The Lord Is the Only God
1 The Lord says,
“Listen now, Israel, my servant,
my chosen people, the descendants of Jacob.
2 I am the Lord who created you;
from the time you were born, I have helped you.
Do not be afraid; you are my servant,
my chosen people whom I love.
3 “I will give water to the thirsty land
and make streams flow on the dry ground.
I will pour out my spirit on your children
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They will thrive like well-watered grass,
like willows by streams of running water.
5 “One by one, people will say, ‘I am the Lord's.’
They will come to join the people of Israel.
They each will mark the name of the Lord on their arms
and call themselves one of God's people.”
6 The Lord, who rules and protects Israel,
the Lord Almighty, has this to say:
“I am the first, the last, the only God;
there is no other god but me.
7 Could anyone else have done what I did?
Who could have predicted all that would happen
from the very beginning to the end of time?
8 Do not be afraid, my people!
You know that from ancient times until now
I have predicted all that would happen,
and you are my witnesses.
Is there any other god?
Is there some powerful god I never heard of?”
Idolatry Is Ridiculed
9 All those who make idols are worthless, and the gods they prize so highly are useless. Those who worship these gods are blind and ignorant—and they will be disgraced. 10 It does no good to make a metal image to worship as a god! 11 Everyone who worships it will be humiliated. The people who make idols are human beings and nothing more. Let them come and stand trial—they will be terrified and will suffer disgrace.
12 The metalworker takes a piece of metal and works with it over a fire. His strong arm swings a hammer to pound the metal into shape. As he works, he gets hungry, thirsty, and tired.
13 The carpenter measures the wood. He outlines a figure with chalk, carves it out with his tools, and makes it in the form of a man, a handsome human figure, to be placed in his house. 14 He might cut down cedars to use, or choose oak or cypress wood from the forest. Or he might plant a laurel tree and wait for the rain to make it grow. 15 A person uses part of a tree for fuel and part of it for making an idol. With one part he builds a fire to warm himself and bake bread; with the other part he makes a god and worships it. 16 With some of the wood he makes a fire; he roasts meat, eats it, and is satisfied. He warms himself and says, “How nice and warm! What a beautiful fire!” 17 The rest of the wood he makes into an idol, and then he bows down and worships it. He prays to it and says, “You are my god—save me!”
18 Such people are too stupid to know what they are doing. They close their eyes and their minds to the truth. 19 The maker of idols hasn't the wit or the sense to say, “Some of the wood I burned up. I baked some bread on the coals, and I roasted meat and ate it. And the rest of the wood I made into an idol. Here I am bowing down to a block of wood!”
20 It makes as much sense as eating ashes. His foolish ideas have so misled him that he is beyond help. He won't admit to himself that the idol he holds in his hand is not a god at all.
The Lord, the Creator and Savior
21 The Lord says,
“Israel, remember this;
remember that you are my servant.
I created you to be my servant,
and I will never forget you.
22 I have swept your sins away like a cloud.
Come back to me; I am the one who saves you.”
23 Shout for joy, you heavens!
Shout, deep places of the earth!
Shout for joy, mountains, and every tree of the forest!
The Lord has shown his greatness
by saving his people Israel.
24 “I am the Lord, your savior;
I am the one who created you.
I am the Lord, the Creator of all things.
I alone stretched out the heavens;
when I made the earth, no one helped me.
25 I make fools of fortunetellers
and frustrate the predictions of astrologers.
The words of the wise I refute
and show that their wisdom is foolishness.
26 But when my servant makes a prediction,
when I send a messenger to reveal my plans,
I make those plans and predictions come true.
I tell Jerusalem that people will live there again,
and the cities of Judah that they will be rebuilt.
Those cities will rise from the ruins.
27 With a word of command I dry up the ocean.
28 I say to Cyrus, ‘You are the one who will rule for me;
you will do what I want you to do:
you will order that Jerusalem be rebuilt
and that the foundations of the Temple be laid.’”
Muhona eye Ndjambi erike
1 Muhona ma tja nai:
“Puratena nambano, Israel, mukarere wandje,
tjiwaṋa tjandje tji mba toorora,
zondekurona za Jakob.
2 Owami Muhona ngu mbe ku mema;
ami mbe ku vatera okuza koruveze ndu wa kwatwa.
O tira; oove omukarere wandje,
otjiwaṋa tjandje otjitoororwa tji mba suvera.
3 “Ami me yandja omeva kehi nda ṱonyota,
nu me pupisa omipupo mehi nda kukuta.
Me tirire Ombepo yandje kozondekurona zoye,
nondaya yandje kovanatje voye.
4 Owo mave nyomoka tjimuna ehozu ndi tjatjwa nawa,
tjimuna omikaru meṋe yonḓonḓu ndji pupa.
5 “Ovandu koumweumwe mave tja:
‘Owami owa Muhona.’
Owo mave ya okuwana notjiwaṋa tja Israel.
Auhe ma tjanga ena ra Muhona meke re,
nu me rihungirire omuini kutja
eye iumwe wotjiwaṋa tja Ndjambi.”
6 Muhona ngu honaparera Israel,
nu ngu mu yama,
Muhona Omunamasaaehe, ma tja nai:
“Owami omutenga, nomusenina, Ndjambi erike;
kape na Ndjambi warwe posi yandje.
7 Pena Ndjambi warwe ngwatja yenena okuungura
imbi ami mbi mba ungura are?
Owaṋi ngwatja yenena okuuka avihe,
mbi mavi tjitwa okuza kombutiro
nga kondjandero yoruveze?
8 Amu tira, tjiwaṋa tjandje!
Eṋe mamu tjiwa kutja okuza korukuru
nga ku nambano ami mba uka oviṋa avihe,
mbi mavi tjitwa, neṋe oweṋe ovahongononene vandje.
Pena Ndjambi warwe posi yandje are?
Pena Ndjambi umwe Omunamasa
ngu mbi hi na mba zuvire are?”
Oviserekarera vyovisenginina mavi nyekererwa
9 Avehe mbe ungura oviserekarera vyovisenginina owo oviporoporo, noomukuru mbu ve hiva tjinene nai, owo oviṋa uriri. Imba mbe rikotamena koomukuru mba owo ovapoṱu nu kave nondjiviro, nowo mave ṱisiwa ohoṋi. 10 Okuungura otjiserekarera tjotjitenda okurikotamena ku tjo otja omukuru oko kaku nombatero. 11 Auhe ngu me rikotamene ku tjo ma ṱisiwa ohoṋi. Imba mbe ungura oviserekarera vyovisenginina owo ovandu uriri. Ngave ye ve pangurwe; owo mave urumisiwa, nokuyambururwa.
12 Omuungure wovitenda ma toora otjindimbu tjotjitenda ne tji twa momuriro. Okuoko kwe okunamasa maku toora otjihambure okutona na tjo otjitenda momuhapo omusemba. Eye tji ma ungura ma ṱondjara nonyota na urwa.
13 Omuhonge womiti u saneka omuti nongoze. Ma saneke otjiserekarera notjitjange, e tji korora noviungurise vye ne tji ungura momuhapo womundu, omundu omuwa ngu ma tuwa mondjuwo ye. 14 Porumwe eye ma ke orupapa okuungura na rwo poo ma toorora omumbonde momahwa poo ma kunu omuparara na undju ombura okuuhapisa. 15 Omundu u teya ozonguṋe komuti a yakisa na zo omuriro, nu wina pu zo u ungura po otjiserekarera tjotjisenginina; orutau rumwe rwozonguṋe u yakisa na rwo omuriro okuwota nokutereka na rwo ozomboroto, nu porutau orukwao u ungura po omukuru ne rikotamene ko. 16 Eye u yakisa omuriro nozonguṋe tjiva, a tereke onyama, a ri ne kuta. Eye u wota omuriro na tja: “Oupyu ouwa! Omuriro watjike omuwa nai!” 17 Nu pozonguṋe nḓa hupu u ungura po otjiserekarera tjotjisenginina ne rikotamene ku tjo, u kumba ku tjo a tja: “Oove omukuru wandje, ndji yama!”
18 Ovandu ohamukwao na imba owo omayova okutjiwa imbi mbi mave ungura. Owo ve pata omeho wawo nomitima vyawo okumuna imbi mbi ri ouatjiri. 19 Omuungure woviserekarera vyovisenginina ke nozondunge poo ondjiviro okurihungirira nai: “Ozonguṋe tjiva mba yakisa; mbi tereka ozomboroto momazuko nu mba tereka onyama ne ri; nozonguṋe nḓa hupu mba ungura po otjiserekarera tjotjisenginina. Owami ngwi, mbe ripete kotjihenḓe tjomuti.”
20 Okuriyameka kotjiṋa tjomungandjo kwa sana nokurya omutwe. Omeripuriro we wouyova ye mu pukisa nga tje hi nokusokuvaterwa. Eye kamaa itavere omuini kutja otjiserekarera tje na tjo meke re, otjo kamukuru oparukaze.
Muhona, eye Omuute nOmuyame
21 Muhona ma tja nai:
“Israel, zemburuka otjiṋa hi;
zemburuka kutja oove omukarere wandje!
Ami mbe ku memena okurira omukarere wandje,
nu himee ku zembi ko.
22 Ami mba zemisa ozongatukiro zoye tjimuna otjikamba,
nourunde woye tjimuna ombundu.
Kotoka ku ami; ami owami ngu me ku yama.”
23 Yorokeye, oweṋe mayuru!
Nyandeye, oweṋe maukoto wehi!
Ravaereye nenyando,
oweṋe zondundu nomiti avihe vyomahwa!
Muhona wa raisa ouvara we
mokukutura otjiwaṋa tje Israel.
24 “Owami Muhona, Omukuture woye;
owami ngu mbe ku zezenga mezumo ranyoko.
Owami Muhona, Omuute woviṋa avihe,
ngu mba tandavarisa omayuru.
Tji mba ungurire ehi,
kapa ri omundu ngwe ndji vaterere.
25 Ami mbi raisira ozondjai kutja ozo oviporoporo;
nu mbi yovaparisa ovatjiwe vozonyose.
Mbi teyaura omambo wozonongo,
nu mbi raisa kutja ondjiviro yawo oyo ouyova.
26 Nungwari omukarere wandje tji ma zuvarisa,
nami tji me hindi omuhindwa
okukaserekarera omeripuriro wandje,
ami me tjiti kutja omeripuriro
nomazuvarisiro ngo ye yenenisiwe.
Ami me raere Jerusalem kutja
ovandu mave tura mo rukwao,
nokutja ovihuro vya Juda mavi tungururwa,
mavi tungururwa movitambatundu vyavyo.
27 Ami mbi pwirisa omuronga
nozonḓonḓu nembo romarakiza.
28 Ku Kirus me tja nai:
‘Oove ngu mo honapara moruveze rwandje;
mo tjiti imbi ami mbi me vanga kutja u tjite.
Mo rakiza kutja Jerusalem tji tungururwe,
nokutja omazikameno
wondjuwo ya Muhona ye tungwe.’ ”
