Isaiah 43

43 ¹But now, na dis be wetin our Papa talk—im wey create you, Jacob, im wey mould you, Israel: No fear, because I don redeem you; I don call you by your name, you be my own. ²When you pass through di waters, I go dey with you; and through di rivers, dem no go cover you. When you waka through fire, e no go burn you, and di flame no go swallow you. ³Because I be your Papa, di Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba for your place. ^a a v3 Cush (na Sudan and Ethiopia for today) and Seba na regions wey dey near each other for north-east Africa. ⁴Because you dey precious for my eyes, and I honour you, and I love you, I give people take pay for you, and nations take pay for your life. ⁵No fear, because I dey with you. From di east I go bring your children, and from di west I go gather you. ⁶For di north I go talk say, Release dem, and for di south, No hold dem again; bring back my sons from far lands and my daughters from di ends of di earth, ⁷everybody wey dem dey call by my name, wey I create for my glory, wey I mould and make. ⁸Bring out di people wey get eyes but dem blind, and wey get ears but dem deaf. ⁹All di nations gather together, and di peoples come one place. Who among dem fit declare dis and tell us di former things? Make di nations bring dem witnesses to show say dem correct, so dat oda people fit hear and talk say, Na true. ¹⁰Una be my witnesses, na our Papa talk am, and my servant wey I choose, so dat una fit know me and trust me and understand say na me be am. No god dem mould before me, and none go come after me. ¹¹I, na me be your Papa, and apart from me no savior dey. ¹²I declare and I save and I make am known, when no foreign god dey among una; and una be my witnesses, na our Papa talk am, and na me be your Papa. ¹³From dis day go I be am; nobody dey wey fit rescue person from my hand. I do am, and who fit turn am back?

Road Wey Pass Through di Wilderness

¹⁴Na dis be wetin our Papa talk—your Redeemer, di Holy One of Israel: Because of una I send go Babylon and bring dem all come down as people wey dey run, di Babylonians, for di ships wey dem dey take proud so. ¹⁵I be your Papa, your Holy One, di Creator of Israel, your King.

¹⁶Na dis be wetin our Papa talk—im wey make road for inside di sea, and path through di mighty waters,

¹⁷im wey bring out chariot and horse, army and warrior together—dem lie down and dem no fit rise, dem quench dem, dem put dem out like wick: ¹⁸No remember di former things, and no think about di things of di past. ¹⁹Look, I dey do new thing; e dey sprout out now—you no dey see am? I go make road for inside di wilderness and rivers for inside di desert. ²⁰Di wild animals go honour me, di jackals and di ostriches, because I dey provide water for inside di wilderness and rivers for inside di desert, to give my chosen people water drink, ²¹di people wey I mould for myself, so dat dem fit declare my praise.

²²“But you no call me, Jacob; you don tire for me, Israel. ²³You no bring me sheep for your burnt offerings, and you no honour me with your sacrifices. I no burden you with grain offerings or tire you with frankincense. ²⁴You no buy me sweet-smelling cane with money, and you no satisfy me with di fat of your sacrifices. Instead, you don burden me with your sins; you don tire me with your wrongdoing.

²⁵“I, na me be am wey dey rub out your rebellions because of myself, and I no go remember your sins. ^b b v25 Right for di middle of di accusation, our Papa cut in to promise free forgiveness — wiping away sins because of imself and choosing say im no go ever bring dem up again. ²⁶Remind me; make we argue am out together; talk your own side, so dat dem fit prove say you dey correct. ²⁷Your first papa sin, and your spokesmen rebel against me. ^c c v27 First papa fit dey talk about Jacob or Abraham, di ancestor wey Israel start from. ²⁸So I profane di officials of di sanctuary; I hand Jacob over to destruction and Israel to shame.”