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.
Atemmuo Ne Nkwagyeɛ
1“Medaa me ho adi kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔammisa mʼase;
wɔn a wɔnhwehwɛ me no hunuu me.
Ɔman a wɔnnsu mfrɛ me no
Meka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Me nie, Me nie.’
2Ɛda mu nyinaa, matrɛ me nsa mu ama
nnipa a wɔyɛ asoɔden ne nyiyiano,
a wɔnenam akwammɔne so,
na wɔdi wɔn ankasa nsusuiɛ akyi.
3Nnipa a daa no wɔyi me ahi
wɔ mʼanim pɛɛ.
Wɔbɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ nturo mu
na wɔhye nnuhwam wɔ ntayaa afɔrebukyia so;
4Wɔtenana adamena so
na anadwo wɔsiri pɛ nkokoam;
wɔwe prakonam
na wɔn nkwansɛn mu nso, wɔayɛ nkwan a wɔde ɛnam a ɛho nteɛ ayɛ;
5wɔka sɛ, ‘Momfiri ha; mo mmɛn me,
ɛfiri sɛ me ho te dodo ma mo!’
Saa nnipa yi yɛ wisie wɔ me hwene mu,
ogya a ɛkɔ so hyeɛ da mu nyinaa.
6“Hwɛ, wɔatwerɛ ato hɔ wɔ mʼanim sɛ,
merennyɛ komm, mɛtua so ka pɛpɛɛpɛ;
mɛtua so ka agu wɔn asrɛ so,
7mo ne mo agyanom bɔne nti,”
sei na Awurade seɛ.
“Esiane sɛ wɔhyee afɔrebɔdeɛ wɔ mmepɔ so
na wɔtwirii me wɔ nkokoɔ so enti
mɛsusu bɔne a wɔyɛɛ kane no so akatua pɛpɛɛpɛ
agu wɔn asrɛ so.”
8Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ:
“Sɛdeɛ wɔnya nsuo firi bobe dontwo mu
na nnipa ka sɛ, ‘Monnsɛe no,
ɛfiri sɛ adepa bi da so wɔ mu’ no
saa ara na mʼasomfoɔ no enti mɛyɛ.
Merensɛe wɔn nyinaa.
9Mede Yakob asefoɔ bɛba,
na me mmepɔ no sodifoɔ afiri Yuda aba;
me nkurɔfoɔ a mapa wɔn no bɛdi wɔn adeɛ,
na ɛhɔ na mʼasomfoɔ bɛtena.
10Saron bɛyɛ nnwankuo adidibea,
na Akɔr bɔnhwa no ayɛ anantwikuo homebea,
ama me nkurɔfoɔ a wɔhwehwɛ me.
11“Na mo a mogya Awurade
na mo werɛ firi ne bepɔ kronkron no,
mo a moto ɛpono ma Ahonya bosom no
na mohyɛ afransa wɔ nkuruwa mu ma Nkrabea bosom no,
12mede mo bɛto akofena ano,
na mo nyinaa akoto ama wɔakum mo;
ɛfiri sɛ mefrɛeɛ nanso moannye so,
mekasaeɛ nanso moantie.
Moyɛɛ deɛ ɛyɛ mʼani so bɔne
na moyɛɛ deɛ mempɛ.”
13Enti yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ:
“Mʼasomfoɔ bɛdidi,
nanso ɛkɔm bɛde wɔn,
mʼasomfoɔ bɛnom,
nanso osukɔm bɛde wɔn;
mʼasomfoɔ ani bɛgye,
nanso wɔn anim bɛgu ase.
14Mʼasomfoɔ bɛto nnwom
afiri akoma mu anigyeɛ mu
na wɔbɛteam asu
afiri wɔn akoma ahoyera mu
na wɔbɛtwa adwo afiri honhom a ayɛ mmrɛ mu.
15Mo din bɛyɛ mmusuo
ama wɔn a mapa wɔn;
Otumfoɔ Awurade bɛkum mo
na nʼasomfoɔ deɛ, ɔbɛma wɔn edin foforɔ.
16Obiara a ɔsrɛ nhyira wɔ asase no so
bɛyɛ wɔ nokorɛ Onyankopɔn mu;
obiara a ɔka ntam wɔ asase no so
bɛka no wɔ nokorɛ Onyankopɔn mu.
Na ɔhaw a atwam no, wɔn werɛ bɛfiri
na me nso, me werɛ bɛfiri.
17“Hwɛ! Mɛbɔ
ɔsorosoro foforɔ ne asase foforɔ.
Wɔrenkae nneɛma a atwam no bio,
na ɛremma adwene mu nso.
18Nanso momma mo ani nnye na monni ahurisie afebɔɔ
wɔ deɛ merebɛbɔ ho,
ɛfiri sɛ mɛbɔ Yerusalem ama ayɛ anika
na emu nnipa ayɛ anigyeɛ farebae.
19Mɛsɛpɛ me ho wɔ Yerusalem mu,
na madi ahurisie wɔ me nkurɔfoɔ ho.
Na wɔrente agyaadwoɔ ne osu nnyegyeeɛ
wɔ mu bio.
20“Ɛrensi bio wɔ mu.
Abɔfra a ne nkwa nna yɛ kakraa bi,
anaa akɔkoraa a ɔnni ne mfeɛ nwieeɛ,
deɛ ɔdi mfeɛ ɔha na ɔwu no
wɔbɛfa no sɛ ɔbabunu bi kɛkɛ;
na deɛ wannya mfeɛ ɔha no
wɔbɛfa no sɛ wɔadome no.
21Wɔbɛsisi afie na wɔatena mu,
wɔbɛyɛ bobe nturo na wɔadi mu aba.
22Wɔrensisi afie mma afoforɔ mmɛtena mu bio,
na wɔrennua mma afoforɔ mmɛdi.
Na nna a nnua di no,
saa ara na me nkurɔfoɔ nna bɛyɛ;
me nkurɔfoɔ a mapa wɔn no bɛdi
wɔn nsa ano adwuma so aba akyɛre.
23Wɔremmrɛ nnwu
na wɔrenwo mma a wɔn hyɛberɛ nnyɛ;
ɛfiri sɛ wɔbɛyɛ nnipa a Awurade ahyira wɔn,
wɔne wɔn asefoɔ.
24Mɛbua wɔn ansa na wɔafrɛ me.
Ɛberɛ a wɔgu so rekasa no, mɛtie.
25Pataku ne odwammaa bɛdidi abɔ mu;
gyata bɛwe ɛserɛ sɛ ɔnantwie,
nanso mfuturo bɛyɛ ɔwɔ aduane.
Wɔrempira obi anaa wɔrensɛe obi
wɔ me bepɔ kronkron so nyinaa,”
sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.