A Useless Treaty with Egypt
1 The Lord has spoken: “Those who rule Judah are doomed because they rebel against me. They follow plans that I did not make, and sign treaties against my will, piling one sin on another. 2 They go to Egypt for help without asking for my advice. They want Egypt to protect them, so they put their trust in Egypt's king. 3 But the king will be powerless to help them, and Egypt's protection will end in disaster. 4 Although their ambassadors have already arrived at the Egyptian cities of Zoan and Hanes, 5 the people of Judah will regret that they ever trusted that unreliable nation, a nation that fails them when they expect help.”
6 This is God's message about the animals of the southern desert: “The ambassadors travel through dangerous country, where lions live and where there are poisonous snakes and flying dragons. They load their donkeys and camels with expensive gifts for a nation that cannot give them any help. 7 The help that Egypt gives is useless. So I have nicknamed Egypt, ‘The Harmless Dragon.’”
The Disobedient People
8 God told me to write down in a book what the people are like, so that there would be a permanent record of how evil they are. 9 They are always rebelling against God, always lying, always refusing to listen to the Lord's teachings. 10 They tell the prophets to keep quiet. They say, “Don't talk to us about what's right. Tell us what we want to hear. Let us keep our illusions. 11 Get out of our way and stop blocking our path. We don't want to hear about your holy God of Israel.”
12 But this is what the holy God of Israel says: “You ignore what I tell you and rely on violence and deceit. 13 You are guilty. You are like a high wall with a crack running down it; suddenly you will collapse. 14 You will be shattered like a clay pot, so badly broken that there is no piece big enough to pick up hot coals with or to dip water from a cistern.”
15 The Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says to the people, “Come back and quietly trust in me. Then you will be strong and secure.” But you refuse to do it. 16 Instead, you plan to escape from your enemies by riding fast horses. And you are right—escape is what you will have to do! You think your horses are fast enough, but those who pursue you will be faster! 17 A thousand of you will run away when you see one enemy soldier, and five soldiers will be enough to make you all run away. Nothing will be left of your army except a lonely flagpole on the top of a hill. 18 And yet the Lord is waiting to be merciful to you. He is ready to take pity on you because he always does what is right. Happy are those who put their trust in the Lord.
God Will Bless His People
19 You people who live in Jerusalem will not weep any more. The Lord is compassionate, and when you cry to him for help, he will answer you. 20 The Lord will make you go through hard times, but he himself will be there to teach you, and you will not have to search for him any more. 21 If you wander off the road to the right or the left, you will hear his voice behind you saying, “Here is the road. Follow it.” 22 You will take your idols plated with silver and your idols covered with gold, and will throw them away like filth, shouting, “Out of my sight!” 23 Whenever you plant your crops, the Lord will send rain to make them grow and will give you a rich harvest, and your livestock will have plenty of pasture. 24 The oxen and donkeys that plow your fields will eat the finest and best fodder. 25 On the day when the forts of your enemies are captured and their people are killed, streams of water will flow from every mountain and every hill. 26 The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter than usual, like the light of seven days in one. This will all happen when the Lord bandages and heals the wounds he has given his people.
God Will Punish Assyria
27 The Lord's power and glory can be seen in the distance. Fire and smoke show his anger. He speaks, and his words burn like fire. 28 He sends the wind in front of him like a flood that carries everything away. It sweeps nations to destruction and puts an end to their evil plans. 29 But you, God's people, will be happy and sing as you do on the night of a sacred festival. You will be as happy as those who walk to the music of flutes on their way to the Temple of the Lord, the defender of Israel.
30 The Lord will let everyone hear his majestic voice and feel the force of his anger. There will be flames, cloudbursts, hailstones, and torrents of rain. 31 The Assyrians will be terrified when they hear the Lord's voice and feel the force of his punishment. 32 As the Lord strikes them again and again, his people will keep time with the music of drums and harps. God himself will fight against the Assyrians. 33 Long ago a place was prepared where a huge fire will burn the emperor of Assyria. It is deep and wide, and piled high with wood. The Lord will breathe out a stream of flame to set it on fire.
1 Muhona wa hungira a tja: “Owee ku imba mbe honaparera Juda, tjinga ave ndji pirukira. Owo ve kongorera ondunge, ndji ha zu ku ami, nu ve tjita omazuvasaneno nge he ri owombango yandje, notji ve wezira ko ourunde kourunde. 2 Owo ve yenda kOengipte okukakwa ombatero nokuhinokuningira ondunge ku ami. Ve vanga kutja Farao e ve yame, notji ve paha omaundiro kombara ya Engipte. 3 Nungwari ombara kai nokusora okuvevatera, nondjamo ya Engipte mai rire ohoṋi ku wo. 4 Nangarire kutja ovahindwa, mbe kuramenapo ehi rawo, ve ya rukuru mOsoan na Hanes, imbi ovihuro vya Engipte, 5 imba Ovajuda mave hihamwa omitima, kokutja owo ve riyameka kotjiwaṋa otjihaṱakama, otjiwaṋa tji tji hi nokuvevatera, posi yokuveṱisa ohoṋi nokuvenyekerera porwako.”
6 Ombuze ya Ndjambi ndja hungirira ovipuka vyokuti onguza kwomukuma wokeyuva kokumuho oyo ndji: “Ovahindwa mbe kuramenapo ehi rawo mave tuurunga mehi rombamisiro norooma mu mu kara ozongeyama, nozonyoka ozonauzuwo na inḓa nḓe tuka. Owo mave kutire outumbe novihuze vyawo kousino na kozongamero zawo okuvitwara kotjiwaṋa tji tji hi nokuvevatera. 7 Ombatero, ndji mai zu kOvaengipte oyo omungandjo. Ami opu mba zu okuruka Engipte ena ndi ‘Rahab ngu hirimana.’ ”
Otjiwaṋa otjihinonḓuviro
8 Ndjambi we ndji raera kutja mbi tjange membo imbwi omuhingo otjiwaṋa mbu tji ri, kokutja pe kare omatjangwa omakarerere wokutja ourunde wawo u ṱa pi. 9 Owo aruhe ve pirukira Ndjambi, ve kora ovizeze nu ve panḓa okupuratena kOmatwako wa Muhona. 10 Owo ve tja nai kovamune: “Amu munu ovirimunikise,” nu kovaprofete ve tja nai: “Mwineye, amu hungire ouatjiri ku eṱe. Tu raereye imbi mbi matu vanga okuzuva. Tu eseye tu kare nouripura wetu ouwovise. 11 Zamoeye mondjira yetu, nu amu pata omurari wetu! Katu nokuvanga okuzuva Omuyapuke wa Israel.”
12 Nungwari Omuyapuke wa Israel otji ma tja nai: “Eṋe mu nyengwa omambo ngu mbi mu raera, nu mu riyameka kokutjita outwe na kokuwovisa. 13 Eṋe mwa tura ondjo. Mwa sana norumbo orutonga ndu nomuṱa mbwa pamburuka nga kehi; kamanga mamu wire pehi. 14 Mamu sana nonyungu yomunoko ndja nyanyauka tjinene nai, nga tji pe hi nokukara okarutau omundu ku ma yenene okutoora na ko ekara epyu poo okuwota na ko omeva motjitoto.”
15 Muhona Ndjambi Omuyapuke wa Israel, ma tja nai kotjiwaṋa: “Mokuritanaura na mokusuva mu ami mamu yamwa, omasa weṋu maye zu mokuporimana na mokuriyameka.” Nungwari eṋe mwa panḓa okutjita nai. 16 Moruveze rwanao eṋe mwe ripura okutaura kovanavita na eṋe mokukavira oukambe wotjikara. Neṋe mu ri osemba; taureye! Mamu ripura kutja oukambe weṋu u notjikara tji tja yenene, nungwari imba mbu mave mu tezere, ve notjikara komeho! 17 Ovandu veṋu eyovi mave tupuka tji mave munu omurwe umwe wovanavita na eṋe, nu ovarwe vetano wovita porwe mave yenene okumutupukisa amuhe. Nu imba mbu mave hupu, mave sana nongunḓe yerapi rotjihako kondomba yondundu, notjiti tjerapi rotjihako kondunda! 18 Nu vari Muhona ma undju okumuṱira otjari. Eye me rirongerere okumuṱira ondjenda, orondu Muhona eye onguri Ndjambi ngu tjita ousemba. Ovaṋingandu imba mbe riyameka ku ye.
Muhona ma sere otjiwaṋa tje ondaya
19 Ove, tjiwaṋa tja Sion, tji tja tura mOjerusalem, ko nokuuhara amo riri rukwao. Muhona eye u notjari, nu tji mo ku ombatero ku ye, neye tja zuu, ma ziri. 20 Muhona me ku munisa otuveze twomauzeu, nungwari eye omuini ma kara mbo okukuhonga, nove ko nokuuhara amo mu paha rukwao. 21 Tji wa yepe mondjira kokunene poo kokumuho, mo zuu eraka re kombunda yoye ndi mari tja nai: “Ondjira oyo ndji! Kayende mu yo!” 22 Ove mo toora oviserekarera vyoomukuru voye vovisenginina ku kwa tuwa osilveri, na imbi ku kwa tuwa ongoldo, nu mo vi nakaura otja ondova amo ravaere nai: “Zamoeye momurungu wandje!” 23 Nu aruhe tji mo kunu ozondwi zoye, Muhona ma rokisa ombura, ndji mai hapisa ozondwi nḓa, neye me ku pe omakondero omengi wovihape ngu maye ku parura, novinamuinyo vyoye mavi kara nomaryo omengi. 24 Ozonduwombe nousino mbu taura ehi roye romakunino mavi ri ovikurya imbi oviwa novimanise. 25 Meyuva oviṱunga vyovanavita na eṋe mu mavi huurwa, novandu vawo mu mave ṱu, oturonḓu twomeva matu pupu okuza kondundu na kondunda aihe onde. 26 Omueze mau yere tjimuna eyuva, nu indi eyuva mari yere potuhambombari komeho waindu tji ri yera aruhe tjimuna ondjerera yomayuva hambombari ndji mai yere meyuva rimwe. Avihe mbi mavi tjitwa, indu Muhona tji ma kutu ovirwaro na tji ma verukisa omazeze eye omuini nga tjita kotjiwaṋa tje nomatoneno we.
Ndjambi ma vere Asirie
27 Ouvara nounene wa Muhona mavi sora okumunikira kokure. Omazenge we maye ruruma otja omuriro. Eye u hungira nomazenge, nomambo we ye yaka otja omuriro omusesete. 28 Eye u hinda ombepo komurungu we tjimuna omupupo mbu tanana nau twara oviṋa avihe. Owo u pupisira oviwaṋa konyoneno, nu u yandisa omeripuriro wawo omanaurunde. 29 Nungwari eṋe, tjiwaṋa tja Ndjambi, mamu yoroka nokuimbura otja tji mu tjita mouṱuku womukandi omuyapuke. Eṋe mamu yoroka tjimuna imba mbe kawondjera kombosiro yozohiva tji mave i kondjuwo ya Muhona, ku ingwi ngu ri Oruuwa rwa Israel.
30 Muhona ma tjiti kutja auhe a zuve eraka re enene, nokutja a mune omasa womazenge we. Mape kara otururumo otusesete notjivepo nozombawe zombura nombura onamasa. 31 Ovaasirie mave hara omburuma tji mave zuu eraka ra Muhona na tji mave munu omasa womberero ye. 32 Otjikando atjihe Muhona tji meve vere, otjiwaṋa tje tji kara pokunyanda ozonḓukwa noviharpe. Ndjambi omuini ongu ma rwisa Ovaasirie. 33 Rukuru pa ṱuninwe Tofet, okutja ezuko romuriro omunene pu maape kanyosirwa ombara ya Asirie notjimbumba tjayo tjovita. Oro ekoto neparanga, nu kwa tendekwa ozonguṋe. Nu Muhona ma suvanene mo otururumo otuingi kutja tu yakise ozonguṋe nḓa.
