The Work of the Lord's Servant
1 Everyone, listen,
even you foreign nations
across the sea.
The Lord chose me
and gave me a name
before I was born.
2 He made my words pierce
like a sharp sword
or a pointed arrow;
he kept me safely hidden
in the palm of his hand.
3 The Lord said to me,
“Israel, you are my servant;
and because of you
I will be highly honored.”
4 I said to myself,
“I'm completely worn out;
my time has been wasted.
But I did it for the Lord God,
and he will reward me.”
5 Even before I was born,
the Lord God chose me
to serve him and to lead back
the people of Israel.
So the Lord has honored me
and made me strong.
6 Now the Lord says to me,
“It isn't enough for you
to be merely my servant.
You must do more than lead back
survivors from the tribes
of Israel.
I have placed you here as a light
for other nations;
you must take my saving power
to everyone on earth.”
The Lord Will Rescue His People
7 Israel, I am the holy Lord God,
the one who rescues you.
You are slaves of rulers
and of a nation
who despises you.
Now this is what I promise:
Kings and rulers will honor you
by kneeling at your feet.
You can trust me! I am your Lord,
the holy God of Israel,
and you are my chosen ones.
The Lord Will Lead His People Home
8 This is what the Lord says:
I will answer your prayers
because I have set a time
when I will help
by coming to save you.
I have chosen you
to take my promise of hope
to other nations.
You will rebuild the country
from its ruins,
then people will come
and settle there.
9 You will set prisoners free
from dark dungeons
to see the light of day.
On their way home,
they will find plenty to eat,
even on barren hills.
10 They won't go hungry
or get thirsty;
they won't be bothered
by the scorching sun
or hot desert winds.
I will be merciful
while leading them along
to streams of water.
11 I will level the mountains
and make roads.
12 Then my people will return
from distant lands
in the north and the west
and from the city of Syene.
The Lord's Mercy
13 Tell the heavens and the earth
to celebrate and sing;
command every mountain
to join in the song.
The Lord's people have suffered,
but he has shown mercy
and given them comfort.
14 The people of Zion said,
“The Lord has turned away
and forgotten us.”
15 The Lord answered,
“Could a mother forget a child
who nurses at her breast?
Could she fail to love an infant
who came from her own body?
Even if a mother could forget,
I will never forget you.
16 A picture of your city
is drawn on my hand.
You are always in my thoughts!
17 “Your city will be built faster
than it was destroyed —
those who attacked it
will retreat and leave.
18 Look around! You will see
your people coming home.
As surely as I live,
I, the Lord, promise
that your city with its people
will be as lovely as a bride
wearing her jewelry.”
Jerusalem's Bright Future
19 Jerusalem is now in ruins!
Nothing is left of the city.
But it will be rebuilt
and soon overcrowded;
its cruel enemies
will be gone far away.
20 Jerusalem is a woman
whose children were born
while she was in deep sorrow
over the loss of her husband.
Now those children
will come and seek room
in the crowded city,
21 and Jerusalem will ask,
“Am I really their mother?
How could I have given birth
when I was still mourning
in a foreign land?
Who raised these children?
Where have they come from?”
22 The Lord God says:
“I will soon give a signal
for the nations
to return your sons
and your daughters
to the arms of Jerusalem.
23 The kings and queens
of those nations
where they were raised
will come and bow down.
They will take care of you
just like a slave
taking care of a child.
Then you will know
that I am the Lord.
You won't be disappointed
if you trust me.”
The Lord Is on Our Side
24 Is it possible to rescue victims
from someone strong
and cruel?
25 But the Lord has promised
to fight on our side
and to rescue our children
from those strong
and violent enemies.
26 He will make those cruel people
dine on their own flesh
and get drunk from drinking
their own blood.
Then everyone will know
that the Lord is our Savior;
the powerful God of Israel
has rescued his people.
Omupiya wOmwene Oye ouyelele woiwana
1 Udei nge, onye eenhunhu ndele pwilikineni, onye ava mu li kokule. Omwene okwa ifana nge fimbo nda li moshidalelo shameme, okwa tonga edina lange mokudalwa kwange. 2 Ndele okanya kange okwe ka ninga eongamukonda la twa nokwa holeka nge momudile weke laye; okwa ninga nge oshikuti sha yawa, nokwa holeka nge monywa yaye. 3 Ndele okwa lombwela nge ta ti: “Oove omupiya wange, oove Israel, Ame ohandi lifimanekele mwoove.” 4 Ndelenee ame nda tile: “Onde lihepekele ongaho, eenghono dange onde di mana po oshimha, inadi eta po sha”. Nande ngaha, eyukifo lange oli li pOmwene, nondjabi yange oi li puKalunga kange. 5 Ndele paife Omwene Oye tuu ou a ma nge, nda ninga omupiya waye mokudja medimo lameme, Ye ota ti: Jakob, ndi mu alulile kuye naIsrael, ndi mu ongele puye, ndele ame handi ka fimanekwa momesho Omwene, naKalunga Oye eenghono dange. 6 Ye okwa tya: “Itashi ku wanene, oove omupiya wange, ngeenge to pamekulula omapata aJakob ndele to alula oonakuxupa muIsrael, ndelenee ohandi ku tula po u kale ouyelele woiwana, exupifo lange opo li hange fiyo okominghulo dedu.”
7 Omwene Omukulili waIsrael, Omuyapuki waye ota lombwele ou a dinwa shili, ou a tondwa kovanhu, ou omupiya wovapangeli: “Eehamba otadi ke shi mona, ndele tadi kala ofika, novapangeli otave ke linyongamena omolwOmwene ou omudiinini,” omolwOmuyapuki waIsrael, ou e ku hoolola.
8 Omwene ota ti ngaha: “Efimbo la wapala onde ku uda nomefiku lexupifo onde ku kwafa; Ame onde ku longekida nonde ku tula po, u kale ehangano loiwana okutungulula edu nokutaula omikunda da fyuululwa, edi da fiwa po omaputu. 9 Nokulombwela eenghwate: ‘Djeni mo!’ Naava va kala momilaulu: ‘Ileni pouyelele!’ Ndele vo otava ka lifa pomalila, keemhunda adishe da yela otapa ka kala oulifilo wavo. 10 Itava ka fya ondjala noitava ka fya enota, nomutenya womombuwa netango itali ke va xwika, osheshi Omufinghenda wavo ote ke va endifa ndele te ke va twala keefifiya domeva. 11 Ndele eemhunda dange adishe ohandi ke di twa eendjila nomalila ange otaa ka yelulwa. 12 Tala, ava tava di kokule! Tala, venya koumbangalanhu navenya vokouninginino, navenya vokedu laSinim.” 13 Akutu omaulu, nyakukweni, naave, edu kuwilila, nanye eemhunda, hafeni pombada, osheshi Omwene ota hekeleke oshiwana shaye, ndele ta file ovafininikwa vaye onghenda.
14 Ndelenee Sion ota popi, ndele ta ti: “Omwene okwa ekelashi nge, Omwene okwa dimbwa nge.”
15 Ope na tuu omwalikadi ta dulu okudimbwa okahanana kaye, ye ita file ngeno okaana komolutu laye onghenda? Nande ngeno ye te ka dimbwa, Ame itandi ku dimbwa. 16 Tala, onde ku nyola meke lange, omakumahote oye alushe e li momesho ange. 17 Ovamwoye ovamati otave uya nokweendelela, ndelenee ovateyauli voye novahanauni voye otave ku fii po. 18 Yelula omesho oye u talaatale: otava ongala, vo aveshe otave uya kwoove. Oshili, ngaashi ndi na omwenyo, Omwene osho ta ti, oto va djala aveshe ngaashi oulenga ndele to ve lidike moshiya ngaashi omuhombolwa. 19 Osheshi oove, omakulukuma oye nomaputu oye, edu loye la hanaunwa po, ove to ka kala mo, wa finana mo, novaponi voye ove li kokule. 20 Ovamwoye vopomafiku enya eshi wa li wa nyekwa oludalo, otave ke ku lombwela momatwi oye tava ti: “Onhele ei oi nofina okukala mo, ehena ko ndi dule okukala mo!” 21 Opo nee ove to ka diladila momutima woye, ndele to ti: “Olyelye a dalela nge ounona ava? Ngeno onda li ndihe na oludalo, nda li ongadji, nda li nda tewa mo nonda hengwa po. Olyelye e va kulifa? Tala, onda kala po aame andike. Ounona ava, vo ova li peni?” 22 Omwene, Kalunga ota ti ngaha: “Tala, eke lange ohandi li twala koiwana, epandela lange ohandi li dikile oilongo, opo nee vo otava ka eta ovamwoye ovamati, novamwoye oukadona otave ke va humbata komapepe. 23 Ndele eehamba otadi ningi ovayakuli voye, ovapangeli ovambada vavo otave ke va nyamifa. Otave linyongamene koshipala shoye, ndele tava lafa ondwi keemhadi doye. Ove to ka shiiva nge, Aame Omwene, ndele ava tava teelele nge, itava fifwa ohoni. 24 Omukwataiti ota ka nyekwa tuu oshihakanwa shaye? Ile eenghwate otadi dulu tuu okulivaka po pomuyuki?” 25 Osheshi Omwene ota ti: “Omukwataiti nande na kufwe eenghwate daye, nomunaenghono nande na nyekwe oshihakanwa shaye, Ame ohandi ka lwifa ou te ku lwifa, ndele handi ka xupifa ovamwoye. 26 Ndele ovahepeki voye onda hala oku va lifa ombelela yavo vene, ndele tava kolwa kohonde yavo vene, ngaashi hava kolwa komaviinyu manyenye Opo nee ombelela aishe otai ka shiiva nge nokutya, Aame Omwene, Omuxupifi woye, Omunaenghono waJakob, Omukulili woye.”
