Isaiah 59 – NIVUK & AKCB

New International Version – UK

Isaiah 59:1-21

Sin, confession and redemption

1Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,

nor his ear too dull to hear.

2But your iniquities have separated

you from your God;

your sins have hidden his face from you,

so that he will not hear.

3For your hands are stained with blood,

your fingers with guilt.

Your lips have spoken falsely,

and your tongue mutters wicked things.

4No-one calls for justice;

no-one pleads a case with integrity.

They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies;

they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

5They hatch the eggs of vipers

and spin a spider’s web.

Whoever eats their eggs will die,

and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.

6Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;

they cannot cover themselves with what they make.

Their deeds are evil deeds,

and acts of violence are in their hands.

7Their feet rush into sin;

they are swift to shed innocent blood.

They pursue evil schemes;

acts of violence mark their ways.

8The way of peace they do not know;

there is no justice in their paths.

They have turned them into crooked roads;

no-one who walks along them will know peace.

9So justice is far from us,

and righteousness does not reach us.

We look for light, but all is darkness;

for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.

10Like the blind we grope along the wall,

feeling our way like people without eyes.

At midday we stumble as if it were twilight;

among the strong, we are like the dead.

11We all growl like bears;

we moan mournfully like doves.

We look for justice, but find none;

for deliverance, but it is far away.

12For our offences are many in your sight,

and our sins testify against us.

Our offences are ever with us,

and we acknowledge our iniquities:

13rebellion and treachery against the Lord,

turning our backs on our God,

inciting revolt and oppression,

uttering lies our hearts have conceived.

14So justice is driven back,

and righteousness stands at a distance;

truth has stumbled in the streets,

honesty cannot enter.

15Truth is nowhere to be found,

and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

The Lord looked and was displeased

that there was no justice.

16He saw that there was no-one,

he was appalled that there was no-one to intervene;

so his own arm achieved salvation for him,

and his own righteousness sustained him.

17He put on righteousness as his breastplate,

and the helmet of salvation on his head;

he put on the garments of vengeance

and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

18According to what they have done,

so will he repay

wrath to his enemies

and retribution to his foes;

he will repay the islands their due.

19From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord,

and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory.

For he will come like a pent-up flood

that the breath of the Lord drives along.59:19 Or When enemies come in like a flood, / the Spirit of the Lord will put them to flight

20‘The Redeemer will come to Zion,

to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,’

declares the Lord.

21‘As for me, this is my covenant with them,’ says the Lord. ‘My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants – from this time on and for ever,’ says the Lord.

Akuapem Twi Contemporary Bible

Yesaia 59:1-21

Bɔne, Bɔneka Ne Ogye

1Ampa ara Awurade nsa nyɛ tiaa sɛ ɛrennye nkwa,

na nʼasom nyɛ den sɛ ɛrente asɛm.

2Nanso mo amumɔyɛ na atetew

mo ne mo Nyankopɔn ntam;

mo bɔne ama nʼanim ahintaw mo,

a enti ɔrente.

3Na mogya akeka mo nsa ho,

afɔdi asra mo nsateaa ho.

Mo ano akeka atosɛm,

mo tɛkrɛma de amumɔyɛsɛm di nseku.

4Obiara nhwehwɛ atɛntrenee;

obiara mfa nokwaredi mmɔ ne nkurow.

Wɔde wɔn ho to nsɛnhuhuw so na wotwa nkontompo;

wonyinsɛn ɔhaw na wɔwo bɔne.

5Wosow nhurutoa nkesua

na wɔnwen ananse ntontan.

Nea odi wɔn nkesua biara bewu,

mu baako nso bɔ a, ɛpae ahurutoa.

6Wɔn ntontan nye mma adurade;

wɔrentumi mfa nea wɔyɛ nkata wɔn ho.

Wɔn nneyɛe yɛ nneyɛe bɔne,

na wodi akakabensɛm.

7Wotu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne;

wɔnkyɛ opira ne awudi ho.

Baabiara a wɔbɛkɔ no, wɔsɛe hɔ pasaa.

8Asomdwoe kwan no, wonnim;

atɛntrenee nni wɔn akwan so.

Wɔadan wɔn akwan kɔntɔnkye

obiara a ɔnantew so no rennya asomdwoe.

9Enti atɛntrenee ne yɛn ntam aware,

na adetrenee mmɛn yɛn.

Yɛhwehwɛ hann, nanso ne nyinaa yɛ sum;

nea ɛhyerɛn, nanso yɛnam sum kabii mu.

10Te 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.

11Yɛn nyinaa woro so te sɛ sisi;

yɛde awerɛhow kurum sɛ mmorɔnoma.

Yɛhwehwɛ atɛntrenee nso yenhu bi;

ogye, nanso ɛwɔ akyirikyiri.

12Efisɛ, 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:

13atuatew 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.

14Enti wɔapam atɛntrenee kɔ nʼakyi,

na adetrenee akogyina baabi;

nokware ahwe ase wɔ mmɔnten so

nokwaredi ntumi mma mu.

15Nokware nni baabiara,

obiara a ɔtwe ne ho fi bɔne ho no bɛyɛ ɔtamfo.

Awurade hwɛe na ansɔ nʼani

sɛ atɛntrenee nni hɔ.

16Ohuu 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.

17Ɔhyɛɛ trenee sɛ nkatabo,

ne nkwagye dadekyɛw wɔ ne ti so.

Ɔhyɛɛ aweretɔ ntade

na ofuraa mmɔdemmɔ sɛ ntama.

18Obegyina 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.

19Efi 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“Ogyefo no bɛba Sion,

na obeyi amumɔyɛsɛm nyinaa afi Yakob asefo mu,”

sɛɛ na Awurade se.

21“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.