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.
Israels ǁgôa-eloǃoabas ra ǀgoraǃgâhe
1 ǂHanu-ain ge ra ǁō, xawe-i ge ǀgui-i xare-e ǃgaoǃgâ tama hâ. ǂHauǃnân ge ra ūbēhe, khoe-i xare-i nēsa ǁnâuǃā tama. ǂHanu-ain ra ǂkhababa xu ūbēhe. 2 ǁÎn ge ǂkhîba ra hō, ǁnān ǂhauǃnâse gere ûin ge ǁîn kharogu ai nî sâ.
3 Xawe sado, nēpa hā re, sadu ǃgaidī-aon ôado, sadu ǀai-aos suriba xu hâdo tsî sa ǀai-aoso! 4 Tari-e du ra ǃhō? Tari-i ǃoagu du ra tsoranam? Sado ǁnâi ǃûǂams ôa tamado, ǂkhabasib suri tamado? 5 Sadu aikehaidi ǃnaka ra ǁgoe-ūgudo; ǃgoaǃnāgu ǃnâ tsî ǁhoagu ǃnâ sadu ôana ra ǂādo. 6 ǃGoaǃnāb ǂkhanu ǀuidi tawas ge sadu ǃâs hâsa; ǁîn, ǁîn ge sadu ǃâ. ǁÎna du ge āǁguibasa ra ǁguiba, sadu ge ǃhoroǁguibasa ǁîna ra hā-ūba. Nē xūn ǀkha ta nî ǂkhîǂâixa? 7 ǀGapi ǃhommi ai du ge sadu kharoba ra ǀgâi tsî ǁnāpa ǂoa tsî sī ra ǁguiba. 8 Daos ǃgâb ai tsî dao-amhaikha ai du ge sadu saode ge dī; tita ǁnāxūs ǀkha du ge sadu kharoba ge ǀkhaiǀkhā kai. ǁÎb ai ǂoa tsî du ge ge harahara bi. Sadu ge aitsama ǁîn ǀkha ǀhao hâse harebesa ge ūbasen; ǁîn kharoba du ge ǀnam, ǀōǀkhāsiba du ge ge kōǀî. 9 Moleki ǁga du ge oli-e ūhâse ra ǃgû tsî du ge ǃgâihamxūn âdo ra ǂguiǂgui. Sadu sîsabega du ge ǃnūseba ǃoa ra sî tsî ǁkhāti ǁŌhân Hâǃkhaib ǃnâs tsîna ra sîǁnâ. 10 Sadu ǃgûdaogu xa du ge ra dītoahe, xawe du ge “Harebeoǃnâ a” ti mî tama hâ. ǁKhore du gere ǀasa ǀgaiba du ge ge hō tsî du ge ǁnā-amaga ǂkhabu tama ge i.
11 Tari-e du ǃao tsî ǁnātikōse ra ǃhuriba, î du ǂhumi tsî tita ǂâihō tamas ka io tita xa ǂâi tama du ge hâ i? Gaxuse ta ge ǃnō, amagasa ǃao te tama du ge hâ isa? 12 Tita ge sadu ǂhanu-aisiǃnôa-i tsî sîsengu tsîna nî ǂanǂan, xawe gu ge ǁîga hui du tide. 13 ǂGai du kao, a gu sadu ge ǀhaoǀhao ǁgôa-eloga huiǂui du! ǂOab ge ǁîga nî ū, ǀommi ge ǁîga nî ǃgombē. Xawe tita ǃoa ra ǁhaiǁhân hoan ge ǃhūba nî ūbasen tsî ti ǃanu ǃhomma nî ǀumi.
Elob ge huib tsî ǂgauǂgaus tsîra ra mîmâi
14 ǃKhūb ge ra mî: “ǂNubikhâi, ǂnubikhâi, daoba ǂhomi, ǁkhae ra xū-i hoa-e ūbē ti ǁaes daoba xu!”
15 Nētib ge ǀgapi tsî ǃanub ǀamosib ǃnâ ǁan hâb, ǃAnub ti ǀon hâba ra mî: “Tita ge ǀgapi tsî ǃanu ǃkhais ai ra hâ tsî ǁkhāti ǂkhūǂkhūhesa tsî ǃgamǃgamsenxa gagasa ūhân tsîn ǀkha, î ta ǃgamǃgamsenxan di gagasa ǁkhawa ûi-ûi tsî ǂkhūǂkhūhe hân ǂgaogu tsîna ǁkhawa khoakhoa. 16 Tita ge hoaǁae ǀau du tamas ka io ǁaixa-ū du tide; gagadi ti aiǃâ nî tsanaǁkhui xui-ao, ǁkhāti ǀomdi tita ge kurudi tsîna. 17 ǁÎn di ǂkhaba turab ǃaroma ta ge ge ǁaixa; ǁnā-amaga ta ge ǁîna ge ǁkhara tsî ti ǁaib ǃnâ ge gaugausen. Xawen ge ǁîna ǁnāǁgôa tsî ǀû tamase ǁîn daoga gere sao.
18 “ǁÎn tanisensa ta ge ge mû, xawe ta ge tita ǁîna nî ǂgauǂgau. Tita ge ǁîna ǂgaeǂgui tsî ǁkhaeǂgaos ǀkha nî mādawa-am, tsî ǁîn di ǃoa hâna ǁkhawa nî ǁkhaeǂgao. 19 ǂKhîb, ǂkhîba ǁnān ǃnūse tsî ǀgūse hân ǃoa. Tita ge ǁîna nî ǂgauǂgau,”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.20 “Xawe ǂkhabadī-aon ge sâoǃnâ hurib, ǁgoea-ai ǂgao tamab khami ī. ǁÎb ǁgamgu ge ǂgoab tsî ǃhūb tsîkha ra ūkhâi. 21 ǂKhabadī-aon ǃaroma i ge ǂkhî-e ǀkhai,”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.