Israel, A Light to the Nations
1 Listen to me, distant nations,
you people who live far away!
Before I was born, the Lord chose me
and appointed me to be his servant.
2 He made my words as sharp as a sword.
With his own hand he protected me.
He made me like an arrow,
sharp and ready for use.
3 He said to me, “Israel, you are my servant;
because of you, people will praise me.”
4 I said, “I have worked, but how hopeless it is!
I have used up my strength, but have accomplished nothing.”
Yet I can trust the Lord to defend my cause;
he will reward me for what I do.
5 Before I was born, the Lord appointed me;
he made me his servant to bring back his people,
to bring back the scattered people of Israel.
The Lord gives me honor;
he is the source of my strength.
6 The Lord said to me,
“I have a greater task for you, my servant.
Not only will you restore to greatness
the people of Israel who have survived,
but I will also make you a light to the nations—
so that all the world may be saved.”
7 Israel's holy God and savior says
to the one who is deeply despised,
who is hated by the nations
and is the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you released
and will rise to show their respect;
princes also will see it,
and they will bow low to honor you.”
This will happen because the Lord has chosen his servant;
the holy God of Israel keeps his promises.
The Restoration of Jerusalem
8 The Lord says to his people,
“When the time comes to save you, I will show you favor
and answer your cries for help.
I will guard and protect you
and through you make a covenant with all peoples.
I will let you settle once again
in your land that is now laid waste.
9 I will say to the prisoners, ‘Go free!’
and to those who are in darkness,
‘Come out to the light!’
They will be like sheep that graze on the hills;
10 they will never be hungry or thirsty.
Sun and desert heat will not hurt them,
for they will be led by one who loves them.
He will lead them to springs of water.
11 “I will make a highway across the mountains
and prepare a road for my people to travel.
12 My people will come from far away,
from the north and the west,
and from Aswan in the south.”
13 Sing, heavens! Shout for joy, earth!
Let the mountains burst into song!
The Lord will comfort his people;
he will have pity on his suffering people.
14 But the people of Jerusalem said,
“The Lord has abandoned us!
He has forgotten us.”
15 So the Lord answers,
“Can a woman forget her own baby
and not love the child she bore?
Even if a mother should forget her child,
I will never forget you.
16 Jerusalem, I can never forget you!
I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
17 “Those who will rebuild you are coming soon,
and those who destroyed you will leave.
18 Look around and see what is happening!
Your people are assembling—they are coming home!
As surely as I am the living God,
you will be proud of your people,
as proud as a bride is of her jewels.
19 “Your country was ruined and desolate—
but now it will be too small
for those who are coming to live there.
And those who left you in ruins
will be far removed from you.
20 Your people who were born in exile
will one day say to you,
‘This land is too small—
we need more room to live in!’
21 Then you will say to yourself,
‘Who bore all these children for me?
I lost my children and could have no more.
I was exiled and driven away—
who brought these children up?
I was left all alone—
where did these children come from?’”
22 The Sovereign Lord says to his people:
“I will signal to the nations,
and they will bring your children home.
23 Kings will be like fathers to you;
queens will be like mothers.
They will bow low before you and honor you;
they will humbly show their respect for you.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;
no one who waits for my help will be disappointed.”
24 Can you take away a soldier's loot?
Can you rescue the prisoners of a tyrant?
25 The Lord replies,
“That is just what is going to happen.
The soldier's prisoners will be taken away,
and the tyrant's loot will be seized.
I will fight against whoever fights you,
and I will rescue your children.
26 I will make your oppressors kill each other;
they will be drunk with murder and rage.
Then all people will know that I am the Lord,
the one who saves you and sets you free.
They will know that I am Israel's powerful God.”
Israel otjo ondjerera yoviwaṋa
1 Purateneye ku ami, viwaṋa vyokokure,
vandu mbu mwa tura kokure!
Ngunda ambi hiya kwatwa,
Muhona tjandje we ndji toorora,
nu we ndji zika okurira omukarere we.
2 Eye wa tjita kutja omambo wandje
ye rire omatwe okusana kengaruvyo,
we ndji tjizikiza neke re omuini.
Eye we ndji sanisa kotjiku otjitwe,
nu e ndji horeke momunguma woviku vye.
3 Eye wa tja nai ku ami: “Israel,
oove omukarere wandje;
ovandu mave ndji tangere ove.”
4 Ami mbe ripura nai:
“Mba kondja, nungwari a ri omungandjo.
Ami mba ungurisa omasa wandje aehe
ambi hi na tji mba yenenisa.”
Nu ingee ousemba wandje u ri pu Muhona;
eye me ndji pe ondjambi
mena raimbi mbi mbi ungura.
5 Ngunda ambi hiya kwatwa,
Muhona tjandje we ndji isana;
eye we ndji isa po omukarere we
kutja mbi kotore otjiwaṋa tje,
nokutja mbi wonge otjiwaṋa tja Israel tji tja rimbara.
Muhona me ndji pe ondjozikiro,
eye omburo yomasa wandje.
6 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami:
“Ami mbi notjiungura otjinene kove
pu ihi otjitenga mukarere wandje.
Kakutja okuyarura koupe ounene wotjiwaṋa
tja Israel tji tja hupa po porwako,
nungwari ami wina me ku
tjiti u rire ondjerera yoviwaṋa,
kokutja ouye auhe u yamwe.”
7 Omuyapuke, Omukuture wa Israel, ma tja nai;
ku ingwi ngwa nyengwa tjinene,
nu ngwa tondwa i oviwaṋa,
nu ngu ri omukarere wovanane ovindandi:
“Ozombara maze ku munu awa kuturwa,
nu maze sekama okukupa ondengero yazo;
ovaingona wina mave munu onguturiro ndji,
nu mave ripete okukuyozika.”
Ihi matji tjitwa, Muhona tjinga a toorora omukarere we,
nu Omuyapuke wa Israel tjinga ama ṱakamisa omakwizikiro we.
Jerusalem matji yarurwa koupe
8 Muhona ma tja nai kotjiwaṋa tje:
“Oruveze tji rweya kutja mbi ku yame,
ami me ku raisire ondjingonekero,
nu e zuvire ondjuriro yoye yokuningira ombatero.
Me ku tjevere nokukuyama,
nu mena roye ami me tjiti
omerikutiropamwe noviwaṋa avihe.
Me ku esa u ture mehi reṋu rukwao
nda rira ongaango nambano.
9 Ami me tja nai kovahuurwa:
‘Ryangeye moukutuke!’
Nu ku imba mbe ri monḓorera me tja:
‘Indjeye kondjerera!’
Owo mave sana nozonḓu nḓu maze
munu omaryo wazo mozondunda;
10 owo kave nokuṱa i ondjara nonyota.
Eyuva nombepo youpyu wokuti onguza
kavi nokuvehihamisa,
tjinga amave hongorerwa i ingwi ngu ve ṱira ondjenda.
Eye meve twara kotuharwi twomeva omatarareke.
11 “Ami me ungura ondjira ombaranga,
ndji mai tuurunga mokati kozondundu,
nu me ṱunine otjiwaṋa tjandje
ondjira mu matji ryanga.
12 Otjiwaṋa tjandje matji zu kokure
komukuma wokeyuva kokunene nowokongurova,
na kOasuan komukuma wokeyuva kokumuho.”
13 Nyandeye, mayuru! Ravaereye nondjoroka, mahi!
Ozondundu ngaze imbure!
Orondu Muhona ma huhumiṋa otjiwaṋa tje,
eye ma tjariparere imba mba ningisa ondjenda.
14 Nungwari ovature va Jerusalem va tja nai:
“Muhona we tu esa;
eye we tu zemba!”
15 Muhona otja zira a tja:
“Omukazendu omukwate ma sora
okuzemba okanatje ke omuini
na ha suvere inga okanatje ka panduka are?
Omukazendu omukwate nanda zembi omuatje we,
ami himee mu zembi ko!
16 Jerusalem, ami mba tjanga ena roye
momangaha womake wandje.
Orumbo rwoye ru ri momeho wandje aruhe.
17 “Imba mbu mave ku tungurura mave ya tjimanga,
nu imba mbe ku yandeka nokukunyona mave i.
18 Yevayeva u tare imbi mavi tjitwa!
Ovature voye mave wongara,
owo mave kotoka kove.
Tjiri, otja tjinga ambi ri Ndjambi omunamuinyo,
ove mo rihivire ovandu voye
tjimuna omuvarekwa tjinga
e riserira oviwerawere vye.
19 “Ehi roye ra ri otjitambatundu nu ra ri ongaango,
nungwari nambano mari rire okaṱiṱi tjinene
ku imba mbu mave ya okutura mu ro.
Nu imba mbe ku esa momatundu
mave humbururwa kokure na ove.
20 Ovanatje voye mba kwaterwa motjihuuriro,
eyuva rimwe mave tja nai kove:
‘Ehi ndi okaṱiṱi,
tu pao oruveze oruparanga okutura mo!’
21 Mo rihungirire no tja:
‘Owaṋi ngwe ndji pandukira ovanatje mba avehe?
Ami mba zepaisa ovanatje vandje,
notji mbi ha karere na wo rukwao.
Mba ri mouhuura, nu mba hingirwa kwarwe;
owaṋi ngwe ndji kurisira ovanatje mba?
Ami mba isiwa erike.
Novanatje mba va za pi?’ ”
22 Muhona Ndjambi ma tja nai kotjiwaṋa tje:
“Ami me ṋanga oviwaṋa nomake wandje
nu me yerere omihoko erapi rotjihako tjandje,
novyo mavi toora ovanatje voye momaoko
na koviṱuve navi ve kotora konganda.
23 Ozombara maze mu zara otja ooiho;
ozombara ozoserekaze maze mu zara otja oonyoko.
Ozo maze ripete komurungu woye naze ku yozike;
maze risusuparisa naze ku pe ondengero.
Otji mo tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona;
nu kape na ngu ma ṱisiwa ohoṋi
tji ma undju ombatero ku ami.”
24 Mo sora okuyeka omurwe wovita
ombangaṋe ovipunda are?
Mo sora okukutura omupandekwa
kouvara womunane otjindandi are?
25 Muhona ma ziri a tja:
“Imbi ombinga amavi tjitwa.
Ovapandekwa vomunane
otjindandi mave kuturwa,
nomurwe wovita ombangaṋe
ma yekwa ovipunda vye.
Ami omuini me ru kuna
ngamwa ngu me ku rwisa,
nu me yama ovanatje voye.
26 Ami me twa ovekuṋiṋikize
kumwe kutja ve zepasana;
owo mave purukisiwa i okuzepa nomazenge.
Ovandu avehe otji mave tjiwa kutja
owami ngu mbi ri Muhona,
ngu me ku yama, nu ngu me ku kutura.
Owo mave tjiwa kutja
owami ngu mbi ri Ndjambi
omunamasa wa Israel.”
