Idolatry and True Worship
1 People of Israel, listen to the message that the Lord has for you. 2 He says,
“Do not follow the ways of other nations;
do not be disturbed by unusual sights in the sky,
even though other nations are terrified.
3 The religion of these people is worthless.
A tree is cut down in the forest;
it is carved by the tools of the woodworker
4 and decorated with silver and gold.
It is fastened down with nails
to keep it from falling over.
5 Such idols are like scarecrows in a field of melons;
they cannot speak;
they have to be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them:
they can cause you no harm,
and they can do you no good.”
6 Lord, there is no one like you;
you are mighty,
and your name is great and powerful.
7 Who would not honor you, the king of all nations?
You deserve to be honored.
There is no one like you
among all the wise men of the nations
or among any of their kings.
8 All of them are stupid and foolish.
What can they learn from wooden idols?
9 Their idols are covered with silver from Spain
and with gold from Uphaz,
all the work of artists;
they are dressed in violet and purple cloth
woven by skilled weavers.
10 But you, Lord, are the true God,
you are the living God
and the eternal king.
When you are angry, the world trembles;
the nations cannot endure your anger.
( 11 You people must tell them that the gods who did not make the earth and the sky will be destroyed. They will no longer exist anywhere on earth.)
A Hymn of Praise to God
12 The Lord made the earth by his power;
by his wisdom he created the world
and stretched out the heavens.
13 At his command the waters above the sky roar;
he brings clouds from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning flash in the rain
and sends the wind from his storeroom.
14 At the sight of this, people feel stupid and senseless;
those who make idols are disillusioned,
because the gods they make are false and lifeless.
15 They are worthless and should be despised;
they will be destroyed when the Lord comes to deal with them.
16 The God of Jacob is not like them;
he is the one who made everything,
and he has chosen Israel to be his very own people.
The Lord Almighty is his name.
The Coming Exile
17 People of Jerusalem, you are under siege! Gather up your belongings. 18 The Lord is going to throw you out of this land; he is going to crush you until not one of you is left. The Lord has spoken.
19 The people of Jerusalem cried out,
“How badly we are hurt!
Our wounds will not heal.
And we thought this was something we could endure!
20 Our tents are ruined;
the ropes that held them have broken.
Our children have all gone away;
there is no one left to put up our tents again;
there is no one to hang their curtains.”
21 I answered, “Our leaders are stupid;
they do not ask the Lord for guidance.
This is why they have failed,
and our people have been scattered.
22 Listen! News has come!
There is a great commotion in a nation to the north;
its army will turn the cities of Judah into a desert,
a place where jackals live.”
23 Lord, I know that none of us are in charge of our own destiny;
none of us have control over our own life.
24 Correct your people, Lord,
but do not be too hard on us
or punish us when you are angry;
that would be the end of us.
25 Turn your anger on the nations that do not worship you
and on the people who reject you.
They have killed your people;
they have destroyed us completely
and left our country in ruins.
Iimenka naKalunga kashili
1 Aaisraeli ne, pulakeneni kelaka ndyoka Omuwa te mu lombwele. 2 Ota ti:
“Inamu landula omikalo dhiigwana yaapagani;
inamu haluthwa komandhindhiliko gokeyalelo,
nando ohaga halutha iigwana mbyoka.
3 Eitaalo lyaantu mboka olyowala.
Tala, omuti otagu komangelwa mokuti,
onkulungu otayi gu mbunzu nawa nekuya lyayo,
4 notagu tulwa uulenga woshisiliveli nowoshingoli.
Otagu kwatelwa peha lyagwo noomboha,
dhi gu koleke gwaa gwe po.
5 Iimenka ya tya ngaaka oya fa enduguya mepya lyomatanga.
Itayi vulu okupopya;
ohayi humbatwa, oshoka kayi shi kweenda.
Inamu yi tila; itayi mu ningi sha,
oshiwanawa nenge oshiwinayi.”
6 Omuwa, kaku na ngoka e ku fa;
ongoye omunankondo,
nedhina lyoye enene noli na oonkondo.
7 Olye ando itee ku simaneke,
omukwaniilwa gwiigwana ayihe?
Owi ilongela esimano.
Kaku na ngoka e ku fa mokati kaanandunge ayehe yomiigwana
nenge mokati kaakwaniilwa yayo.
8 Ayehe yomuyo oyo aagoya nomathethe.
Miimenka ya hongwa miiti, otaa koneke mo shike?
9 Iimenka yawo oya kolongwa noshisiliveli shokuSpania
noshingoli sha za kuUfas.
Oyo iilonga yaahambudhi oonkulungu.
Oya zala oonguwo oombulau noontiliganembwilili
dha tungika kaayogohi yoompumpo.
10 Ihe ngoye, Omuwa ongoye Kalunga kashili.
Ongoye Kalunga omunamwenyo
nomukwaniilwa gwaaluheluhe.
Nge to geye, uuyuni otau telagana;
iigwana itayi vulu okwiidhidhimikila ondjahi yoye.
11 (Ya lombwela kutya iikalunga mbyoka inayi shita egulu nevi,
otayi ka hula ko kombanda yevi alihe.)
Ondjimbo yokuhambelela
12 Omuwa okwa shiti evi koonkondo dhe;
nokuunongo we okwa umbu uuyuni
nokwa alele omagulu.
13 Okoohapu dhe omeya gomeyalelo taga ndunduma:
ote eta iikogo okuza kooha dhevi.
Ota shelitha oombadhi miikogo,
nota tumu ombepo tayi zi moompungulo dhe.
14 Omuntu kehe omugoya noke na ontseyo;
mboka haa hongo iimenka, oya thethelekwa,
oshoka iimenka mbyoka taa hambula,
oyiifundja nokayi na omwenyo.
15 Oyo iinima yowala noyi na okudhinika;
otayi ka hanagulwa po kOmuwa,
ngele te ya e yi pangule.
16 Kalunga kaJakob ine yi fa;
oye ngoka a shiti ayihe,
nokwa hogolola Israel a ninge oshigwana she mwene.
Omuwa Omunankondoawike olyo edhina lye.
Uupongekwa tau ya
17 Gongeleni iinima yeni, mu tembuke mo moshilongo, moka mwa thitikilwa. 18 Omuwa ote ke mu ekelahi mo moshilongo shika; ote ke mu nyanyagula, sigo itaaku hupu nando ogumwe gwomune. Omuwa oye a popi.
19 Aajerusalem otaa kugu taa ti:
“Otwa nyankagulwa ngiini ngeyi!
Iilalo yetu itayi aluka nando.
Otwa dhiladhila tu shi idhidhimikile!
20 Omatsali getu oga finyunwa po;
oongodhi dhago odha tokolwa.
Aanona yetu oya yiwa nayo;
inapa kala nando ogumwe, a dhike po ishewe omatsali getu;
kaku na ngoka ta yelutha omalapi gago.”
21 Onda yamukula:
“Aawiliki yetu oya ningi aagoya;
itaa pula Omuwa e ya wilike.
Omolwashoka oya ndopa,
naantu yetu oya halakanithwa po.
22 Pulakeneni! Otaku zi omulombo!
Oku na einyengo enene moshigwana shokuumbangalantu;
etangakwiita lyasho otali shitukitha iilando yaJuda ombuga,
moka tamu kala oombandje.”
23 Omuwa,
ondi shi shi kutya omuntu iha vulu okupangela shoka u uthilwa;
kaku na omuntu hu utha okukalamwenyo kwe.
24 Dhenga ndje, Omuwa,
ihe hanoshikanyauko,
ngoye ino tu geela muupyundjahi;
otashi ningi shi kale ehulilo lyetu.
25 Ondjahi yoye yi poolela miigwana mbyoka ihaayi ku longele,
omaantu mboka ihaa ithana edhina lyoye.
Oya dhipaga po aantu yoye;
oye tu hanagula po sheke
noya kumuna po oshilongo shetu.
