Idolatry and True Worship
1 People of Israel, listen to the message that the Lord has for you. 2 He says,
“Do not follow the ways of other nations;
do not be disturbed by unusual sights in the sky,
even though other nations are terrified.
3 The religion of these people is worthless.
A tree is cut down in the forest;
it is carved by the tools of the woodworker
4 and decorated with silver and gold.
It is fastened down with nails
to keep it from falling over.
5 Such idols are like scarecrows in a field of melons;
they cannot speak;
they have to be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them:
they can cause you no harm,
and they can do you no good.”
6 Lord, there is no one like you;
you are mighty,
and your name is great and powerful.
7 Who would not honor you, the king of all nations?
You deserve to be honored.
There is no one like you
among all the wise men of the nations
or among any of their kings.
8 All of them are stupid and foolish.
What can they learn from wooden idols?
9 Their idols are covered with silver from Spain
and with gold from Uphaz,
all the work of artists;
they are dressed in violet and purple cloth
woven by skilled weavers.
10 But you, Lord, are the true God,
you are the living God
and the eternal king.
When you are angry, the world trembles;
the nations cannot endure your anger.
( 11 You people must tell them that the gods who did not make the earth and the sky will be destroyed. They will no longer exist anywhere on earth.)
A Hymn of Praise to God
12 The Lord made the earth by his power;
by his wisdom he created the world
and stretched out the heavens.
13 At his command the waters above the sky roar;
he brings clouds from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning flash in the rain
and sends the wind from his storeroom.
14 At the sight of this, people feel stupid and senseless;
those who make idols are disillusioned,
because the gods they make are false and lifeless.
15 They are worthless and should be despised;
they will be destroyed when the Lord comes to deal with them.
16 The God of Jacob is not like them;
he is the one who made everything,
and he has chosen Israel to be his very own people.
The Lord Almighty is his name.
The Coming Exile
17 People of Jerusalem, you are under siege! Gather up your belongings. 18 The Lord is going to throw you out of this land; he is going to crush you until not one of you is left. The Lord has spoken.
19 The people of Jerusalem cried out,
“How badly we are hurt!
Our wounds will not heal.
And we thought this was something we could endure!
20 Our tents are ruined;
the ropes that held them have broken.
Our children have all gone away;
there is no one left to put up our tents again;
there is no one to hang their curtains.”
21 I answered, “Our leaders are stupid;
they do not ask the Lord for guidance.
This is why they have failed,
and our people have been scattered.
22 Listen! News has come!
There is a great commotion in a nation to the north;
its army will turn the cities of Judah into a desert,
a place where jackals live.”
23 Lord, I know that none of us are in charge of our own destiny;
none of us have control over our own life.
24 Correct your people, Lord,
but do not be too hard on us
or punish us when you are angry;
that would be the end of us.
25 Turn your anger on the nations that do not worship you
and on the people who reject you.
They have killed your people;
they have destroyed us completely
and left our country in ruins.
Ovisenginina na Ndjambi watjiri
1 Tjiwaṋa tja Israel, purateneye kombuze Muhona ndji ma hungire ku eṋe. 2 Eye ma tja nai:
“Amu kongorere ozondjira zoviwaṋa,
nu amu urumisiwa i oviraisiro mbi ri kevaverwa,
nandarire kutja oviwaṋa vi vi tira.
3 Omazikamisiro wongamburiro
yoviwaṋa mbi owo oviporoporo.
Omuti u kewa mehwa,
nu u hongwa nekuva i omake womuhonge womiti.
4 Omuti mbwi u harekwa nosilveri nongoldo,
u paperwa nohamara nozomboha kutja au ha kurakura.
5 Ovisenginina otja imbi vi ri otja ovitirise
vyozonḓera motjikunino tjomatanga;
ovyo kavi hungire,
vi toorwa uriri, orondu kavi wondjo.
Amu vi tira; kavi nokumutjita otjipo,
nu wina kavi nokumutjita ouwa.”
6 Muhona, kape na umwe ngu ri otja ove;
oove omunamasa,
nu ena roye enene nu enauvara.
7 Owaṋi ngu hi nokuyozika ove,
ngu u ri Ombara yoviwaṋa avihe?
Ove wa pwa ondjozikiro.
Kape na umwe ngu ri otja ove
mokati kozonongo azehe zoviwaṋa
na mokati kozombara azehe zarwe.
8 Ovisenginina avihe mbi oviyova novihipa.
Omahongero wavyo kaye nozondunge.
9 Oviserekarera vyovisenginina vyawo
vya tuwa osilveri ndja zire kOtarsis,
nongoldo ndja zire kooUfas;
ovyo avihe oviungura vyonongo,
nu vya zarisiwa ozombanda
ozondovazu nozoserarovazu,
nḓa wozewa i ovawoze ozonongo.
10 Nungwari ove, Muhona,
oove Ndjambi watjiri,
oove Ndjambi omunamuinyo,
noove Ombara yaaruhe.
Tji wa ṱomazenge, ouye u zezera;
oviwaṋa kavi nokuyenena okuzara omapindi woye.
11 Nambano ove, tjiwaṋa, raera oviwaṋa mbi kutja oomukuru mbe ha utire eyuru nehi mave nyonwa. Owo kave tji nokuuhara amave kara ngamwa apehe kombanda yehi.
Eimburiro rondangero ku Ndjambi
12 Ndjambi wa utire ehi momasa we,
eye wa utire ouye mounongo we,
nu wa tandavarisire omayuru mondjiviro ye.
13 Otja komarakiza we omeva mevaverwa ye ṱuṱuma;
eye u eta ovikamba okuza komaandero wehi.
Eye u tjenisa orutjeno kutja ombura i roke,
nu u hinda ombepo kutja i hinge
okuza mozondjuwo ze zomapwikiro.
14 Mokumuna oviṋa mbi omundu auhe
u rimuna kutja eye eyova nu ke nondjiviro,
nu auhe ngu hambura oviserekarera
vyovisenginina u ṱisiwa ohoṋi,
orondu oviserekarera vyovisenginina mbye ungura,
ovyo otjiwova, nu kavi nomuinyo.
15 Ovyo oviporoporo nu vya sokuṋeṋunwa;
ovyo mavi yandekwa,
Muhona tji meya okuvivera.
16 Ndjambi wa Jakob ka sanene ku vyo,
eye onguri ngwi ngwa uta oviṋa avihe,
neye wa toorora Israel okurira otjiwaṋa tje omuini.
Ena re oMuhona Omunamasaaehe.
Omahuuriro ngu maye ya
17 Tjiwaṋa tja Jerusalem, eṋe mwa koverwa. Tooreye omitwaro vyeṋu! 18 Muhona me mu nakaura mehi ndi; eye me mu twa mombamisiro kutja eṋe mu mu tjiwe kutja ope ri. Muhona wa hungire.
19 Ovature va Jerusalem va ravaera ave tja:
“Owee ku eṱe mbu twa hihamisiwa tjinene!
Ovirwaro vyetu kamaavi veruka.
Nungwari eṱe twe ripura kutja imbwi ombu
ri omutjise mbu matu sora okutjinda.
20 Ozondanda zetu za nyonwa;
ozongoze nḓaa ze ze ṱiza za poka.
Ovanatje vetu avehe va ya;
kape na umwe ngwa sewa po
okuzika ozondanda zetu rukwao;
kape na umwe ngu ma ṱaisa omarapi wazo rukwao.”
21 Ami mba zira e tja: “Ovanane vetu omayova;
owo kave ningire ondunge ku Muhona.
Opu ve ha zire okutoṋa,
notjiwaṋa tjetu opu tja rimbarera.
22 Purateneye! Ombuze ye ya!
Mu nezunganeno enene motjiwaṋa
tjokomukuma wokokunene kweyuva;
otjimbumba tjatjo tjovita matji tjiti kutja ovihuro vya Juda
vi rire okuti onguza, moṋa mu mu tura ozombandje.”
23 Muhona, ami me tjiwa kutja
kape nomundu ngu ri omutye womirari vye omuini;
kape na umwe ngu yenena
okuryamisa omikambo vye omuini.
24 Vyura otjiwaṋa tjoye, Muhona,
nungwari o rire omukukutu ku eṱe,
nu o tu vere momazenge woye;
ihi matji rire omayandekero wetu.
25 Tirira omazenge woye koviwaṋa mbi he rikotamena
kove na komihoko mbi ha isana ena roye.
Ovyo vya zepa otjiwaṋa tjoye;
vye tu yandeka okumana,
nu avi isa ehi retu ara rire etundu.
