Israel Is Corrupt
1 I feel so empty inside—
like someone starving
for grapes or figs,
after the vines and trees
have all been picked clean.
2 No one is loyal to God;
no one does right.
Everyone is brutal
and eager to deceive
everyone else.
3 People cooperate to commit crime.
Judges and leaders demand bribes,
and rulers cheat in court.
4 The most honest of them
is worse than a thorn patch.
Your doom has come!
Lookouts sound the warning,
and everyone panics.
5 Don't trust anyone,
not even your best friend,
and be careful what you say
to the one you love.
6 Sons refuse to respect
their own fathers,
daughters rebel against
their own mothers,
and daughters-in-law despise
their mothers-in-law.
Your family is now your enemy.
7 But I trust the Lord God
to save me,
and I will wait for him
to answer my prayer.
The Nation Turns to God
8 My enemies, don't be glad
because of my troubles!
I may have fallen,
but I will get up;
I may be sitting in the dark,
but the Lord is my light.
9 I have sinned against the Lord.
And so I must endure his anger,
until he comes to my defense.
But I know that I will see him
making things right for me
and leading me to the light.
10 You, my enemies, said,
“The Lord God is helpless.”
Now each of you
will be disgraced
and put to shame.
I will see you trampled
like mud in the street.
A Bright Future
11 Towns of Judah, the day is coming
when your walls will be rebuilt,
and your boundaries enlarged.
12 People will flock to you
from Assyria and Egypt,
from Babylonia
and everywhere else.
13 Those nations will suffer disaster
because of what they did.
Micah's Prayer and the Lord's Answer
14 Lead your people, Lord!
Come and be our shepherd.
Grasslands surround us,
but we live in a forest.
So lead us to Bashan and Gilead,
and let us find pasture
as we did long ago.
15 I, the Lord, will work miracles
just as I did when I led you
out of Egypt.
16 Nations will see this
and be ashamed because
of their helpless armies.
They will be in shock,
unable to speak or hear,
17 because of their fear of me,
your Lord and God.
Then they will come trembling,
crawling out of their fortresses
like insects or snakes,
lapping up the dust.
No One Is Like God
The people said:
18 Our God, no one is like you.
We are all that is left
of your chosen people,
and you freely forgive
our sin and guilt.
You don't stay angry forever;
you're glad to have pity
19 and pleased to be merciful.
You will trample on our sins
and throw them in the sea.
20 You will keep your word
and be faithful to Jacob
and to Abraham,
as you promised our ancestors
many years ago.
Omazunḓakero wa Israel
1 Owee ku ami! Tjinga ambi ri otja omundu ngwa ṱondjara nu ngu ha vazere ko otjihape tji tja sewa komuti, nu komuti womandjembere ka ku nomandjembere. Omapunda omasenina womandjembere nomakuyu omatenga ayehe omutima wandje mbi mau zeri ya wongwa pa sewa tjo. 2 Kape tji nomundu omunauatjiri mehi, nu kape tji nomusemba mokati kovandu; avehe ve paha okutirahi ombinḓu, auhe u tjera omukwao okuzepa. 3 Owo avehe omapenda mokutjita ouvi. Ovahongore novapangure ve ningira otjisuta tjombopero, nomurumendu omutjiukwa u ve raera avihe mbi ma vanga, nu otji ve zuvasana mouhasemba wawo. 4 Omusemba povakwao wa sana komutaurambuku, nomuṱakame onguri omuvi tjinene porumbo rwomakuiya.
Eyuva Ndjambi mu ma vere ovandu mari ya otja tje ve rongera po novinyo vyovaprofete. Nowo otji mave pambauka. 5 O kambura momuraranganda na ove, nu o riyameke kepanga roye. Ṱakamisa imbi mbi mo hungire, nangarire komukazendu woye. 6 Moruveze ndwi omuzandu u tengurura ihe, nomukazona u sekamena ina, nomukwe omukazona u sekamena ina omukwe we, novanavita kumwe owo mba ovondjuwo imwe.
7 Nungwari ami me tara ku Muhona nu me undju ku Ndjambi ngu ri ondjamo yandje. Ndjambi wandje me ndji zuvire.
Muhona ma eta ondjamo
8 O nyandere ami, munavita na ami! Nandi mba u, me sekama rukwao; nandi mba haama monḓorera, Muhona onguri ondjerera yandje. 9 Omazenge wa Muhona ami me ye tjindi, orondu tjinga amba tjita ourunde komurungu we. Nungwari korusenina eye ma ṱunu otjiposa tjandje ne ndji pe ousemba. Eye me ndji twara kondjerera; nami me munu nondjoroka eye tji ma tjiti ousemba. 10 Omunavita na ami ma munu otjiṋa hi, nohoṋi mai mu vandeke ingwi ngwe ndji nyekerera ama pura nai: “Muhona, Ndjambi woye u ri pi?” Omeho wandje maye tara nondjoroka eye tji ma tombwa otja omunoko momuvanda.
11 Vature va Jerusalem, oruveze rwomatungururiro worumbo rwotjihuro maru ya. Moruveze ndo ehi reṋu mari tandaurwa. 12 Ovandu veṋu mave kotoka ku eṋe okuza kOasirie komuhuka na kOengipte keyuva kokumuho na kehi ronḓonḓu Eufrat na komakuvare wokokure na kozondundu zokokure. 13 Nungwari ehi mari rire onguza mena rouvi wovature varo.
Ondjenda ya Muhona kOisrael
14 Risa otjiwaṋa tjoye, Muhona, indwi orupanda ndu ri otjirumatwa tjoye ndwa tura peke mokuti onguza ku kwa kondorokwa i ehi ehapise. Ve esa ve karye omaryo wondjoura wa Basan na mOgilead tjimuna tjaave tjiti rukuru.
15 Tu tjitira ovihimise, Muhona, tjimuna tji wa tjitire momayuva ngu we tu pitisire mOengipte. 16 Noviwaṋa tji vya munu omasa wa Ndjambi mavi ṱohoṋi, nandarire kutja vi nomasa tjinene, novyo mavi twa omake kovinyo navi pata omatwi wavyo. 17 Novyo mavi rasa oruuma otja ozonyoka notja oupuka womehi; mavi piti moviṱunga vyavyo amavi zezera nokutira. Ovyo mavi ya momburuma ku Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu.
18 Kapena Ndjambi nguri tjimuna ove Muhona. Ove wa isira omauvi wotjiwaṋa tjoye tji tja hupa kouhuura. Ove ko panḓere pomazenge woye nga aruhe, nungwari u nonyuṋe mokuturaisira orusuvero rwoye orukarerere. 19 Ove mo tu tjariparere rukwao, mo yata ourunde wetu aehe nu mo ye nakaurire mourekoto wokuvare! 20 Ove mo raisa ouṱakame woye norusuvero rwoye orukarerere kotjiwaṋa tjoye, inḓa ozondekurona za Abraham na Jakob, otja tji wa kwizikira ootate mukururume okuza korukuru.
