1 But those who have suffered will no longer be in pain. The territories of Zebulun and Naphtali in Galilee were once hated. But this land of the Gentiles across the Jordan River and along the Mediterranean Sea will be greatly respected.
War Is Over
2 Those who walked in the dark
have seen a bright light.
And it shines upon everyone
who lives in the land
of darkest shadows.
3 Our Lord, you have made
your nation stronger.
Because of you, its people
are glad and celebrate
like workers at harvest time
or like soldiers dividing up
what they have taken.
4 You have broken the power
of those who abused
and enslaved your people.
You have rescued them
just as you saved your people
from Midian.
5 The boots of marching warriors
and the blood-stained uniforms
have been fed to flames
and eaten by fire.
A Child Has Been Born
6 A child has been born for us.
We have been given a son
who will be our ruler.
His names will be
Wonderful Advisor
and Mighty God,
Eternal Father
and Prince of Peace.
7 His power will never end;
peace will last forever.
He will rule David's kingdom
and make it grow strong.
He will always rule
with honesty and justice.
The Lord All-Powerful
will make certain
that all of this is done.
God Will Punish Israel
8 The Lord had warned the people of Israel, 9 and all of them knew it, including everyone in the capital city of Samaria. But they were proud and stubborn and said,
10 “Houses of brick and sycamore
have fallen to the ground,
but we will build houses
with stones and cedar.”
11 The Lord made their enemies attack them. 12 He sent the Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west, and they swallowed up Israel. But even this did not stop him from being angry, so he kept on punishing them. 13 The people of Israel still did not turn back to the Lord All-Powerful and worship him.
14 In one day he cut off their head and tail, their leaves and branches. 15 Their rulers and leaders were the head, and the lying prophets were the tail. 16 They had led the nation down the wrong path, and the people were confused. 17 The Lord was angry with his people and kept punishing them, because they had turned against him. They were evil and spoke foolishly. That's why he did not have pity on their young people or on their widows and orphans.
18 Evil had spread like a raging forest fire sending thornbushes up in smoke. 19 The Lord All-Powerful was angry and used the people as fuel for a fire that scorched the land. They turned against each other 20 like wild animals attacking and eating everyone around them, even their own relatives. But still they were not satisfied. 21 The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh turned against each other, then joined forces to attack Judah. But the Lord was still angry and ready to punish the nation even more.
1 ǁÎn nē ǂōǂōsiba xu nî ûiǂoa ǀgau-i xare-i ge nî ǀkhai.
ǃGoaxaǁaeb gao-aob
ǂGuro ǁaegu ǃnâb ge Sebulonni ǃhūb tsî Naftalib ǃhūb tsîkha ge taotao; xaweb ge nēsi Mediteraneahurib ǀkhāb di ǀkharib, Jordanni nau ǀkhāb tsî Galileab ǂûb tsîgu tawa ǃhaokhoen ra ǁanpa, ǃgôasiba ge hā-ū.
2 ǃKhaenas ǃnâ ûi hân
ge kai ǃnâba ge mû.
Kai ǃkhaenas sommi ǃnâ gere ûin
aib ge ǃnâba ge hā.
3 Sats ge ǁaesa ge ǂguiǂgui,
sats ge ǁîn ǃgâiaǂgaoba ge kaikai.
ǃGaos tsēs ain ra ǃgâiaǂgao,
tamas ka io ǁkhâuǁnân hâ ǁuiban ra ǀgoragu tsēs ai,
khamin ge sa aiǃâ ra dâ.
4 Sats ge ǁîn ai gere ǁgâi ǃnaob
tsî ǁîn ǃhōdi ai ǁgoe haib tsîkha khôa xui-ao.
ǁGâiǀā-aon di ǂnau-ūhaibats
ge Midianǁînats ge ǀnai ǂnauǂkhū khami ge khôa.
5 Mâ ǁharob hoab toroǃkhamaogu gere dāǃgâ-ūheb
tsî ǁîgu ǀaoxa saran hoan
ge ǀaesa nî khau-ūhe.
6 ǀGôa-e da ge ǁorabahe hâ!
ǀGôaba da ge māhe hâ!
ǀGaib ge ǁîb ǃhōra ai hâ.
ǁÎb ge: “Buruburuxa ǀApemā-aob,”
“ǀGaisa Elob,” “ǀAmo ǁGûb,”
“ǂKhîb Gao-aob” ti nî ǀonǂgaihe.
7 ǁÎb ǀgaib ge ǃaruǀîǀgui nî khoraǂuisen
tsî ǁîb gaosib ge ǀamo ǂkhîba nî ūhâ.
Gao-aob Davidi saoǃgonaoseb ge nî ǂgaeǂgui;
ǁîb ǀgaibab ge ǂhanub tsî ǂhanu-aisib ai nî ǃgaoǃgao,
nēsi tsî ǀamosib kōse.
ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab ge nēn hoanab nî dīse mîmâi hâ.
ǃKhūb ge Israela nî ǁkhara
8 ǃKhūb ge mîmāsa Israeli ǃoagu ge sîǂui, ā Jakob di surib ǃoagu. 9 Hoaraga khoen, Efraimmi din tsî Samariab ǃnâ ǁan hân tsîn hoan ge ǁîb ge ǁnāsa dī ǃkhaisa nî ǂan. Xawen ge ǂnīǂnīsenxasib tsî ǃnâudanaxasib tsîkha ǀkha ge mî: 10 “ǂGoa-omgu ge ge ǃkhom, xawe da ge ǁkhawa ǀuidi ǀkha nî om; ǀnomahaidi ge ge ǁhāǁnâhe, xawe da ge ǁîde sederhaidi ǀkha nî ǃkhōǃkhuni.”
11 ǃKhūb ge ǁîn khākhoena ǁîn ǃoagu ge ǃkhāǃnâ. 12 Siriaǁîna aiǂoasǀkhāba xu tsî Filisteǁîna huriǂoasǀkhāba xu; ǁîn ge Israela ǁkhowa-amsa ams ǀkha nî hara. Nēn hoan ǃnâb ge ǁîb ǁaiba bē tide; ǁîb ǃommi ge ǁkharab nîse khoraǂuisa.
13 Israeli khoen ge ǁîna ge ǂnaub ǃoa dabasen tama ge i, tamas ka io ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba ôa tama ge i. 14 ǁNā-amagab ge ǃKhūba ǀgui tsēs ǃnâ Israelǁîn danas tsî ǂareb, ǁnâub tsî ǂāb tsîna ge ǁaraǁnâ. 15 Kaikhoegu tsî ǂamsagu tsîgu ge a dana tsî kēbo-aogu ǂhumiba ra ǁkhāǁkhāgu ge a ǂare! 16 Nē khoena gere ǂgaeǂguigu ge ǁîna ge ǂgaeǂhapu tsî ǁîgu xa ge ǂgaeǂguihe hâ in hoan ge ǃgommi ǃnâ ge ǁnāxūmâihe. 17 ǁNā-amagab ge ǃKhūba ǁîn ǂkham khoega ǀkhom tide, ǁkhātib ge ǁîn ǃguniǀgôan tsî ǃoataradi tsîna ǀkhom tide; mâ-i hoa-i a eloxoresa tsî ǂkhabadī-ao xui-ao tsî ams hoas ǂkhabase gere ǃhoa xui-ao. Xawes tsînab ge ǃKhūb ǁaiba ǀam tide, ǁîb ǃommi ge ǁkharas ǃaroma nî khoraǂuihe.
18 Eloxoresasib ge ǀaes, ǀkhininin tsî ǁkhūn tsîna ra ǂhubiǂuis khami ra ǂhubi; ǁîs ge kai, ǀgom haide ra ǂhubiǂui, ǀanni ǀguib nî ǃgause. 19 ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab ǁaib ǃnâ-us ge ǃhūb ge ǂhubihesa tsîn ge khoena ǀaes di oli-i ase nî ī; Khoe-i khoe-e ra ǀkhom-i ge nî ǀkhai. 20 ǁÎn ge amǀkhāba xu gere ǂû, xawe noxopa ge ǃâsa i, ǁîn ge ǁareǀkhāba xu gere ǂû, xawes tsîna ge ǁâ tama hâ i. ǁÎn ǂûn di ôan ǁgan-en ge gere ǂû. 21 Manaseb ge Efraimmi ǃoagu ra ǃkham tsî Efraimma Manaseb ǃoagu; tsîn ge hoana Judab ǃoagu ge khâi. Xawes tsînab ge ǃKhūb ǁaiba bē tama ge i; ǁîb ǃommi ge noxopa ǁîn ǃoagu ge khoraǂuisa i.
