The Lord Is the Only God
1 The Lord says,
“Listen now, Israel, my servant,
my chosen people, the descendants of Jacob.
2 I am the Lord who created you;
from the time you were born, I have helped you.
Do not be afraid; you are my servant,
my chosen people whom I love.
3 “I will give water to the thirsty land
and make streams flow on the dry ground.
I will pour out my spirit on your children
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They will thrive like well-watered grass,
like willows by streams of running water.
5 “One by one, people will say, ‘I am the Lord's.’
They will come to join the people of Israel.
They each will mark the name of the Lord on their arms
and call themselves one of God's people.”
6 The Lord, who rules and protects Israel,
the Lord Almighty, has this to say:
“I am the first, the last, the only God;
there is no other god but me.
7 Could anyone else have done what I did?
Who could have predicted all that would happen
from the very beginning to the end of time?
8 Do not be afraid, my people!
You know that from ancient times until now
I have predicted all that would happen,
and you are my witnesses.
Is there any other god?
Is there some powerful god I never heard of?”
Idolatry Is Ridiculed
9 All those who make idols are worthless, and the gods they prize so highly are useless. Those who worship these gods are blind and ignorant—and they will be disgraced. 10 It does no good to make a metal image to worship as a god! 11 Everyone who worships it will be humiliated. The people who make idols are human beings and nothing more. Let them come and stand trial—they will be terrified and will suffer disgrace.
12 The metalworker takes a piece of metal and works with it over a fire. His strong arm swings a hammer to pound the metal into shape. As he works, he gets hungry, thirsty, and tired.
13 The carpenter measures the wood. He outlines a figure with chalk, carves it out with his tools, and makes it in the form of a man, a handsome human figure, to be placed in his house. 14 He might cut down cedars to use, or choose oak or cypress wood from the forest. Or he might plant a laurel tree and wait for the rain to make it grow. 15 A person uses part of a tree for fuel and part of it for making an idol. With one part he builds a fire to warm himself and bake bread; with the other part he makes a god and worships it. 16 With some of the wood he makes a fire; he roasts meat, eats it, and is satisfied. He warms himself and says, “How nice and warm! What a beautiful fire!” 17 The rest of the wood he makes into an idol, and then he bows down and worships it. He prays to it and says, “You are my god—save me!”
18 Such people are too stupid to know what they are doing. They close their eyes and their minds to the truth. 19 The maker of idols hasn't the wit or the sense to say, “Some of the wood I burned up. I baked some bread on the coals, and I roasted meat and ate it. And the rest of the wood I made into an idol. Here I am bowing down to a block of wood!”
20 It makes as much sense as eating ashes. His foolish ideas have so misled him that he is beyond help. He won't admit to himself that the idol he holds in his hand is not a god at all.
The Lord, the Creator and Savior
21 The Lord says,
“Israel, remember this;
remember that you are my servant.
I created you to be my servant,
and I will never forget you.
22 I have swept your sins away like a cloud.
Come back to me; I am the one who saves you.”
23 Shout for joy, you heavens!
Shout, deep places of the earth!
Shout for joy, mountains, and every tree of the forest!
The Lord has shown his greatness
by saving his people Israel.
24 “I am the Lord, your savior;
I am the one who created you.
I am the Lord, the Creator of all things.
I alone stretched out the heavens;
when I made the earth, no one helped me.
25 I make fools of fortunetellers
and frustrate the predictions of astrologers.
The words of the wise I refute
and show that their wisdom is foolishness.
26 But when my servant makes a prediction,
when I send a messenger to reveal my plans,
I make those plans and predictions come true.
I tell Jerusalem that people will live there again,
and the cities of Judah that they will be rebuilt.
Those cities will rise from the ruins.
27 With a word of command I dry up the ocean.
28 I say to Cyrus, ‘You are the one who will rule for me;
you will do what I want you to do:
you will order that Jerusalem be rebuilt
and that the foundations of the Temple be laid.’”
Eyambeko lyaIsrael
1 Omuwa ota ti:
“Shigwana shandje Israel
noluvalo lwaJakob nde lu hogolola,
pulakena ngashingeyi.
2 Ongame Omuwa ngoka nde ku shiti;
okuza kokuvalwa kwoye onde ku kwatha.
Ino tila, oshigwana shandje Jeshurun,
ngoye oluvalo lwaJakob nde lu hogolola.
3 “Otandi ka poolela omeya mevi lya sa enota
nokutondokitha omilonga puukukutu.
Ongame tandi tilile Ombepo yandje kombanda yaana yeni
nomayambeko gandje kombanda yoluvalo lweni.
4 Otaa ka mena ya fa omwiidhi gwomelonzi,
ya fa iihwa yopomilonga hadhi tondoka omeya.
5 “Nguka ota ka tya: ‘Ngame ogwOmuwa,’
namukwawo oti iluku edhina Jakob.
Natango gumwe ti inyolithitha koshikaha she oshitya ‘gwOmuwa’
e ta taamba edhina Israel.”
Okwiitaala Kalunga awike ti
6 Omuwa, omukwaniilwa nOmukulili gwaIsrael,
Omuwa Omunankondoawike ta ti:
“Ongame omutango nongame omuhugunini.
Kaku na we Kalunga ponto yandje.
7 Oku na tuu ngoka ta vulu okulonga shoka nda longo?
Olye a hunganekele ayihe mbyoka ya ningwa
okuza konale ndjoka sigo opehulilo lyomathimbo?
8 Inamu tila, ne aantu yandje!
Omwe shi tseya kutya okuza kuuyuni wonale sigo ongashingeyi
onda hunganeke ayihe mbyoka yi na okuningwa,
none oonzapo dhandje.
Oku na tuu kalunga gulwe?
Oku na tuu kalunga gulwe omunankondo inaandi mu uva?”
Iimenka oyo uugoya
9 Ayehe mboka taa hongo iimenka, oyo oyowala, niikalunga mbyoka taa tanga, kayi na oshilonga. Mboka taa simaneke iikalunga, oyo aaposi nomagoya — otaa ka sithwa ohoni. 10 Inashi opala okuhambula oshiyelekela noku shi simaneka! 11 Shaa ngoka te shi simaneke, ota ka fupipikwa. Aantu mboka taa hongo iimenka, oyo oyowala, kaye na omwago. Ya eteni koompangu — otaa ka haluthwa notaa sithwa ohoni.
12 Omuhambuli ta kwata oshitenda e te shi tula momulilo. Omaako ge ge na oonkondo, otaga yelutha osilwa, a hambule oshitenda, shi ninge olupe. Sho te shi hambula, ota si ondjala nenota e ta loloka.
13 Omuhongi gwiipilangi ota yeleke oshiti nota thaneke efano nompya. Ote shi hongo nepanda e ta tula omandhindhiliko nopasera. Ota ningi efano molupe lwomuntu noku li mbunza nawa, opo e li tule megumbo lye. 14 Oku na okwiikomangelela omisendeli, opo e dhi longithe, nenge a hogolole omukiperesi nenge omwandi mokuti. Nenge oku na okutsika omupanda e ta tegelele omvula yi gu kokeke. 15 Omuntu ta longitha iitayi yomuti tuu ngoka, yi ninge iikuni, noshiti te shi hongo oshimenka. Iitayi yimwe te yi huhulukwa po nokwiitelekela iikulya, manga iitayi yimwe te yi ningi kalunga, e mu simaneke. 16 Iitayi yimwe te yi temitha omulilo, ta yotha nayo onyama e te yi li e ta kuta. Ota huhulukwa e ta ti: “Omulilo omwaanawa nguka! Omulilo gu na omuyenye ngiini!” 17 Shoka sha hupu ko, ote shi hongo po oshimenka note shi inyongamene noku shi simaneka. Ote shi hambelele ta ti: “Ongoye kalunga kandje, hupitha ndje.”
18 Aantu ya tya ngaaka aagoya okutseya shoka taa ningi. Kaye wete ko, oshoka otaa thithikile omeho gawo, nokaye uvite ko oshili, oshoka otaa pata oomwenyo dhawo. 19 Inashi ya momadhiladhilo gawo yo kaye na oondunge nomayele ya tye ando: “Ee, iitayi yimwe nde yi tema po. Yimwe nda telekitha iikulya peziko nonda yotha onyama nonde yi li po. Oshihupe shoshiti onde shi hongo oshimenka. Ngashingeyi ongame nguka tandi shi inyongamene, endangalati lyoshiti.”
20 Otashi ningi omuntu a fa ta li omutoko. Omatedho ge guugoya oge mu pukitha kutya ota kwathwa. Ita zimine ye mwene kutya oshimenka shoka a yelutha momaako ge, kashi shi kalunga nando.
Israel ta dhiminwa po
21 Omuwa ota ti:
“Israel, ngoye oluvalo lwaJakob,
dhimbulukwa iinima mbika,
oshoka ongame nde ku shiti.
Ongoye omupiya gwandje,
nangame itandi ku dhimbwa.
22 Otandi dhimi po omayono goye ngashika oshikogo,
noondjo dhoye ngashika osheentsi shongula.
Galukila kungame;
ongame tandi ku hupitha.”
23 Imbeni nokuhambelela, ne omagulu,
oshoka Omuwa okwe shi ningi!
Ligoleni, ne oombogo dhevi!
Mbolongondjitheni oondjimbohambelelo, ne oondundu,
oshoka Omuwa okwa kulile oluvalo lwaJakob,
oye a hololele Israel eadhimo lye.
Jerusalem tashi kalwa kaantu
24 Omuwa, omuhupithi gwoye,
ngoka e ku shitile mela lyanyoko, ota ti:
“Ongame Omuwa, Omushiti gwiinima ayihe.
Ongame awike nda alele egulu nonda yala evi,
ko kakwa li ngoka a kwatha ndje.
25 Aayanekeli otandi ya ningi aagoya,
nokukeelela omahunganeko gaakoneki yoonyothi.
Oohapu dhaanongo otandi dhi goyokitha
notandi holola kutya uunongo wawo owo uugoya.
26 Ihe aapiya yandje nge taa hunganeke,
uuna tandi tumu aatumwa ya holole omadhiladhilo gandje,
omadhiladhilo nomahunganeko ngoka otandi ke ga tsitha ga ninge goshili.
Ote lombwele Jerusalem kutya aantu yasho omo taa ka kala ishewe,
niilando yaJuda kutya otayi ka tungululwa.
Otandi ka tungulula omakulukuma gasho.
27 Ongame ngoka tandi lombwele efuta te ti:
‘Pwina; otandi ka kukutika omilonga dhoye.’
28 Otandi popi Kores te ti:
‘Oye omuntu gwandje,
oye ta gwanitha elalakano lyandje alihe.’
Ota ka tya: ‘Jerusalem nashi tungululwe,’
nokotempeli: ‘Omukanka nagu tamekwe.’ ”
