Isaiah 44

44 ¹But now, listen well well, Jacob my servant, Israel wey I don choose. ²Na dis be wetin our Papa talk—im wey make you, wey form you from inside belle and go help you: No fear, Jacob my servant, Jeshurun wey I don choose. ^a a v2 Jeshurun na tender, sweet-mouth name for Israel wey mean "di correct-and-holy one" — na name of love for di people wey our Papa choose. ³Because I go pour water for di land wey dey thirsty and river for di ground wey dry; I go pour my Spirit on top your pikin dem and my blessing on top your seed. ⁴Dem go sprout among di grass like willow tree wey dey grow near river wey dey flow. ⁵Dis one go talk sey, ‘Na di Papa own I be’; anoda one go call imsef by di name of Jacob; and anoda one go write for im hand sey, ‘Na di Papa own,’ and go carry di name of Israel.

Di First One and Di Last One

⁶Na dis be wetin our Papa talk—di King of Israel and im Redeemer, di Papa of heaven army: Na me be di first and na me be di last; apart from me, no oda god dey. ⁷Who be like me? Make im shout am make everybody hear. Make im talk am and lay am out for my front, since di day wey I put ancient people for ground. Make dem tell wetin dey come, and wetin never happen yet. ⁸No shake, no fear. Abi I no tell you since long time and talk am? Una be my witness. Any oda Papa dey apart from me? No Rock dey; I no sabi any.

⁹Everybody wey dey make idol na notin, and di tins wey dem dey treasure no get value. Dem own witness no dey see anytin and no sabi anytin, so shame go catch dem. ¹⁰Who go make a god or cast idol wey no fit help di person wey make am? ¹¹Look—all im friend dem go carry shame, because di people wey dey make am na ordinary human being. Make dem all gadda and stand; dem go fear die and carry shame togeda.

¹²Di blacksmith dey shape iron tool, dey work am ontop di coal fire; im dey form am with hammer and dey forge am with im strong hand. But hunger come catch am and im strength finish; im no drink water and im body come weak. ¹³Di carpenter dey stretch measuring line and dey mark di wood with pencil; im dey work am with chisel and dey mark am with compass. Im dey shape am into di form of man, with human fine face, so e go dey inside shrine. ¹⁴Im dey cut down cedar tree, or im go choose cypress or oak and leave am make e grow strong among di tree dem for di bush. Im plant cedar, and di rain make am grow. ¹⁵Im dey use am as firewood. Im go take part of am warm imsef; im go light fire and bake bread. But im go still make god and worship am; im go make idol and kneel down for am. ¹⁶Im go burn half of di wood for fire; ontop am im go roast meat, chop belleful, and warm imsef. Im go talk sey, ‘Ah, my body dey warm; I fit feel di fire.’ ¹⁷And from wetin remain im go make god, im idol; im go kneel down for am and worship, im go pray to am and talk sey, ‘Save me, because na you be my god!’

¹⁸Dem no sabi anytin, dem no understand anytin; dem eye don close so dem no fit see, and dem heart too, so dem no fit understand. ¹⁹Nobody dey stop to think, nobody get di knowledge or sense to talk sey, ‘Half of am I burn for fire; I even bake bread ontop im coal, I roast meat and chop. I go take di rest make abomination? I go kneel down for ordinary block of wood?’ ²⁰Im dey chop ash; heart wey dem don deceive don lead am go astray. Im no fit save imsef or talk sey, ‘Abi na lie I hold for my right hand?’

²¹Remember dis tins, Jacob, and you, Israel, because na you be my servant. I form you; na you be my servant. Israel, I no go forget you. ²²I don sweep away your rebellion dem like cloud, your sin dem like di morning mist. Come back to me, because I don redeem you.

²³Sing, una heaven, because our Papa don do am! Shout loud, una deep place of di earth. Burst into song, una mountain, bush, and every tree wey dey inside am! Because our Papa don redeem Jacob, and im dey show im glory for Israel.

²⁴Na dis be wetin our Papa talk—your Redeemer, wey form you from inside belle: Na me be your Papa, di Maker of all tins, wey me alone stretch out di heaven, wey spread di earth by myself, ²⁵wey dey spoil di sign of false prophet dem and dey make fool of di people wey dey do juju, wey dey turn di learning of di wise people upside down and dey turn dem knowledge into foolishness, ²⁶wey dey confirm di word of im servant and dey fulfil di counsel of im messenger dem, wey dey talk about Jerusalem sey, ‘People go live inside am,’ and about di cities of Judah sey, ‘Dem go build dem back, and I go restore dem broken place dem,’ ²⁷wey dey talk to di deep water sey, ‘Dry; I go dry up your river dem,’ ²⁸wey dey talk about Cyrus sey, ‘Na im be my shepherd, and im go do everytin wey I want’; wey dey talk about Jerusalem sey, ‘Dem go build am back,’ and about di temple sey, ‘Dem go lay your foundation.’