ǃKhūb ge a Elo
1 “Xawe nēsi ǃgâ re ti ǃoaba-aots, Jakotse,
Israeltse, tita xa ge ǁhûiǂuihetse!
2 Satsa ge kuru ǃKhūb ge nēti ra mî,
ǁnāb satsa ǁhās ǃnâ ǂnubi tsî ge hui tsiba:
Tā ǃao, ti ǃoaba-aots, Jakotse;
Jesurunts, tita xa ge ǁhûiǂuihetse!
3 “Tita ge ǁgâsa ǃhūb ai ǁgam-e nî dâu kai
tsî ǁgamǃāga ǂnâsa ǃhūb ai.
Sa surib ai ta ge ti gagaba nî ǁhōǂui
tsî ti ǀkhaeba sa ôananôagub ai.
4 ǂHûihai-i khamin ge ǁîna
ǁgam-i ǃnâ mâ ǀgân khami nî ǃīǂoaxa,
ǁgamǃāgu xōǀkhā mâ haidi khami.
5 “ǀGui-i ge ‘ǃKhūb di ta a,’ ti nî mî.
ǀNî-i ge ‘Jakob’ ǀons ǀkha nî ǂgaihe.
ǀNî-i ge ǁî-i ǃommi ai ‘ǃKhūb di,’ ti nî xoa
tsî ‘Israel’ ti hâ ǀonsa nî sîsenū.”
6 Nētib ge ǃKhūb, Israeli di Gao-aob
tsî ǁîb Ore-aob, ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba ra mî:
“Tita ge ǂGurota tsî ǀUnita;
tita xōǀkhā i ge ǀkhara elo-e a ǀkhai.
7 Tari-e tita khami ī-e? A-i ǁnâi aoǁnâ,
a-i ǂanǂan tsî ti aiǃâ ǃgāǃgā.
Tari-e ǀnai ge ī xūn hāsa ge ǂanǂan?
An hā nîse ī xūn xa mîba da.
8 Tā ǃao tamas ka io ǃhuri!
ǀNai ta kha ǁnāsa mîba tsî ǂanǂan du tama hâ?
Sadu ge ti ǃkhō-amaodo!
Ti xōǀkhā ǀkhara elo-e hâ-e?
ǀKhara ǃgareǀui-i a ǀkhai, ǀnî-i xare-e ta ǂan tama.”
ǁGôa-eloǃoabas ra mîǁgaiǁgaihe
9 ǁGôa-eloga ra kurun hoan ge a ǁau tsî ǁîn ra ǃgâiǃgâisenū xūn ge a ǂûtanioǃnâ. ǁÎn ǀhûǀguitimî-aon ge mû tamas ka io ǂan tama hâ. ǁNā-amagan ge nî taotaohe. 10 Tari-e ǁgôa-elo-e ra ǂnubi tamas ka io xū-e harebe tama ī-e ra kuru? 11 ǁÎ-i ǃoaba-aon hoan ge nî taotaohe; ǁîn ǂnubi-aogu hoagu ge khoes ǀguisa i. An hoana ǀhao, an khâimâ; ǁîn ge nî ǃaoǃaohe, ǁîn hoan ge nî taotaohe.
12 ǀUrikuru-aob ge ǁî-e unu tsî ǂnomdi ǃnâ garo, hamerdi ǀkha ǂnauǂhanuǂhanu tsî ǀgaisa ǁôab âb ǀkha ra ǂnauǃgâiǃgâi. ǁÎb ge ra ǃâ tsîb ge ǀgaib âba ra toa; ǁîb ge ǁgâs xa ra ǂkhabu.
13 ǃNaokuru-aob ge tsuriba ra ǂgae, ǁîb ge xoaxurub ǀkha ra ǀnōǁnâ. ǁÎb ge ǃnaoba skafs ǀkha ǂkhanuǂkhanu tsî ǃgupu ǀnō-ūdas ǀkha ra ǀnōǂui. ǁÎb ge ǁnāpa xu khoe-i di īb, khoesi îsasiba ūhâ ība ra ǃgaoǂui, om-i ǃnâ nî mâihese. 14 ǁÎb ge sederhaide ǁhāǁnâ, tamas ka io sipreshais tamas ka io aikehaisa ra ǁhûiǂui; nau haidi ǁaegu kai tsî ǀgaisase nî kaikhâise. ǁÎb ge sederhaisa ge ǃhana tsîb ge ǀnanuba ǁîsa ra ǀomkhâi kai. 15 Khoen ge ǁîsa xu ǀaena ra hō, tsî khau tsî ra ǀgamǀgamsen; ǁîsa xun ge ǀaesa khau tsî pere-e ra am. ǁÎsa xun ge elo-e kuru tsî ra ǀgoreǀî; ǁîsa xun ge ī-e ǃgaoǂui tsî ǁî-i aiǃâ ra ǃhonǁgoa. 16 ǁÎn ge ǃkhare ǃâb ǀkha ǀaesa ra khau; nau ǃkhare ǃâb ǀkhan ge ǁgan-e ra am tsî ra ǁâ. ǁKhātin ge ǁî-i ǀkha ǀgamǀgamsen tsî ra mî: “Ā, ǀgam da go, ǀaesa da go mû!” ti. 17 ǃGau ra ǃâ-i ǀkhan ge elo-e ra kuru, ǁîn ǁgôa-elo-e, tsîn ge ǁî-i aiǃâ ǃhonǁgoa tsî ǁî-e ra ǀgoreǀî. ǁÎn ge ǁî-i ǃoa ǀgore tsî ra mî: “Ore da re, sats a sida elo xuige!”
18 ǁÎn ge a ǀū, tamas ka ion ge a ǁnâuǃā ǁoa; ǁîn ge ǁîn mûde ǂganam xui-ao, în tā mû tsî ǁîn ǁnâuǃāga, în tā ǁnâuǃā. 19 ǁGôa-elo-īkuru-ao-i ge ǁnâuǃā-e ūhâ tama tamas ka io a ǂâiǂgā ǁoa nēti mîsa: “ǃKhare ǃâb ǁîn dib ǀkha ta ge ǀaesa ge khau; ǁîn ǂnomdi ai ta ge pere-e ge am, ǁgan-e am tsî da ge ge ǂû. O ta kha nēsi ǃgau go ǃâb ǀkha ta ge ǁgôa-elo-ī-e ge dībasen. O ta kha nēsi ǁîb aiǃâ nî ǃhonǁgoa?”
20 ǁÎn ge tsaoba ra ǂû; gâre ǂâis ge ǁîna ge ǂgaeǂhapu tsîn ge ǁîna aitsama huisen ǁoa tsî ra mî: “Ti amǀkhāb ǃommi ǃnâ hâ-e ǂhumi xū tama-e?”
ǃKhūb, Kuru-ao tsî Ore-aob
21 “Jakotse, nē xūn xa ǂâi re,
tsî Israeltse, sats a ti ǃgā xui-ao.
Tita ge satsa ge ǂnubi, sats ge a ti ǃgā;
Israeltse, ǀuru tsi ta ge tide.
22 ǃÂus khami ta ge sadu dīsade ge ǃgombē
tsî sadu ǁorena tsamaros khami;
tita ge ge ore du, xuige tita ǃoa oahā.”
23 ǀHomgo ǁnae re, ǃKhūb go ǁîsa dī xuige!
ǃHūbaib ǃgamsitse, ǃauǂgai re!
ǃHomgo, ǃgâiaǂgaob xa ra ǃause hā re,
haiǀgomso, tsî mâ hais ǁîs ǃnâ hâs hoasa!
ǃKhūb ge Jakoba ore xuige,
tsîb ge Israeli ǃnâ nî ǂkhaiǂkhaihe.
24 Nētib ge ǃKhūb sadu Ore-aob
sado ge ǁhās ǃnâ a ǂnubiba ra mî:
“Tita ge ǃKhūta, hoa xūna ge kuru ta,
ǀguri ge ǀhomma khoraǂui ta,
tita ǂûta ge ǃhūbaiba ge khoraǂui ta.
25 ǂHumi-aon saode ta ra sâoǃnâ kai
tsî aimûǀgaru-aona gâre kai,
gā-ain ǀapede dabaǃkhuni
tsî ta ǂans âna ra gâre kai.
26 Tita ge ti ǃoaba-aogu mîde ǁapoǁapo
tsî ti sîsabegu kēbode ra dīǀoaǀoa.
Tita ge Jerusalems ǃoa, ‘ǁÎs ge nî ǁanǃnâhe,’
tsî Judab ǃādi ǃoa, ‘ǁÎdi ge nî omkhâihe,
tsî tita ge ǁîdi hîkākāsa xūn hoana nî ǂnubikhâi’ ti ra mî ta.
27 Tita ge ǃgamsib ǃoa, ‘ǂNâ!
Tita ge sa ǃāga nî ǂnâ kai,’ ti ra mî ta.
28 Tita ge Koresi ǃoa, ‘ǁÎb ge ti ǃûi-aob,
ti ǃâubasens hoasa nî dīǀoaǀoaba,’ ti ge mî ta.
Tita ge Jerusalems ǃoa, ‘ǁÎs ge ǁkhawa nî omkhâihe,’
tsî Tempeli ǃoa, ‘Sa ǃgaoǃgaob ge nî ǁguihe,’ ti ge mî ta.”
The Lord's Promise to Israel
1 People of Israel,
I have chosen you
as my servant.
2 I am your Creator.
You were in my care
even before you were born.
Israel, don't be terrified!
You are my chosen servant,
my very favorite.
3 I will bless the thirsty land
by sending streams of water;
I will bless your descendants
by giving them my Spirit.
4 They will spring up like grass
or like willow trees
near flowing streams.
5 They will worship me
and become my people.
They will write my name
on the back of their hands.
6 I am the Lord All-Powerful,
the first and the last,
the one and only God.
Israel, I have rescued you!
I am your King.
7 Can anyone compare with me?
If so, let them speak up
and tell me now.
Let them say what has happened
since I made my nation
long ago,
and let them tell
what is going to happen.
8 Don't tremble with fear!
Didn't I tell you long ago?
Didn't you hear me?
I alone am God—
no one else is a mighty rock.
Idols Can't Do a Thing
The Lord said:
9 Those people who make idols
are nothing themselves,
and the idols they treasure
are just as worthless.
Worshipers of idols are blind,
stupid, and foolish.
10 Why make an idol or an image
that can't do a thing?
11 Everyone who makes idols
and all who worship them
are mere humans,
who will end up
sadly disappointed.
Let them face me in court
and be terrified.
Idols and Firewood
12 A metalworker shapes an idol
by using a hammer
and heat from the fire.
In his powerful hand
he holds a hammer,
as he pounds the metal
into the proper shape.
But he gets hungry and thirsty
and loses his strength.
13 Some woodcarver measures
a piece of wood,
then draws an outline.
The idol is carefully carved
with each detail exact.
At last it looks like a person
and is placed in a temple.
14 Either cedar, cypress, oak,
or any tree from the forest
may be chosen.
Or even a pine tree planted
by the woodcarver
and watered by the rain.
15 Some of the wood is used
to make a fire for heating
or for cooking.
One piece is made into an idol,
then the woodcarver bows down
and worships it.
16 He enjoys the warm fire
and the meat that was roasted
over the burning coals.
17 Afterwards, he bows down
to worship the wooden idol.
“Protect me!” he says.
“You are my god.”
18 Those who worship idols are stupid and blind! 19 They don't have enough sense to say to themselves, “I made a fire with half of the wood and cooked my bread and meat on it. Then I made something worthless with the other half. Why worship a block of wood?”
20 How can anyone be stupid enough to trust something that can be burned to ashes? No one can save themselves like that. Don't they realize that the idols they hold in their hands are not really gods?
The Lord Won't Forget His People
21 People of Israel,
you are my servant,
so remember all of this.
Israel, I created you,
and you are my servant.
I won't forget you.
22 Turn back to me!
I have rescued you
and swept away your sins
as though they were clouds.
Sing Praises to the Lord
23 Tell the heavens and the earth
to start singing!
Tell the mountains
and every tree in the forest
to join in the song!
The Lord has rescued his people;
now they will worship him.
The Lord Created Everything
24 Israel, I am your Lord,
the source of your life,
and I have rescued you.
I created everything
from the sky above
to the earth below.
25 I make liars of false prophets
and fools of fortunetellers.
I take human wisdom
and turn it into nonsense.
26 I will make the message
of my prophets come true.
They are saying, “Jerusalem
will be filled with people,
and the Lord will rebuild
the towns of Judah.”
27 I am the one who commands
the sea and its streams
to run dry.
28 I am also the one who says,
“Cyrus will lead my people
and obey my orders.
Jerusalem and the temple
will be rebuilt.”
