.
I spoke to a nation that did not pray to me.
‘Here I am,’ I said. ‘Here I am.’
2All day long I have held out my hands
to welcome a stubborn nation.
They lead sinful lives.
They go where their evil thoughts take them.
3They are always making me very angry.
They do it right in front of me.
They offer sacrifices in the gardens of other gods.
They burn incense on altars that are made out of bricks.
4They sit among the graves.
They spend their nights talking to the spirits of the dead.
They eat the meat of pigs.
Their cooking pots hold soup that has ‘unclean’ meat in it.
5They say, ‘Keep away! Don’t come near us!
We are too sacred for you!’
Those people are like smoke in my nose.
They are like a fire that keeps burning all day.
6“I will judge them. I have even written it down.
I will not keep silent.
Instead, I will pay them back for all their sins.
7I will punish them for their sins.
I will also punish them for the sins of their people before them.”
This is what the Lord says.
“They burned sacrifices on the mountains.
They disobeyed me by worshiping other gods on the hills.
So I will make sure they are fully punished
for all the sins they have committed.”
8The Lord says,
“Sometimes juice is still left in grapes that have been crushed.
So people say, ‘Don’t destroy them.’
They are still of some benefit.”
That is what I will do for the good of those who serve me.
I will not destroy all my people.
9I will give children
to the families of Jacob and Judah.
They will possess my entire land.
My chosen people will be given all of it.
Those who serve me will live there.
10Their flocks will eat in the rich grasslands of Sharon.
Their herds will rest in the Valley of Achor.
That is what I will do for my people who follow me.
11“But some of you have deserted me.
You no longer worship on my holy mountain of Zion.
You spread a table for the god called Good Fortune.
You offer bowls of mixed wine to the god named Fate.
12So I will make it your fate to be killed by swords.
All of you will die in the battle.
That’s because I called out to you, but you did not answer me.
I spoke to you, but you did not listen.
You did what is evil in my sight.
You chose to do what does not please me.”
13So the Lord and King says,
“Those who serve me will have food to eat.
But you will be hungry.
My servants will have plenty to drink.
But you will be thirsty.
Those who serve me will be full of joy.
But you will be put to shame.
14My servants will sing
with joy in their hearts.
But you will cry out
because of the great pain in your hearts.
You will cry because your spirits are sad.
15My chosen ones will use your names
when they curse others.
I am your Lord and King.
I will put you to death.
But I will give new names to those who serve me.
16They will ask me to bless their land.
They will do it in my name.
I am the one true God.
They will make promises in their land.
They will do it in my name.
I am the one true God.
The troubles of the past will be forgotten.
They will be hidden from my eyes.
The Lord Will Create New Heavens and a New Earth
17“I will create new heavens and a new earth.
The things that have happened before will not be remembered.
They will not even enter your minds.
18So be glad and full of joy forever
because of what I will create.
I will cause others to take delight in Jerusalem.
They will be filled with joy
when they see its people.
19And I will be full of joy because of Jerusalem.
I will take delight in my people.
Weeping and crying
will not be heard there anymore.
20“Babies in Jerusalem will no longer
live only a few days.
Old people will not fail
to live for a very long time.
Those who live to the age of 100
will be thought of as mere children when they die.
Those who die before they are 100
will be considered as having been under God’s curse.
21My people will build houses and live in them.
They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22They will no longer build houses
only to have others live in them.
They will no longer plant crops
only to have others eat them.
My people will live to be as old as trees.
My chosen ones will enjoy for a long time
the things they have worked for.
23Their work will not be worthless anymore.
They will not have children who are sure to face sudden terror.
Instead, I will bless them.
I will also bless their children after them.
24Even before they call out to me, I will answer them.
While they are still speaking, I will hear them.
25Wolves and lambs will eat together.
Lions will eat straw like oxen.
Serpents will eat nothing but dust.
None of those animals will harm or destroy
anything or anyone on my holy mountain of Zion,”
says the Lord.
Atemmu Ne Nkwagye
1“Medaa me ho adi kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔammisa mʼase;
wɔn a wɔnhwehwɛ me no huu me.
Ɔman a wonsu mfrɛ me no,
meka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, ‘Mini, Mini.’
2Da mu nyinaa, matrɛw me nsa mu ama
nnipa a wɔyɛ asoɔden ne nyiyiano,
a wɔnenam akwammɔne so,
na wodi wɔn ankasa nsusuwii akyi.
3Nnipa a daa no woyi me ahi
wɔ mʼanim pɛɛ,
wɔbɔ afɔre wɔ nturo mu
na wɔhyew nnuhuam wɔ ntayaa afɔremuka so;
4wɔn a wɔtenatena nna so
na anadwo wosii pɛ kokoa mu;
wɔwe mprakonam
na wɔn nkutu mu wɔ nkwan a wɔde nam a ɛho ntew ayɛ;
5wɔka se, ‘Mumfi ha; mommmɛn me,
efisɛ me ho tew dodo ma mo!’
Saa nnipa yi yɛ wusiw wɔ me hwenem,
ogya a ɛkɔ so hyew da mu nyinaa.
6“Hwɛ; wɔakyerɛw ato hɔ wɔ mʼanim se,
merenyɛ komm, metua so ka pɛpɛɛpɛ;
metua so ka agu wɔn asrɛ so,
7mo ne mo agyanom bɔne nti,”
sɛɛ na Awurade se.
“Esiane sɛ wɔhyew afɔrebɔde wɔ mmepɔw so
na wotwirii me wɔ nkoko so nti
mesusuw bɔne a wɔyɛɛ kan no so akatua pɛpɛɛpɛ
agu wɔn asrɛ so.”
8Sɛɛ na Awurade se:
“Sɛnea wonya nsu fi bobe kasiaw mu,
na nnipa ka se, ‘Monnsɛe no,
efisɛ ade pa bi da so wɔ mu’ no
saa ara na mʼasomfo no nti mɛyɛ.
Merensɛe wɔn nyinaa.
9Mede Yakob asefo bɛba,
na me mmepɔw no sodifo afi Yuda aba;
me nkurɔfo a mapaw wɔn no bedi wɔn ade,
na hɔ na mʼasomfo bɛtena.
10Saron bɛyɛ nguankuw adidibea,
na Akor bon no ayɛ anantwikuw homebea
ama me nkurɔfo a wɔhwehwɛ me.
11“Na mo a mo de mugyaw Awurade
na mo werɛ fi ne bepɔw kronkron no,
mo a moto pon ma Ahonya
na mohyɛ afrasa wɔ nkuruwa mu ma Nkrabea no,
12mede mo bɛto afoa ano,
na mo nyinaa akotow ama wɔakum mo;
efisɛ mefrɛe nanso moannye so,
mekasae nanso moantie.
Moyɛɛ nea ɛyɛ mʼani so bɔne
na moyɛɛ nea mempɛ.”
13Enti sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se:
“Mʼasomfo bedidi,
nanso ɔkɔm bɛde mo,
mʼasomfo bɛnom,
nanso osukɔm bɛde mo;
mʼasomfo ani begye,
nanso mo anim begu ase.
14Mʼasomfo bɛto nnwom
afi koma mu anigye mu
na mobɛteɛ mu asu
afi mo koma ahoyeraw mu,
na mubetwa adwo afi honhom a ayɛ mmrɛw mu.
15Wubegyaw din bi a ɛbɛyɛ mmusu
ama wɔn a mapaw wɔn;
Otumfo Awurade bekum wo
na nʼasomfo de, mɛma wɔn din foforo.
16Obiara a ɔsrɛ nhyira wɔ asase no so no,
bɛyɛ wɔ nokware Nyankopɔn koro no mu;
obiara a ɔka ntam wɔ asase no so
bɛka no wɔ nokware Nyankopɔn koro no mu.
Na ɔhaw a atwa mu no wɔn werɛ befi
na wɔde behintaw me.
17“Hwɛ! Mɛbɔ
ɔsorosoro foforo ne asase foforo.
Wɔrenkae nneɛma a atwam no bio,
na ɛremma adwene mu nso.
18Nanso momma mo ani nnye na munni ahurusi afebɔɔ
wɔ nea merebɛbɔ ho,
efisɛ mɛbɔ Yerusalem ama ayɛ anigye,
na mu nnipa ayɛ anigye farebae.
19Mɛsɛpɛw me ho wɔ Yerusalem mu,
na madi ahurusi wɔ me nkurɔfo ho.
Na wɔrente agyaadwo ne osu nnyigyei
wɔ mu bio.
20“Ɛrensi bio wɔ mu
abofra a ne nkwanna yɛ kakraa bi,
anaa akwakoraa a onni ne mfe nwie;
nea odi mfe ɔha na owu no
wɔbɛfa no sɛ ɔbabun bi kɛkɛ;
na nea wannya mfe ɔha no
wɔbɛfa no sɛ wɔadome no.
21Wobesisi afi na wɔatena mu,
wɔbɛyɛ bobe nturo na wɔadi mu aba.
22Wɔrensisi afi mma afoforo mmɛtena mu bio,
na wɔrennua mma afoforo mmedi.
Na nna a dua di no,
saa ara na me nkurɔfo nna bɛyɛ;
me nkurɔfo a mapaw wɔn no bedi
wɔn nsa ano adwuma so aba akyɛ.
23Wɔremmrɛ ngu
na wɔrenwo mma a wɔn nkrabea nye;
efisɛ wɔbɛyɛ nnipa a Awurade ahyira wɔn,
wɔne wɔn asefo.
24Mebua wɔn ansa, mpo, na wɔafrɛ me.
Bere a wogu so rekasa no metie.
25Pataku ne oguamma bedidi abɔ mu
gyata bɛwe sare sɛ nantwi,
nanso mfutuma bɛyɛ ɔwɔ aduan.
Wɔrempira obi anaa wɔrensɛe obi
wɔ me bepɔw kronkron so nyinaa,”
sɛnea Awurade se ni.
