1 The Lord says,
“Do you think I sent my people away
like a man who divorces his wife?
Where, then, are the papers of divorce?
Do you think I sold you into captivity
like a man who sells his children as slaves?
No, you went away captive because of your sins;
you were sent away because of your crimes.
2 “Why did my people fail to respond
when I went to them to save them?
Why did they not answer when I called?
Am I too weak to save them?
I can dry up the sea with a command
and turn rivers into a desert,
so that the fish in them die for lack of water.
3 I can make the sky turn dark,
as if it were in mourning for the dead.”
The Obedience of the Lord's Servant
4 The Sovereign Lord has taught me what to say,
so that I can strengthen the weary.
Every morning he makes me eager
to hear what he is going to teach me.
5 The Lord has given me understanding,
and I have not rebelled
or turned away from him.
6 I bared my back to those who beat me.
I did not stop them when they insulted me,
when they pulled out the hairs of my beard
and spit in my face.
7 But their insults cannot hurt me
because the Sovereign Lord gives me help.
I brace myself to endure them.
I know that I will not be disgraced,
8 for God is near,
and he will prove me innocent.
Does anyone dare bring charges against me?
Let us go to court together!
Let him bring his accusation!
9 The Sovereign Lord himself defends me—
who, then, can prove me guilty?
All my accusers will disappear;
they will vanish like moth-eaten cloth.
10 All of you that honor the Lord
and obey the words of his servant,
the path you walk may be dark indeed,
but trust in the Lord, rely on your God.
11 All of you that plot to destroy others
will be destroyed by your own plots.
The Lord himself will make this happen;
you will suffer a miserable fate.
1 Nētib ge ǃKhūba ra mî:
“Sadu îs di ǀgoraǂkhanis,
ǁîsa ta ge sîbē-ūsa mâpa hâ?
Tamas ka io mâb ti surude ôa-aob,
ai ta ge ǁamaxū du?
Ā, sadu ǁoren ǃaromas ge ǁamaxūhe du gesa,
tsî sadu tsūdīgu ǃaromas ge sadu îs ge sîbēhesa.
2 “Tare-i ǃaroma-i ge khoe-e ǀkhai i, hā ta geo?
Tare-i ǃaroma-i khoe-e
ge ǃeream tama hâ i ǂgai ta geo?
Ti ǁôaba kha ǃnubu, ore ǁoab ase?
Tamas ka io ta ores di ǀgaiba ūhâ tama?
Ti ǁkhāsiba xus ge huriba ta ge ǂnâ kaisa;
ǃāga ta ge ǃgaroǃhūse dīsa.
ǁGam-i ǀkhai ǃkhais ge ǁîgu ǁaun ra ǀō,
tsî ǁgâs xa ǁōsa.
3 Tita ge ǀhomma ǃkhaenas ǀkha ana
tsî ǃoasarab ǀkha ra ǃgū-ai.”
ǃKhūb ǃgāb di ǁnâuǀnamxasib
4 ǃKhūb Elob ge ǁgauǃnâ-ao-i namma ge mā te,
î ta ǂan mâ ǀgaus ai ta ǂkhabusana nî ǂkhâǃnâsa.
ǁGoas hoasab ge ra ǂkhaiǂkhai te,
ǁîb ge ti ǂgaesa ǁnâus nîse ra ǂkhaiǂkhai, ǁkhāǁkhāsabe-i khami.
5 ǃKhūb Elob ge ti ǂgaesa ge ǁkhowa-am
tsî ta ge khâikhâisen tama ge hâ i,
tita ge dabasen tama ge i.
6 Tita ge ti ǁâba ǂnau te gena ge mā
tsî ti xōra ǁnān ti ǀhō-amga ge ǂgaeǂuina;
ti aisa ta ge mîǁgaiǁgaihes
tsî ǂara-aihesa xu sâu tama ge i.
7 ǃKhūb Elob ge tita ge hui,
ǁnā-amaga ta ge taotaohe tama ge i.
ǁNā-amaga ta ge ge mâǀgai
tsî taotaohe ta tidesa ge ǂan i.
8 Tita nî ǂnoabab ge a ǀgū.
Tari-e tita nî ǂnoaǃoa?
A da mâǀhao.
Tarina ti ǂnoaǃoa-aona?
An tita ǁgoaǂui!
9 ǃKhūb Elob ge tita ge huiba;
tari-e tita ǀhapixase nî hō?
Hoan ge sara-i khami nî ǀoro;
ǁgurib ge ǁîna nî hapu.
10 Tari-i sadu di-e ǃKhūba ra ǃaoǃgâ-e
tsî ǁî-i ǃgāb domma ra ǁnâuǀnam-e?
Tari-e ǃkhaenas ǃnâ ǃgû tsî ǃnâ-e ūhâ tama-e,
xawe ǃKhūb ǀons ǃnâ ǂgomǃgâ
tsî Eloba xu ra ǃâubasen-e?
11 Xawe sadu hoadu ge ǀaes ǃamamaodu;
ǀaes nanide ra ǃamamdo.
Sadu ǀaeǁhabub ǃnâ ǃgû
tsî sadu ge ǃamam nanidi ǁaegu!
Nēs ge ti ǃomma xu du nî ǃkhōǃoasa;
tsûb di ǃkhais ǃnâ du ge nî ǁgoe.
