Judgment and Salvation
1“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name,
I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
2All day long I have held out my hands
to an obstinate people,
who walk in ways not good,
pursuing their own imaginations—
3a people who continually provoke me
to my very face,
offering sacrifices in gardens
and burning incense on altars of brick;
4who sit among the graves
and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;
who eat the flesh of pigs,
and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;
5who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me,
for I am too sacred for you!’
Such people are smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that keeps burning all day.
6“See, it stands written before me:
I will not keep silent but will pay back in full;
I will pay it back into their laps—
7both your sins and the sins of your ancestors,”
says the Lord.
“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains
and defied me on the hills,
I will measure into their laps
the full payment for their former deeds.”
8This is what the Lord says:
“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes
and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,
there is still a blessing in it,’
so will I do in behalf of my servants;
I will not destroy them all.
9I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah those who will possess my mountains;
my chosen people will inherit them,
and there will my servants live.
10Sharon will become a pasture for flocks,
and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds,
for my people who seek me.
11“But as for you who forsake the Lord
and forget my holy mountain,
who spread a table for Fortune
and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,
12I will destine you for the sword,
and all of you will fall in the slaughter;
for I called but you did not answer,
I spoke but you did not listen.
You did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”
13Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“My servants will eat,
but you will go hungry;
my servants will drink,
but you will go thirsty;
my servants will rejoice,
but you will be put to shame.
14My servants will sing
out of the joy of their hearts,
but you will cry out
from anguish of heart
and wail in brokenness of spirit.
15You will leave your name
for my chosen ones to use in their curses;
the Sovereign Lord will put you to death,
but to his servants he will give another name.
16Whoever invokes a blessing in the land
will do so by the one true God;
whoever takes an oath in the land
will swear by the one true God.
For the past troubles will be forgotten
and hidden from my eyes.
New Heavens and a New Earth
17“See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
18But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
19I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.
20“Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach65:20 Or the sinner who reaches a hundred
will be considered accursed.
21They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the work of their hands.
23They will not labor in vain,
nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the Lord,
they and their descendants with them.
24Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
25The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
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.