Words of Hope
1 “Comfort my people,” says our God. “Comfort them!
2 Encourage the people of Jerusalem.
Tell them they have suffered long enough
and their sins are now forgiven.
I have punished them in full for all their sins.”
3 A voice cries out,
“Prepare in the wilderness a road for the Lord!
Clear the way in the desert for our God!
4 Fill every valley;
level every mountain.
The hills will become a plain,
and the rough country will be made smooth.
5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it.
The Lord himself has promised this.”
6 A voice cries out, “Proclaim a message!”
“What message shall I proclaim?” I ask.
“Proclaim that all human beings are like grass;
they last no longer than wild flowers.
7 Grass withers and flowers fade
when the Lord sends the wind blowing over them.
People are no more enduring than grass.
8 Yes, grass withers and flowers fade,
but the word of our God endures forever.”
9 Jerusalem, go up on a high mountain
and proclaim the good news!
Call out with a loud voice, Zion;
announce the good news!
Speak out and do not be afraid.
Tell the towns of Judah
that their God is coming!
10 The Sovereign Lord is coming to rule with power,
bringing with him the people he has rescued.
11 He will take care of his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs together
and carry them in his arms;
he will gently lead their mothers.
Israel's Incomparable God
12 Can anyone measure the ocean by handfuls
or measure the sky with his hands?
Can anyone hold the soil of the earth in a cup
or weigh the mountains and hills on scales?
13 Can anyone tell the Lord what to do?
Who can teach him or give him advice?
14 With whom does God consult
in order to know and understand
and to learn how things should be done?
15 To the Lord the nations are nothing,
no more than a drop of water;
the distant islands are as light as dust.
16 All the animals in the forests of Lebanon
are not enough for a sacrifice to our God,
and its trees are too few to kindle the fire.
17 The nations are nothing at all to him.
18 To whom can God be compared?
How can you describe what he is like?
19 He is not like an idol that workers make,
that metalworkers cover with gold
and set in a base of silver.
20 Anyone who cannot afford silver or gold
chooses wood that will not rot.
He finds a skillful worker
to make an image that won't fall down.
21 Do you not know?
Were you not told long ago?
Have you not heard how the world began?
22 It was made by the one who sits on his throne
above the earth and beyond the sky;
the people below look as tiny as ants.
He stretched out the sky like a curtain,
like a tent in which to live.
23 He brings down powerful rulers
and reduces them to nothing.
24 They are like young plants,
just set out and barely rooted.
When the Lord sends a wind,
they dry up and blow away like straw.
25 To whom can the holy God be compared?
Is there anyone else like him?
26 Look up at the sky!
Who created the stars you see?
The one who leads them out like an army,
he knows how many there are
and calls each one by name!
His power is so great—
not one of them is ever missing!
27 Israel, why then do you complain
that the Lord doesn't know your troubles
or care if you suffer injustice?
28 Don't you know? Haven't you heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God;
he created all the world.
He never grows tired or weary.
No one understands his thoughts.
29 He strengthens those who are weak and tired.
30 Even those who are young grow weak;
young people can fall exhausted.
31 But those who trust in the Lord for help
will find their strength renewed.
They will rise on wings like eagles;
they will run and not get weary;
they will walk and not grow weak.
Omambo womaundjiro
1 Ndjambi wetu ma tja:
“Huhumiṋeye otjiwaṋa tjandje; tji huhumiṋeye!”
2 “Yanḓipariseye otjiwaṋa tja Jerusalem!
Tji raereye kutja oruveze rondatumisiro yatjo rwa kapita,
nomauvi watjo nambano tja isirwa.
Ami mbe tji verera ourunde watjo auhe potuingi tjinene.”
3 Maku ravaere eraka ndi mari tja:
“Ṱunineye Muhona ondjira mokuti ongaango!
Sembamisireye Ndjambi wetu ondjira mokuti onguza!
4 Sireye otupoko atuhe,
ozondundu azehe novivanda ngaze ṱekisiwe pamwe!
Ozondjira ozongoto ngaze sembamisiwe,
nehi rovitumbehi nga ri serurwe!
5 Ouvara wa Muhona mau vandururwa,
nomundu auhe e u munu.
Muhona omuini otja kwizika nao.”
6 Eraka mari ravaere nai: “Zuvarisa ombuze!”
Ami e pura e tja: “Me zuvarisa onge mbuze?”
“Zuvarisa kutja ovandu avehe ve ri otja ehozu;
nouwa wawo auhe u ri otja owozongara zokuti.
7 Ehozu ri kukuta, nozongara ze kata,
Muhona tji ma hingi ombepo kombanda yazo.
Tjiri, ovandu ve ri otja ehozu.
8 Ii, ehozu ri kukuta, nozongara ze kata,
nungwari embo ra Ndjambi
wetu ri karerera nga aruhe.”
9 Jerusalem, ronda kondundu onde
u kazuvarise ombuze ombwa!
Ravaera neraka enene, Sion;
tjivisa ombuze ombwa!
Hungira nu o tira!
Raera ovihuro vya Juda
kutja Ndjambi wavyo meya!
10 Muhona Ndjambi
meya okuhonapara nouvara,
ama yende puna ovandu eye mba yama.
11 Eye ma ṱakamisa orupanda
rwe tjimuna omurise;
ma woronganisa ozondjona
ne ze tjindi momaoko we;
eye ma hongorere ozoina nozongama zomukwate.
Ounene wa Ndjambi wa Israel
12 Pena omundu ngu ma yenene
okusaneka okuvare meke okuura poo
ngu ma yenene okusaneka evaverwa momake we are?
Pena omundu ngu ma sora
okuwotera oruuma rwouye motjinwino poo
ngu ma sora okusaneka ozondundu
novivanda kotjisanekero are?
13 Pena omundu ngu ma yenene
okuraera Muhona ihi tji ma sokutjita are?
Owaṋi ngu ma sora okumuhonga
poo okumupa ondunge?
14 Ndjambi u pura uṋe
kutja a tjiwe na zuve ne rihonge
omuhingo oviṋa mbu mavi sokutjitwa?
15 Ku Muhona oviwaṋa kaviṋa,
vi ṱeki peta romeva
na pokaruuma ku ke ri kotjisanekero;
omakoverwa hi wokokure
owo omapupu tjimuna oruuma.
16 Ovipuka avihe vyokuti kwa Libanon nomiti vyakwo
kavi nonḓengu kokupunguhira Muhona ombunguhiro.
17 Oviwaṋa avihe ku ye kaviṋa oparukaze, ovyo opouriri.
18 Ndjambi ma sasanekwa kuna uṋe?
Mamu sora okuserekarera kutja eye wa sana pi are?
19 Eye ka sanene kotjiserekarera
tji tja ungurwa i omuungure onongo,
omuhambure tje vandeka ko ongoldo,
nu tje twako ouketanga wosilveri.
20 Omundu ngu hi nokuyenena
okumuna osilveri nongoldo,
u toorora omuti mbu ha romotoka.
Eye u paha omuungure onongo
okuungura otjiserekarera tji tji hi nakuwira pehi.
21 Kamu nokutjiwa are?
Kamu na indu mwa zuvire are?
Kamu raererwe okuza kombutiro are?
Kamu na pu mwa zuvire kutja ouye wa utirwe vi are?
22 Owo wa ungurirwe i ingwi
ngu haama kotjihavero tje tjouhona,
kombanda yehi na kongotwe yevaverwa;
ovature wokombanda yehi ve
munika ouṱiṱi tjimuna ozombahu.
Eye wa nyaturura evaverwa tjimuna ewiwiri,
tjimuna Ondanda yOmahakaeneno.
23 Eye u yarura ouhonapare kehi,
nu u ṱikonaparisa ovanane wouye ve rire pouriri.
24 Owo va sana novihape mbi hiye kura,
mbi mbiri pokunyomoka,
nu mbi hiya nangananisa omize mehi.
Nu Muhona tja hindi ombepo,
ovyo tjandje vya kukuta,
navi hingwa i ombepo tjimuna oviyaya.
25 Mamu ndji sasaneke kuna uṋe?
Nowaṋi ngu ma yenene okuṱeka pu ami?
Omuyapuke ongwa hungire.
26 Yereye omeho weṋu nu mu tare kevaverwa!
Owaṋi ngwa mema ozonyose ndu mamu munu?
Eye onguri ingwi ngu ze
hongorera tjimuna otjimbumba tjovita.
Eye u ze tjiwa kutja ingapi,
nu u isana aihe kena rayo.
Ouvara we ounene tjinene,
kape na imwe yazo ndji mai pandjara!
27 Israel, okutjavi ove tji u unauna amo tja:
“Muhona ke nokutjiwa omauzeu wandje,
nu ke rikendere ami, tji me tjitwa ouhasemba?”
28 Ko nokutjiwa are?
Ko zuvire are?
Muhona eye onguri Ndjambi waaruhe,
nu wa mema ouye auhe.
Eye ka urwa nu ka ngundipara;
omeripura we kaye tjiukwa i omundu.
29 Eye u zeuparisa ingwi ngwa wotama,
nu u yandja omasa ku ingwi ngwa ngundipara.
30 Andarire omitanda vi urwa nu vi ngundipara;
ovarumendu omitanda ve putara nave u,
31 nungwari imba mbe riyameka ku Muhona
amave ku ombatero ku ye
mave pewa omasa omape;
owo mave yere ovivava tjimuna ozonguvi;
mave tupuka nu kave nokuurwa,
mave ryanga nu kave nokuwotama.
