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.”
Omupiya wOmwene Oye ouyelele woiwana
1 Udei nge, onye eenhunhu ndele pwilikineni, onye ava mu li kokule. Omwene okwa ifana nge fimbo nda li moshidalelo shameme, okwa tonga edina lange mokudalwa kwange. 2 Ndele okanya kange okwe ka ninga eongamukonda la twa nokwa holeka nge momudile weke laye; okwa ninga nge oshikuti sha yawa, nokwa holeka nge monywa yaye. 3 Ndele okwa lombwela nge ta ti: “Oove omupiya wange, oove Israel, Ame ohandi lifimanekele mwoove.” 4 Ndelenee ame nda tile: “Onde lihepekele ongaho, eenghono dange onde di mana po oshimha, inadi eta po sha”. Nande ngaha, eyukifo lange oli li pOmwene, nondjabi yange oi li puKalunga kange. 5 Ndele paife Omwene Oye tuu ou a ma nge, nda ninga omupiya waye mokudja medimo lameme, Ye ota ti: Jakob, ndi mu alulile kuye naIsrael, ndi mu ongele puye, ndele ame handi ka fimanekwa momesho Omwene, naKalunga Oye eenghono dange. 6 Ye okwa tya: “Itashi ku wanene, oove omupiya wange, ngeenge to pamekulula omapata aJakob ndele to alula oonakuxupa muIsrael, ndelenee ohandi ku tula po u kale ouyelele woiwana, exupifo lange opo li hange fiyo okominghulo dedu.”
7 Omwene Omukulili waIsrael, Omuyapuki waye ota lombwele ou a dinwa shili, ou a tondwa kovanhu, ou omupiya wovapangeli: “Eehamba otadi ke shi mona, ndele tadi kala ofika, novapangeli otave ke linyongamena omolwOmwene ou omudiinini,” omolwOmuyapuki waIsrael, ou e ku hoolola.
8 Omwene ota ti ngaha: “Efimbo la wapala onde ku uda nomefiku lexupifo onde ku kwafa; Ame onde ku longekida nonde ku tula po, u kale ehangano loiwana okutungulula edu nokutaula omikunda da fyuululwa, edi da fiwa po omaputu. 9 Nokulombwela eenghwate: ‘Djeni mo!’ Naava va kala momilaulu: ‘Ileni pouyelele!’ Ndele vo otava ka lifa pomalila, keemhunda adishe da yela otapa ka kala oulifilo wavo. 10 Itava ka fya ondjala noitava ka fya enota, nomutenya womombuwa netango itali ke va xwika, osheshi Omufinghenda wavo ote ke va endifa ndele te ke va twala keefifiya domeva. 11 Ndele eemhunda dange adishe ohandi ke di twa eendjila nomalila ange otaa ka yelulwa. 12 Tala, ava tava di kokule! Tala, venya koumbangalanhu navenya vokouninginino, navenya vokedu laSinim.” 13 Akutu omaulu, nyakukweni, naave, edu kuwilila, nanye eemhunda, hafeni pombada, osheshi Omwene ota hekeleke oshiwana shaye, ndele ta file ovafininikwa vaye onghenda.
14 Ndelenee Sion ota popi, ndele ta ti: “Omwene okwa ekelashi nge, Omwene okwa dimbwa nge.”
15 Ope na tuu omwalikadi ta dulu okudimbwa okahanana kaye, ye ita file ngeno okaana komolutu laye onghenda? Nande ngeno ye te ka dimbwa, Ame itandi ku dimbwa. 16 Tala, onde ku nyola meke lange, omakumahote oye alushe e li momesho ange. 17 Ovamwoye ovamati otave uya nokweendelela, ndelenee ovateyauli voye novahanauni voye otave ku fii po. 18 Yelula omesho oye u talaatale: otava ongala, vo aveshe otave uya kwoove. Oshili, ngaashi ndi na omwenyo, Omwene osho ta ti, oto va djala aveshe ngaashi oulenga ndele to ve lidike moshiya ngaashi omuhombolwa. 19 Osheshi oove, omakulukuma oye nomaputu oye, edu loye la hanaunwa po, ove to ka kala mo, wa finana mo, novaponi voye ove li kokule. 20 Ovamwoye vopomafiku enya eshi wa li wa nyekwa oludalo, otave ke ku lombwela momatwi oye tava ti: “Onhele ei oi nofina okukala mo, ehena ko ndi dule okukala mo!” 21 Opo nee ove to ka diladila momutima woye, ndele to ti: “Olyelye a dalela nge ounona ava? Ngeno onda li ndihe na oludalo, nda li ongadji, nda li nda tewa mo nonda hengwa po. Olyelye e va kulifa? Tala, onda kala po aame andike. Ounona ava, vo ova li peni?” 22 Omwene, Kalunga ota ti ngaha: “Tala, eke lange ohandi li twala koiwana, epandela lange ohandi li dikile oilongo, opo nee vo otava ka eta ovamwoye ovamati, novamwoye oukadona otave ke va humbata komapepe. 23 Ndele eehamba otadi ningi ovayakuli voye, ovapangeli ovambada vavo otave ke va nyamifa. Otave linyongamene koshipala shoye, ndele tava lafa ondwi keemhadi doye. Ove to ka shiiva nge, Aame Omwene, ndele ava tava teelele nge, itava fifwa ohoni. 24 Omukwataiti ota ka nyekwa tuu oshihakanwa shaye? Ile eenghwate otadi dulu tuu okulivaka po pomuyuki?” 25 Osheshi Omwene ota ti: “Omukwataiti nande na kufwe eenghwate daye, nomunaenghono nande na nyekwe oshihakanwa shaye, Ame ohandi ka lwifa ou te ku lwifa, ndele handi ka xupifa ovamwoye. 26 Ndele ovahepeki voye onda hala oku va lifa ombelela yavo vene, ndele tava kolwa kohonde yavo vene, ngaashi hava kolwa komaviinyu manyenye Opo nee ombelela aishe otai ka shiiva nge nokutya, Aame Omwene, Omuxupifi woye, Omunaenghono waJakob, Omukulili woye.”
