God's Faithful People Suffer
1 God's faithful people
are dragged off and killed,
and no one even cares.
Evil sweeps them away,
2 but in death they find peace
for obeying God.
The Lord Condemns Idolatry
3 You people are unfaithful!
You go to fortunetellers,
and you worship idols.
Now pay close attention!
4 Who are you making fun of?
Who are you sneering at?
Look how your sins
have made fools of you.
5 All you think about is sex
under those green trees
where idols are worshiped.
You sacrifice your children
on altars built in valleys
under rocky slopes.
6 You have chosen to worship
idols made of stone;
you have given them offerings
of wine and grain.
Should I be pleased?
7 You have spread out your beds
on the tops of high mountains,
where you sacrifice to idols.
8 Even in your homes
you have placed pagan symbols
all around your huge beds.
Yes, you have rejected me,
sold yourselves to your lovers,
and gone to bed with them.
9 You smear on olive oil
and all kinds of perfume
to worship the god Molech.
You even seek advice
from spirits of the dead.
10 Though you tired yourself out
by running after idols,
you refused to stop.
Your desires were so strong
that they kept you going.
11 Did you forget about me
and become unfaithful
because you were more afraid
of someone else?
Have I been silent so long
that you no longer fear me?
12 You think you're so good,
but I'll point out the truth.
13 Ask your idols to save you
when you are in trouble.
Be careful though—
it takes only a faint breath
to blow them over.
But if you come to me
for protection,
this land and my holy mountain
will always belong to you.
The Lord Helps the Helpless
14 The Lord says,
“Clear the road!
Get it ready for my people.”
15 Our holy God lives forever
in the highest heavens,
and this is what he says:
Though I live high above
in the holy place,
I am here to help those
who are humble
and depend only on me.
16 My people, I won't stay angry
and keep on accusing you.
After all, I am your Creator.
I don't want you to give up
in complete despair.
17 Your greed made me furious.
That's why I punished you
and refused to be found,
while you kept returning
to your old sinful ways.
18 I know what you are like!
But I will heal you, lead you,
and give you comfort,
until those who are mourning
19 start singing my praises.
No matter where you are,
I, the Lord, will heal you
and give you peace.
20 The wicked are a restless sea
tossing up mud.
21 But I, the Lord, have promised
that none who are evil
will live in peace.
Israels ǁgôa-eloǃoabas ra ǀgoraǃgâhe
1 ǂHanu-ain ge ra ǁō, xawe-i ge ǀgui-i xare-e ǃgaoǃgâ tama hâ. ǂHauǃnân ge ra ūbēhe, khoe-i xare-i nēsa ǁnâuǃā tama. ǂHanu-ain ra ǂkhababa xu ūbēhe. 2 ǁÎn ge ǂkhîba ra hō, ǁnān ǂhauǃnâse gere ûin ge ǁîn kharogu ai nî sâ.
3 Xawe sado, nēpa hā re, sadu ǃgaidī-aon ôado, sadu ǀai-aos suriba xu hâdo tsî sa ǀai-aoso! 4 Tari-e du ra ǃhō? Tari-i ǃoagu du ra tsoranam? Sado ǁnâi ǃûǂams ôa tamado, ǂkhabasib suri tamado? 5 Sadu aikehaidi ǃnaka ra ǁgoe-ūgudo; ǃgoaǃnāgu ǃnâ tsî ǁhoagu ǃnâ sadu ôana ra ǂādo. 6 ǃGoaǃnāb ǂkhanu ǀuidi tawas ge sadu ǃâs hâsa; ǁîn, ǁîn ge sadu ǃâ. ǁÎna du ge āǁguibasa ra ǁguiba, sadu ge ǃhoroǁguibasa ǁîna ra hā-ūba. Nē xūn ǀkha ta nî ǂkhîǂâixa? 7 ǀGapi ǃhommi ai du ge sadu kharoba ra ǀgâi tsî ǁnāpa ǂoa tsî sī ra ǁguiba. 8 Daos ǃgâb ai tsî dao-amhaikha ai du ge sadu saode ge dī; tita ǁnāxūs ǀkha du ge sadu kharoba ge ǀkhaiǀkhā kai. ǁÎb ai ǂoa tsî du ge ge harahara bi. Sadu ge aitsama ǁîn ǀkha ǀhao hâse harebesa ge ūbasen; ǁîn kharoba du ge ǀnam, ǀōǀkhāsiba du ge ge kōǀî. 9 Moleki ǁga du ge oli-e ūhâse ra ǃgû tsî du ge ǃgâihamxūn âdo ra ǂguiǂgui. Sadu sîsabega du ge ǃnūseba ǃoa ra sî tsî ǁkhāti ǁŌhân Hâǃkhaib ǃnâs tsîna ra sîǁnâ. 10 Sadu ǃgûdaogu xa du ge ra dītoahe, xawe du ge “Harebeoǃnâ a” ti mî tama hâ. ǁKhore du gere ǀasa ǀgaiba du ge ge hō tsî du ge ǁnā-amaga ǂkhabu tama ge i.
11 Tari-e du ǃao tsî ǁnātikōse ra ǃhuriba, î du ǂhumi tsî tita ǂâihō tamas ka io tita xa ǂâi tama du ge hâ i? Gaxuse ta ge ǃnō, amagasa ǃao te tama du ge hâ isa? 12 Tita ge sadu ǂhanu-aisiǃnôa-i tsî sîsengu tsîna nî ǂanǂan, xawe gu ge ǁîga hui du tide. 13 ǂGai du kao, a gu sadu ge ǀhaoǀhao ǁgôa-eloga huiǂui du! ǂOab ge ǁîga nî ū, ǀommi ge ǁîga nî ǃgombē. Xawe tita ǃoa ra ǁhaiǁhân hoan ge ǃhūba nî ūbasen tsî ti ǃanu ǃhomma nî ǀumi.
Elob ge huib tsî ǂgauǂgaus tsîra ra mîmâi
14 ǃKhūb ge ra mî: “ǂNubikhâi, ǂnubikhâi, daoba ǂhomi, ǁkhae ra xū-i hoa-e ūbē ti ǁaes daoba xu!”
15 Nētib ge ǀgapi tsî ǃanub ǀamosib ǃnâ ǁan hâb, ǃAnub ti ǀon hâba ra mî: “Tita ge ǀgapi tsî ǃanu ǃkhais ai ra hâ tsî ǁkhāti ǂkhūǂkhūhesa tsî ǃgamǃgamsenxa gagasa ūhân tsîn ǀkha, î ta ǃgamǃgamsenxan di gagasa ǁkhawa ûi-ûi tsî ǂkhūǂkhūhe hân ǂgaogu tsîna ǁkhawa khoakhoa. 16 Tita ge hoaǁae ǀau du tamas ka io ǁaixa-ū du tide; gagadi ti aiǃâ nî tsanaǁkhui xui-ao, ǁkhāti ǀomdi tita ge kurudi tsîna. 17 ǁÎn di ǂkhaba turab ǃaroma ta ge ge ǁaixa; ǁnā-amaga ta ge ǁîna ge ǁkhara tsî ti ǁaib ǃnâ ge gaugausen. Xawen ge ǁîna ǁnāǁgôa tsî ǀû tamase ǁîn daoga gere sao.
18 “ǁÎn tanisensa ta ge ge mû, xawe ta ge tita ǁîna nî ǂgauǂgau. Tita ge ǁîna ǂgaeǂgui tsî ǁkhaeǂgaos ǀkha nî mādawa-am, tsî ǁîn di ǃoa hâna ǁkhawa nî ǁkhaeǂgao. 19 ǂKhîb, ǂkhîba ǁnān ǃnūse tsî ǀgūse hân ǃoa. Tita ge ǁîna nî ǂgauǂgau,”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.20 “Xawe ǂkhabadī-aon ge sâoǃnâ hurib, ǁgoea-ai ǂgao tamab khami ī. ǁÎb ǁgamgu ge ǂgoab tsî ǃhūb tsîkha ra ūkhâi. 21 ǂKhabadī-aon ǃaroma i ge ǂkhî-e ǀkhai,”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.