A Useless Treaty with Egypt
1 The Lord has spoken: “Those who rule Judah are doomed because they rebel against me. They follow plans that I did not make, and sign treaties against my will, piling one sin on another. 2 They go to Egypt for help without asking for my advice. They want Egypt to protect them, so they put their trust in Egypt's king. 3 But the king will be powerless to help them, and Egypt's protection will end in disaster. 4 Although their ambassadors have already arrived at the Egyptian cities of Zoan and Hanes, 5 the people of Judah will regret that they ever trusted that unreliable nation, a nation that fails them when they expect help.”
6 This is God's message about the animals of the southern desert: “The ambassadors travel through dangerous country, where lions live and where there are poisonous snakes and flying dragons. They load their donkeys and camels with expensive gifts for a nation that cannot give them any help. 7 The help that Egypt gives is useless. So I have nicknamed Egypt, ‘The Harmless Dragon.’”
The Disobedient People
8 God told me to write down in a book what the people are like, so that there would be a permanent record of how evil they are. 9 They are always rebelling against God, always lying, always refusing to listen to the Lord's teachings. 10 They tell the prophets to keep quiet. They say, “Don't talk to us about what's right. Tell us what we want to hear. Let us keep our illusions. 11 Get out of our way and stop blocking our path. We don't want to hear about your holy God of Israel.”
12 But this is what the holy God of Israel says: “You ignore what I tell you and rely on violence and deceit. 13 You are guilty. You are like a high wall with a crack running down it; suddenly you will collapse. 14 You will be shattered like a clay pot, so badly broken that there is no piece big enough to pick up hot coals with or to dip water from a cistern.”
15 The Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says to the people, “Come back and quietly trust in me. Then you will be strong and secure.” But you refuse to do it. 16 Instead, you plan to escape from your enemies by riding fast horses. And you are right—escape is what you will have to do! You think your horses are fast enough, but those who pursue you will be faster! 17 A thousand of you will run away when you see one enemy soldier, and five soldiers will be enough to make you all run away. Nothing will be left of your army except a lonely flagpole on the top of a hill. 18 And yet the Lord is waiting to be merciful to you. He is ready to take pity on you because he always does what is right. Happy are those who put their trust in the Lord.
God Will Bless His People
19 You people who live in Jerusalem will not weep any more. The Lord is compassionate, and when you cry to him for help, he will answer you. 20 The Lord will make you go through hard times, but he himself will be there to teach you, and you will not have to search for him any more. 21 If you wander off the road to the right or the left, you will hear his voice behind you saying, “Here is the road. Follow it.” 22 You will take your idols plated with silver and your idols covered with gold, and will throw them away like filth, shouting, “Out of my sight!” 23 Whenever you plant your crops, the Lord will send rain to make them grow and will give you a rich harvest, and your livestock will have plenty of pasture. 24 The oxen and donkeys that plow your fields will eat the finest and best fodder. 25 On the day when the forts of your enemies are captured and their people are killed, streams of water will flow from every mountain and every hill. 26 The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter than usual, like the light of seven days in one. This will all happen when the Lord bandages and heals the wounds he has given his people.
God Will Punish Assyria
27 The Lord's power and glory can be seen in the distance. Fire and smoke show his anger. He speaks, and his words burn like fire. 28 He sends the wind in front of him like a flood that carries everything away. It sweeps nations to destruction and puts an end to their evil plans. 29 But you, God's people, will be happy and sing as you do on the night of a sacred festival. You will be as happy as those who walk to the music of flutes on their way to the Temple of the Lord, the defender of Israel.
30 The Lord will let everyone hear his majestic voice and feel the force of his anger. There will be flames, cloudbursts, hailstones, and torrents of rain. 31 The Assyrians will be terrified when they hear the Lord's voice and feel the force of his punishment. 32 As the Lord strikes them again and again, his people will keep time with the music of drums and harps. God himself will fight against the Assyrians. 33 Long ago a place was prepared where a huge fire will burn the emperor of Assyria. It is deep and wide, and piled high with wood. The Lord will breathe out a stream of flame to set it on fire.
Egipiti itali vulu okukwatha
1 Omuwa okwa popi a ti: “Yaye mboka haa lele Juda, oshoka oya tsile ndje ondumbo. Otaa landula oondunge inaadhi za mungame. Otaa hangana ehangano tali kondjitha ehalo lyandje nokundumbila oondjo mumwe. 2 Otaa ka konga ekwatho kuEgipiti yo inaa pula ndje. Oya hala Egipiti li ya popile, nomukwaniilwa gwalyo e ya gamene. 3 Ihe omukwaniilwa ita ka vula oku ya popila, negameno lyokuEgipiti otali ka hulila momupya. 4 Nando aakalelipo yawo ya thika muEgipiti ya kale miilando Zoan naHanes, 5 Aajuda otaa ka pongola, sho yi inekela oshigwana shaa shi kwiinekelwa, oshigwana shoka tashi nyengwa oku ya kwatha.”
6 Ndika elaka lyaKalunga tali popi iithitukuti yomombuga kuumbugantu tali ti: “Aakalelipo otaye ende taa taakana oshilongo shi na iiponga, oonime, omayoka guuzigo niikoko hayi tuka. Otaa kutile omilongelo dhi na ondilo kuusino nokoongamelo dhawo, ye dhi fale koshigwana itaashi vulu oku ya kwatha. 7 Ekwatho ndyoka Egipiti te li gandja, itali tompola sha. Onkee nda luku Egipiti oshilukadhina ‘Munalwango lwa mwenekwa.’ ”
Aantu aatangalali
8 Kalunga okwa lombwele ndje, ndi nyolele membo onkalo yaantu, sho shi kale ehokololo tali holola kutya yo aawinayi. 9 Aluhe oya tsile Kalunga ondumbo, aluhe otaa fundju, aluhe otaa tindi okupulakena omalongo gOmuwa. 10 Otaa ganda aahunganeki ya mwene. Otaa ti: “Inamu tu lombwela uuyuuki mboka. Tu lombweleni shoka twa hala tu uve. Etheni tu kale nomafafaeko getu. 11 Zii po putse, inamu tula omandangalati mondjila yetu. Tse inatu hala okuuva, sho tamu popi Kalunga kaIsrael omuyapuki.”
12 Ihe Kalunga kaIsrael omuyapuki ota popi ta ti: “Ne kamu na ko nasha naashoka tandi mu lombwele nomwi itula ekuni mekoto. 13 Otamu hunu. Omwa fa ekuma eleeleka lya tenda omusa li gwe po; ohaluka tamu ka ongotela po. 14 Otamu ka nyanyulwa mwa fa oshuma sheloya sha tatuka nayi, noshikangwakangwa shokuhumbata omulilo nenge shoku ka talitha omeya kiipeleki, osho ngaa inaashi hupa po.”
15 Omuwa Omupangeliawike, Kalunga kaIsrael omuyapuki, ota lombwele oshigwana ta ti: “Galukeni, itedhululeni ne mu inekele ndje meimweneneno, notamu kala mu na oonkondo e tamu hupithwa.” Ihe ne omwa tindi oku shi ninga. 16 Omwa dhiladhila, mu ye ontuku aatondi yeni mwa kayila uukambe u na ondapo. Eeno, omu li mondjila, efadhukopo otamu li vulu! Omwa dhiladhila, uukambe weni ou na ondapo shili, ihe mboka taye mu tidha, oye mu vule! 17 Eyuvi lyomune otali ka ya ontuku, nge tali mono omukwiita gumwe gwomaatondi naakwiita yatano oya gwana oku mu fadhukitha po amuhe. Kape na nando ogumwe gwomomatanga geni ta thigala po, shila epandela alike tali kala kondungu yondundu. 18 Natango tuu Omuwa ota tegelele e mu sile ohenda. Okwi ilongekidha e mu sile olukeno, oshoka aluhe oha ningi ashike shoka shu uka. Aanelago oyo mboka ye mu inekela.
Kalunga ota ka yambeka aantu ye
19 Ne aantu mboka mwa kala muJerusalem, itamu ka lila we. Omuwa oye omunamutimahenda; uuna tamu mu kugile onkugo, ote mu kwatha. 20 Omuwa ote mu pititha momathimbo omadhigu, ihe oye mwene ta ka kala mo oku mu longa noitamu ka kala we noku mu konga. 21 Nge tamu peguka mo mondjila mu ye kolulyo nenge kolumoho, otamu ka uva ewi konima yeni tali ti: “Ondjila oyo ndjika. Yi landuleni.” 22 Otamu ka kutha iimenka yeni ya kolongwa noshisiliveli niimenka ya kolongwa noshingoli e tamu yi ekelehi ya fa onyata notamu igidha tamu ti: “Ukeni hwii!” 23 Nongele mwa kunu oombuto dheni, Omuwa ota ka lokitha omvula e dhi menithe dhi koke, notamu ka mona eloolo lyeteyo, niimuna yeni tayi ka kala nomaunapelo ga andjuka. 24 Oonani nuusino hau pulula omapya geni, otau ka lya omwiidhi gwehetuhetu. 25 Esiku ndyoka uuna omapopilongulu gaatondi yoye taga kwatwa po, naantu yawo taa dhipagwa po, omilonga dhomeya otadhi ka tondoka tadhi kunguluka tadhi zi koondundu adhihe nokiikulundundu ayihe. 26 Omwedhi otagu ka minikila gwa fa etango, netango otali ka yelelela li vule shito luheyali, uuyelele wa fa womasiku gaheyali wa gongelelwa esiku limwe. Mbika ayihe otayi ka ningwa, Omuwa sho ta manga nota aludha iilalo yaantu ye.
Omuwa ta geele Assur
27 Oonkondo dhOmuwa nesimano lye otali imonikila oshinano oshile. Omulilo nolwithi otayi holola ondjahi ye. Ota popi, noohapu dhe odha hwama omulilo. 28 Omufudho gwe ogwa fa efundja tali kungulula po ayihe. Otagu kombo po iigwana notagu hulitha po omadhiladhilo gayo omawinayi. 29 Ihe ne, aantu yaKalunga, otamu ka kala mu na elago notamu ki imba, ngaashi hamu ningi moshituthi oshiyapuki uusiku. Otamu ka kala mu na elago mwa fa mboka taa ende nokuhika oohiya yu uka kotempeli yOmuwa, omupopili gwaIsrael.
30 Omuwa ota ka uvithitha ko omuntu kehe embolongondjo lyewi lye, opo a kale u uvite oonkondo dhondjahi ye. Otaku ka kala omalaka gomulilo, omipwalakato miikogo, omvula yepoola noyoompawe. 31 Aayassur otaa ka haluthwa, uuna taa uvu ewi lyOmuwa noyu uvite oonkondo dhepangulo lye. 32 Omuwa nge te ya dhenge ishewe niishewe, nena aantu otaa kala taa hiki oontunda nuuharpa. Kalunga mwene ta ka kondjitha Aayassur. 33 Onalenale ndjoka eziko enenenene olya longekidhwa li kale li na ehwamo tali fike po omupangeli gwaAssur. Oli li po eleeleka nolya mbwalangandja, lya longelwa iikuni oyindjiyindji. Omuwa ota ka fudha omufudho gwomulilo notagu yakitha ehwamo lyagwo.
