Israel's Idolatry Is Condemned
1 Good people die, and no one understands or even cares. But when they die, no calamity can hurt them. 2 Those who live good lives find peace and rest in death.
3 Come here to be judged, you sinners! You are no better than sorcerers, adulterers, and prostitutes. 4 Who are you making fun of? Who are you liars jeering at? 5 You worship the fertility gods by having sex under those sacred trees of yours. You offer your children as sacrifices in the rocky caves near stream beds. 6 You take smooth stones from there and worship them as gods. You pour out wine as offerings to them and bring them grain offerings. Do you think I am pleased with all this? 7 You go to the high mountains to offer sacrifices and have sex. 8 You set up your obscene idols just inside your front doors. You forsake me; you take off your clothes and climb in your large beds with your lovers, whom you pay to sleep with you. And there you satisfy your lust. 9 You put on your perfumes and ointments and go to worship the god Molech. To find gods to worship, you send messengers far and wide, even to the world of the dead. 10 You wear yourselves out looking for other gods, but you never give up. You think your obscene idols give you strength, and so you never grow weak.
11 The Lord says, “Who are these gods that make you afraid, so that you tell me lies and forget me completely? Have you stopped honoring me because I have kept silent for so long? 12 You think that what you do is right, but I will expose your conduct, and your idols will not be able to help you. 13 When you cry for help, let those idols of yours save you! A puff of wind will carry them off! But those who trust in me will live in the land and will worship me in my Temple.”
God's Promise of Help and Healing
14 The Lord says, “Let my people return to me. Remove every obstacle from their path! Build the road and make it ready!
15 “I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so that I can restore their confidence and hope. 16 I gave my people life, and I will not continue to accuse them or be angry with them forever. 17 I was angry with them because of their sin and greed, and so I punished them and abandoned them. But they were stubborn and kept on going their own way.
18 “I have seen how they acted, but I will heal them. I will lead them and help them, and I will comfort those who mourn. 19 I offer peace to all, both near and far! I will heal my people. 20 But evil people are like the restless sea, whose waves never stop rolling in, bringing filth and muck. 21 There is no safety for sinners,” says the Lord.
Oviserekarera vyovisenginina vya Israel mavi nyengwa
1 Ovasemba ve koka, nu kape na ngu kara ko na tja. Ovapore ve ṱa, nu kape na ngu tjiwa. Nowo tji va ṱu, kape na oumba mbu mau ve hihamisa. 2 Imba mbe hupa omuinyo omusemba ve muna ohange norusuvo monḓiro.
3 Indjeye nguno mu ye okupangurwa, oweṋe varunde! Kaweṋe ovasemba pozondjai novakatuke wotukupo novakorondu. 4 Mamu nyekerere uṋe? Mamu yahamene uṋe omahwaranyo weṋu, nokuropora omaraka weṋu, eṋe vanavizeze? 5 Eṋe mu rikotamena koomukuru votukwato mokuvakirasanena kehi yomimbonde omizere. Mu punguha ovanatje veṋu moviana na motupoko twomawe. 6 Eṋe mu toora omawe omaheze moviana mbi namu rikotamene ku wo aayo owo oomukuru. Mu ve tiririra omavinu okurira ozombunguhiro zomanuwa namu ve punguhire ozombunguhiro zovikurya. Mamu tjangovasi ami mbi nohange noviṋa mbi avihe are? 7 Eṋe mu ronda kozondundu ozonde okukapunguhira ko ozombunguhiro nokukavakirasanena ngo. 8 Eṋe mu twa oviserekarera vyeṋu vyovisenginina kongotwe yomivero vyokomurungu na kozongambezero. Mwe ndji imbirahi amamu rihukura ozombanda zeṋu nokurara moviraro vyeṋu ovinene puna ozombarise zeṋu nḓu mu suta kutja ze rare puna eṋe. Nu imbo opu mu kovisira ozonḓuma zeṋu. 9 Mu ritjatja ovizumba nokurivava omaze weṋu omawa tjinene namu kerikotamena komukuru wotjisenginina Molok. Mu hinda ovatumwa veṋu kokure komikuma avihe, nangarire kotjovakoke okukapaha oomukuru ku mamu rikotamene. 10 Eṋe mu rihangaura mokupaha oomukuru varwe namu ramanga okuvepaha. Eṋe mu tjangovasi ovisenginina mavi mu pe omasa, nopu mu ha zu okungundipara.
11 Muhona ma tja nai: “Oomukuru mba oowaṋi mbu mave ku tirisa kutja u ndji korere ovizeze nokundjizemba oparukaze, nokutja o ha kara ko na tja na ami. Wa isa okundjiyozika mena rokutja ami mba mwina nai are? 12 Mo tjangovasi imbi mbi u tjita ovisemba, nungwari ami me horora ouatjiri wotjikaro tjoye, noomukuru voye kave nokusora okukuvatera. 13 Tji mo ku ombatero, oviserekarera vyoye vyovisenginina ngavi ku yame. Otjipukupuku matji vi twara, norumuinyo maru vi zengisa. Nungwari imba mbe riyameka ku ami mave tura mehi, nu mave rikotamene ku ami mondjuwo yandje.”
Ndjambi ma kwizike ombatero nomberukiro
14 Muhona ma tja nai: “Tji eseye otjiwaṋa tjandje tji kotoke ku ami. Tungeye ondjira, nu i ṱuneye! Isemoeye oviputarise avihe mondjira yatjo!
15 “Owami Ndjambi omuyapuke wOkombandambanda ngu karerera. Ami mba tura mokombanda na motjouyapuke, nungwari ami wina mbi kara puna imba mba ningisa ondjenda na imba overisusuparise, kokutja mbi yarure koupe ombepo yoverisusuparise nokutarareka omitima vyovanandjenda. 16 Ami mba yandja omuinyo kotjiwaṋa tjandje, nu hi nokuuhara ame tji posisa nokuṱomazenge na tjo nga aruhe. 17 Ami mba ṱire omazenge na tjo mena rourunde noukorokope watjo, notji mbe tji vera ne tji imbirahi. Nungwari otjo tja ri otjirangaranga, notji tja panḓera pokutwara ozondjira zatjo otjini.
18 “Ami mba muna ondjira ndji tja twara, nungwari me tji verukisa ne tji pe orusuvo, nu me huhumiṋa imba mbe noruhoze 19 kutja ve ndji tange rukwao. Ami me yandja ohange ku avehe vopopezu novokokure. Ami tjiri, me verukisa otjiwaṋa tjandje. 20 Nungwari ovanauvi ve ri otja okuvare ku ku hi norusuvo, nu ku ku nozongazona nḓe ha porimana nu nḓe tukurura ondova nomunoko. 21 Ovarunde kamaave munu ohange,” Muhona ma tja nai.
