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.”
Israels ge a ǁaedi di ǃnâ
1 Sadu ǃnāǃnuidi dido, tita ǃgâ re
tsî sadu ǃnūse hâdo ǁnâu re!
ǃKhūb ge ǃnae ta nîs aiǃâ ge ǂgai te,
ganupe ta ti îs ǃnāb ǃnâ hâ hîab ge ge ǀonǂgai te.
2 Ti amsab ge ǀā gôab khami ge dī,
ǁîb ǃommi sommi ǃnâb ge ge gaugau te.
ǂKhanuǂkhanuhe hâ ǂāb aseb ge ge dī te,
ǁîb ǁhōb ǃnâb ge ge sâu te.
3 Tsîb ge tita ǃoa ge mî: “Sats ge ti ǃgātsa, Israeltse;
sats ǃnâ ta ge nî ǂkhaiǂkhaihe.”
4 Xawe ta ge tita ge mî: “ǁAuse ta ge ge sîsen;
ti ǀgaiba ta ge ǁaudommi ai tsî harebeoǃnâse ge sîsenū.”
Xawe ǃKhūb ge tita nî ǂnoaba
tsî ti Elob ge tita nî mādawa-am.
5 ǃKhūb ge tita ǁhās ǃnâ ǁîb di ǃgāse ǂnubi,
Jakoba ǁîb ǃoa ge hā-ū
tsî Israelsa ǁîb tawa nî ǀhaoǀhaobahe.
Tita ge ǃKhūb mûǁae ge ǃgôahe,
ti Elob a ti ǀgai.
6 Ob ge ǃKhūba ǃaruǀî tita ǃoa ge mî:
“Supuba te i ge a satsa Jakob ǁaesa nî ǂgaikhâi
tsî Israels ûiǃgau ge khoena ǁkhawa ūhās di ǃgāse dīsa.
ǁAedi di ǃnâse ta ge nî dī tsi,
ti ores ǃhūbaib ǀkhâuǀamdi kōse nî ǂapaǂoase.”
7 Nētib ge ǃKhūb Israels Ore-aob tsî ǁîb ǃAnuba,
ǁnāb ǃgamse sorahe hâb,
ǁaedi xa ǂharahe hâb
tsî ǂgaeǂgui-aogu di ǃgāb ǃoa ra mî:
“Gao-aogu ge mû tsî nî khâimâ,
gaosagu tsîn ge nî mû
tsî ǃKhūb aiǃâ nî ǃhonǁgoa.”
ǁÎb a ǂgomǂgomsa, Israels di ǃAnub,
ge satsa ǁhûiǂuibasen xui-ao.
Jerusalems ǀasaǀasahes
8 Nētib ge ǃKhūba ra mî:
“ǂHanu ǁaeb ai ta ge ge ǃeream tsi,
ti ores tsēs ai ta ge ge huiǂui tsi.
Tita ge sâu tsi tsî khoen ǃgaeǀhaos ase ge mā tsi,
ǃhūbats nî ǂnubikhâi
tsî ǃū-aise ǁgoe ǃhūǃâdets nî ǀumise ǀgoraǂuise.
9 ǃKhōsaben ǃoats ge nî mî: ‘ǂOaxa!’
tsî ǃkhaenab ǃnâ hân ǃoa ‘ǁGausen.’
ǁÎn ge daogu ai nî ǃû,
ǃnâugu hoagu ge ǁîn ǃû-aise nî ī.
10 ǁÎn ge tātsē ǃâ tsî ǁgâ tide,
tamas ka ios ge ǁkhō ǂoas kas,
sores kas hoasa ǁîna hō tide.
ǁÎn ǀKhomaob ǁîna ǂgaeǂgui
tsî ǁgamǀaude-u nî ǃkharu-ū xui-ao.
11 “Tita ge ti ǃhomgu hoaga daogu ase nî dī
tsî ti ǃgangu hoaga nî ǀgapiǀgapi.
12 Mû, nēn ge ǃnūseba xu ra hā
tsî mû, nēn ge ǀapas tsî huriǂoasa xu ra hā
tsî nēn ge Sinimǃhūba xu ra hā.”
13 ǀHomtse, ǃgâiaǂgaob ǀkha ǂgaiǂui
tsî ǃhūbaitse, ǃgâiaǂgao re!
ǃHomgo, ǁnaeb ǃnâ ǂariǃā!
ǃKhūb ǁîb khoena ge ǁkhaeǂgao,
tsî ǁnān hîa ra tsâna nî ǀkhomxaǃnâ amaga.
14 Xawes ge Sionsa ge mî:
“ǃKhūb ge ge ǁnāxū te,
ti ǃKhūb ge ge ǀuru te,”
15 Ob ge ǃKhūba ge ǃeream:
“Tara-e kha daisi-i ra ǀgôaro-e ǀuru ǁkhā-i a,
tamas ka io ǁîs ǁhās di ǀgôaro-e ǀkhomxaǃnâs tide?
ǁÎs ga ǀuru,
xawe ta ge tita tātsē ǀuru tide.
16 Mû, ti ǃomǃnās ǃnâ ta ge ǃgaoǂgā du hâ,
sadu ǂnubiǂgoagu ge hoaǁae ti aiǃâ mâ.
17 “Sasa nî omkhâin ge ǃhaeǁaeb ǃnâ nî hā,
tsî sasa ge hîkākān ge sasa xu nî bē.
18 Kōkhâi î kōǂnamipe!
ǁÎn hoan ge hāǀhao tsî sas ǃoa ra hā.
Tita ûi hâ ǃkhais ao, tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî,
os ge ǁîn hoana ǃgomǀgausa anixū-i ase nî ǂnûi,
ǁînas ge nî ǃgaesen ǃgame-aos khami.
19 “ǁAuse tsî ǃū-aisase ǁgoe ǃādi tsî hîkākāsa ǃhūb
ge ǁîs ǁanǂgāsaben ǃaroma nî ǂkhariro
tsî sasa ra hapun ge ǃnūse nî bē.
20 Sa ǃkhōsis ǃoab ǃnâs hâ hîa gere ǃnae ǀgôan
ge sas ra ǁnâu hîa nî mî:
‘ǃĀs ge sida ǃaroma a ǂkhariro,
ǁnā-amaga ǁanai da nî ǃkhai-e dība da.’
21 Os ge ǂgaob âs ǃnâ nî mî:
‘Tari-e nē ǀgôan hoana ge hōba te?
Tita ge ǃoab ǃnâ tsî ǀgôaose ge hâ i,
tita ge ǃkhōsis ǃnâ tsî ūǃgûbēhe hâse ge hâ i.
Tari-e ǁîna ge kaikai?
Tita ge ǃū-aisase ge ǁnāxūhe hâ i,
mâpa xun ge ǁîna hā?’ ”
22 Nētib ra ǃKhūb Eloba mî:
“Mû, tita ge ti ǃomma ǁaede ǃoa nî ūkhâi
tsîn ge sa ôaga nî tanihā-ū
tsî sa ôade ǃhōdi ai nî taniǀkhī.
23 Gao-aogu ge sa mâba-aose nî ī
tsî gao-aode sa daisi-aose.
ǃHūb ǃoa ǃgamǃgâ hâsen ge nî ǃhonba si
tsî sa ǂaira ai hâ tsaraba nî tsā.
Os ge nî ǂan tita a ǃKhū ǃkhaisa;
tita ai ra ǂgomaiǂnûin ge taotaohe tide.”
24 ǃKhamaoba xu amǀnē-i âba ǀhanahe ǁkhā-i a
tamas ka io hîkākā-aoba xu ǃkhōsabena?
25 Amaseb ge ǃKhūba ra mî:
“ǀGaisab di ǃkhōsaben tsîn ge nî ūhe
tsî hîkākā-aob amǀnē-i ge nî ǃnoraǃnorahe.
Sas ǀkha ra ǂnoagun hoana ta ge nî ǂnoagu-ū,
tsî ta ge sa ôana nî huiǂui.
26 Sa ǁgâiǀā-aona ta ge ǁîn ǂûn ǁgan-e nî ǂû kai
tsî ǁîn ǂûn ǀaob xan ge ǂauxûi-i xas khami nî ǀhoro.
Os ge ǁgans hoasa nî ǂan tita a ǃKhū sa ǃGâiǃōdī-ao
tsî sa Ore-aota, Jakob di ǀGaisata ǃkhaisa.”
