Israel's Moral Corruption
1 It's hopeless! I am like a hungry person who finds no fruit left on the trees and no grapes on the vines. All the grapes and all the tasty figs have been picked. 2 There is not an honest person left in the land, no one loyal to God. Everyone is waiting for a chance to commit murder. Everyone hunts down their own people. 3 They are all experts at doing evil. Officials and judges ask for bribes. The influential people tell them what they want, and so they scheme together. 4 Even the best and most honest of them are as worthless as weeds.
The day has come when God will punish the people, as he warned them through their watchmen, the prophets. Now they are in confusion. 5 Don't believe your neighbor or trust your friend. Be careful what you say even to your husband or wife. 6 In these times sons treat their fathers like fools, daughters oppose their mothers, and young women quarrel with their mothers-in-law; your enemies are the members of your own family.
7 But I will watch for the Lord; I will wait confidently for God, who will save me. My God will hear me.
The Lord Brings Salvation
8 Our enemies have no reason to gloat over us. We have fallen, but we will rise again. We are in darkness now, but the Lord will give us light. 9 We have sinned against the Lord, so now we must endure his anger for a while. But in the end he will defend us and right the wrongs that have been done to us. He will bring us out to the light; we will live to see him save us. 10 Then our enemies will see this and be disgraced—the same enemies who taunted us by asking, “Where is the Lord your God?” We will see them defeated, trampled down like mud in the streets.
11 People of Jerusalem, the time to rebuild the city walls is coming. At that time your territory will be enlarged. 12 Your people will return to you from everywhere—from Assyria in the east, from Egypt in the south, from the region of the Euphrates River, from distant seas and far-off mountains. 13 But the earth will become a desert because of the wickedness of those who live on it.
The Lord's Compassion on Israel
14 Be a shepherd to your people, Lord, the people you have chosen. Although they live apart in the wilderness, there is fertile land around them. Let them go and feed in the rich pastures of Bashan and Gilead, as they did long ago.
15 Work miracles for us, Lord, as you did in the days when you brought us out of Egypt. 16 The nations will see this and be frustrated in spite of all their strength. In dismay they will close their mouths and cover their ears. 17 They will crawl in the dust like snakes; they will come from their fortresses, trembling and afraid. They will turn in fear to the Lord our God.
18 There is no other god like you, O Lord; you forgive the sins of your people who have survived. You do not stay angry forever, but you take pleasure in showing us your constant love. 19 You will be merciful to us once again. You will trample our sins underfoot and send them to the bottom of the sea! 20 You will show your faithfulness and constant love to your people, the descendants of Abraham and of Jacob, as you promised our ancestors long ago.
Omazunḓakero wa Israel
1 Owee ku ami! Tjinga ambi ri otja omundu ngwa ṱondjara nu ngu ha vazere ko otjihape tji tja sewa komuti, nu komuti womandjembere ka ku nomandjembere. Omapunda omasenina womandjembere nomakuyu omatenga ayehe omutima wandje mbi mau zeri ya wongwa pa sewa tjo. 2 Kape tji nomundu omunauatjiri mehi, nu kape tji nomusemba mokati kovandu; avehe ve paha okutirahi ombinḓu, auhe u tjera omukwao okuzepa. 3 Owo avehe omapenda mokutjita ouvi. Ovahongore novapangure ve ningira otjisuta tjombopero, nomurumendu omutjiukwa u ve raera avihe mbi ma vanga, nu otji ve zuvasana mouhasemba wawo. 4 Omusemba povakwao wa sana komutaurambuku, nomuṱakame onguri omuvi tjinene porumbo rwomakuiya.
Eyuva Ndjambi mu ma vere ovandu mari ya otja tje ve rongera po novinyo vyovaprofete. Nowo otji mave pambauka. 5 O kambura momuraranganda na ove, nu o riyameke kepanga roye. Ṱakamisa imbi mbi mo hungire, nangarire komukazendu woye. 6 Moruveze ndwi omuzandu u tengurura ihe, nomukazona u sekamena ina, nomukwe omukazona u sekamena ina omukwe we, novanavita kumwe owo mba ovondjuwo imwe.
7 Nungwari ami me tara ku Muhona nu me undju ku Ndjambi ngu ri ondjamo yandje. Ndjambi wandje me ndji zuvire.
Muhona ma eta ondjamo
8 O nyandere ami, munavita na ami! Nandi mba u, me sekama rukwao; nandi mba haama monḓorera, Muhona onguri ondjerera yandje. 9 Omazenge wa Muhona ami me ye tjindi, orondu tjinga amba tjita ourunde komurungu we. Nungwari korusenina eye ma ṱunu otjiposa tjandje ne ndji pe ousemba. Eye me ndji twara kondjerera; nami me munu nondjoroka eye tji ma tjiti ousemba. 10 Omunavita na ami ma munu otjiṋa hi, nohoṋi mai mu vandeke ingwi ngwe ndji nyekerera ama pura nai: “Muhona, Ndjambi woye u ri pi?” Omeho wandje maye tara nondjoroka eye tji ma tombwa otja omunoko momuvanda.
11 Vature va Jerusalem, oruveze rwomatungururiro worumbo rwotjihuro maru ya. Moruveze ndo ehi reṋu mari tandaurwa. 12 Ovandu veṋu mave kotoka ku eṋe okuza kOasirie komuhuka na kOengipte keyuva kokumuho na kehi ronḓonḓu Eufrat na komakuvare wokokure na kozondundu zokokure. 13 Nungwari ehi mari rire onguza mena rouvi wovature varo.
Ondjenda ya Muhona kOisrael
14 Risa otjiwaṋa tjoye, Muhona, indwi orupanda ndu ri otjirumatwa tjoye ndwa tura peke mokuti onguza ku kwa kondorokwa i ehi ehapise. Ve esa ve karye omaryo wondjoura wa Basan na mOgilead tjimuna tjaave tjiti rukuru.
15 Tu tjitira ovihimise, Muhona, tjimuna tji wa tjitire momayuva ngu we tu pitisire mOengipte. 16 Noviwaṋa tji vya munu omasa wa Ndjambi mavi ṱohoṋi, nandarire kutja vi nomasa tjinene, novyo mavi twa omake kovinyo navi pata omatwi wavyo. 17 Novyo mavi rasa oruuma otja ozonyoka notja oupuka womehi; mavi piti moviṱunga vyavyo amavi zezera nokutira. Ovyo mavi ya momburuma ku Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu.
18 Kapena Ndjambi nguri tjimuna ove Muhona. Ove wa isira omauvi wotjiwaṋa tjoye tji tja hupa kouhuura. Ove ko panḓere pomazenge woye nga aruhe, nungwari u nonyuṋe mokuturaisira orusuvero rwoye orukarerere. 19 Ove mo tu tjariparere rukwao, mo yata ourunde wetu aehe nu mo ye nakaurire mourekoto wokuvare! 20 Ove mo raisa ouṱakame woye norusuvero rwoye orukarerere kotjiwaṋa tjoye, inḓa ozondekurona za Abraham na Jakob, otja tji wa kwizikira ootate mukururume okuza korukuru.
