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.”
Eithano lyomupiya gwOmuwa
1 Pulakenii ndje, ne aantu yokoontuntu dhomefuta,
ne iigwana yokokulekule!
Omuwa okwa hogolola ndje, manga inaandi valwa;
okwa tumbula edhina lyandje, manga nda li mekolo lyameme.
2 Okwa upike oohapu dhandje, dhi tse dha fa egongamwele.
Okwa gamene ndje noshikaha she mwene,
okwa ningi ndje oshikuti sha yagwa,
e ta holeke ndje mombalukutu ye.
3 Okwa lombwele ndje a ti:
“Israel, ngoye omupiya gwandje;
omolwoye iigwana tayi ka hambelela ndje.”
4 Onda ti: “Onda longo, ihe osima yowala.
Onda mana mo oonkondo dhandje, ihe inashi tompola sha.”
Ihe natango tuu tandi inekele Omuwa ta popile ndje;
ota ka futa ndje ondjambi yiilonga yandje.
5 Manga inaandi valwa, okwa utha ndje;
okwa lenge ndje, ndi ninge omupiya gwe,
ndi galule aantu ye,
ndi galule Aaisraeli mboka ya halakana.
Omuwa ta simaneke ndje;
oye othithiya yoonkondo dhandje.
6 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti:
“Ngoye omupiya gwandje, inashi ku gwanena,
nge to galula owala omazimo gaJakob
noto eta ko oonakuhupa yaIsrael.
Otandi ku ningi uuyelele waapagani,
ehupitho lyandje opo li thike nokooha dhuuyuni.”
7 Kalunga kaIsrael omuyapuki nomuhupithi
ota ti kungoka a dhinikika,
ngoka e tondike kiigwana
nokwa ningi omupika gwaapangeli:
“Aakwaniilwa otaa ka mona, sho to manguluka
notaa ka thikama ye ku simaneke;
aawa otaye ke shi tala
notaa ka tsa oongolo, ye ku tumbaleke.”
Shika otashi ka ningwa,
oshoka Omuwa okwa hogolola omupiya gwe;
Kalunga kaIsrael omuyapuki
oha dhiginine omauvaneko ge.
Ehepulutho lyaIsrael
8 Omuwa ota lombwele aantu ye ta ti:
“Ethimbo lyo opala onde ku uvu,
nethimbo lyehupitho onde ku kwatha.
Otandi ku dhiginine nomungoye tandi hangana niigwana.
Otandi ke ku tula ishewe mevi ndyoka lya mbugala ngashingeyi.
9 Otandi lombwele oonkwatwa te ti:
‘Mangulukeni!’
naamboka ya kala momilema:
‘Zii mo, mu ye muuyelele!’
Otaa ka fa oonzi tadhi napa koondundu;
10 itaa ka sa we ondjala nenge enota.
Etango nepupyu lyombuga itali ya hepeke,
oshoka otaa ka endithwa komuhepuluthi gwawo.
Ote ke ya fala komatope gomeya.
11 “Otandi ka ninga onenendjila ya tokola moondundu
nokupalela aantu yandje epola lyokweenda mo.
12 Tala, aantu yandje otaa ya taa zi komakule.
Otaa zi kuumbangalantu nokuuninginino,
nokevi lyaAswan muumbugantu.”
13 Imbeni, ne omagulu!
Kugilila kenyanyu, ngoye evi!
Oondundu nadhi mbolongondjithe omaimbilo!
Omuwa ota hekeleke aantu ye;
ote ehamenwa okuhepekwa kwaantu ye.
14 Ihe Aajerusalem oya ti:
“Omuwa okwe tu etha!
Oye e tu dhimbwa.”
15 Omuwa ota yamukula ta ti:
“Ope na tuu omwali ta dhimbwa okahanona ke,
a kale kee hole ando omunona e mu vala?
Nonando nee yina a dhimbwe omwana,
ngame itandi ku dhimbwa.
16 Tala, omiikaha yandje nde ku negele.
Tala, omeke lyandje nda nyolela edhina lyoye,
omadhingililokuma goye, Jerusalem,
oge li aluhe momeho gandje.
17 “Aamwoye otaa ya nziya,
naamboka ye ku mbugaleke, otaa shuna.
18 Yelutha omeho goye,
ngoye u ligamene koombinga noombinga.
Aantu yoye otaa kongoloka, otaye ya kegumbo!
Oshili ngaashi ndi na omwenyo,
oto ka kala u na uuntsa omolwaantu yoye,
wa fa omufuko a zala iimona ye.
19 “Oshilongo shoye osha li sha teka po nosha ninga eputu,
ihe ngashingeyi otashi ka ninga oshishona kaantu mboka taa ka kala mo.
Naamboka ye ku hepeke nale,
otaa ka kala kokule nangoye.
20 Aamwoye ya valelwa muupongekwa,
otaye ke ku lombwela taa ti:
‘Oshilongo shika oshishona unene,
otatu pumbwa ehala lyokukala!’
21 Nena oto ki ipopila to ti:
‘Akwetu, aanona mboka ayehe olye e ya valele ndje?
Onda li omuntimbe noinandi mona oluvalo.
Onda li omupongekwa nomweekelwahi —
olye a putudha aanona mbaka?
Onda li po awike —
aanona mbaka oya zi peni?’ ”
22 Omuwa Omupangeliawike ota ti ngeyi:
“Tala, otandi ka lapa aapagani,
otandi ka yeluthila iigwana ombaaneli yandje;
otaa ka eta aamwoye aamati ye ya ukata,
notaa humbata aamwoye aakadhona komapepe gawo.
23 Aakwaniilwa otaa ka ninga aatekuli yoye;
naanyekadhi otaa ka ninga aayamuthi yoye.
Otaye ke ku inyongamena ya tsa iipala yawo mevi,
notaa ka latha ontsi koompadhi dhoye.
Nena oto ka tseya kutya ongame Omuwa.
Mboka taa inekele ndje nokwiifupipika,
itaa ka sa ohoni.
24 Oto vulu tuu okuyuga aakwiita iihakanwa yawo?
Oto vulu tuu okuyugulula ko oonkwatwa miikaha yofule?”
25 Omuwa ota yamukula ta ti:
“Osho naanaa tashi ka ningwa.
Aakwiita otaa ka kuthwa oonkwatwa dhawo,
niihakanwa yoofule otayi ka yugwa ko.
Otandi ka kondjitha kehe ngoka te ku kondjitha,
notandi ka mangulula aamwoye.
26 Aahepeki yoye otandi ke ya litha onyama yawo yene.
Otaa ka kolwa kombinzi yawo yene ngashika komaviinu.
Aantu ayehe otaa ka tseya, ongame Omuwa,
ongame omuhupithi gwoye.
Omunankondo gwaJakob oye omukulili gwoye.”
