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.”
Iziraela tjedza tje zwitjaba
1 Mundihwilile imwi shango dzimu tjekelo dze gungwa,
teedzani, imwi bathu banodwa kule.
Yahwe bakandidana ndisathu azwagwa,
ndakati nditji mu tjibumbilo tja mme bakanditumila zina.
2 Bakathama nlomo wangu ukanga bukanu gunopitsha,
banondisumbika mu ntutshi we tjiazha tjabo,
bakandithama anga nsebe wakuswiwa,
banondisumbika mu gobhodo labo.
3 Ngono bakandidwa bakati, “Iwe u nlanda wangu,
mukuli ndowolakidza gudzo langu.”
4 Koga ndakati, “Ndakashingila masimbamalashe,
ndakashingisila matatabuko angu suli ne madatha,
koga nenguba kwakajalo tjandakashinga tjikuna Yahwe,
mbhayilo wangu uku Ndzimu wangu.”
5 Ngwenu Yahwe bakati,
ibo bakandibumba kube nlanda wabo,
kubgwiliza Jakubo ku bali,
ne kukubunganyila Iziraela ku bali,
ngoti ndakudziwa mu mesho a Yahwe,
kakale Ndzimu babe matatabuko angu,
6 bakati,
“Kuthu kutukununu kuti ube nlanda wangu
kubuzila njudzi dza Jakubo mu tjimo,
ne kubuza bakatjila be Iziraela,
ndowokuthama ukabe tjedza ku zwitjaba
kuti jidzo langu linoswika ku ndzibo we shango.”
7 Yahwe bakati,
ibo Ndzutunuli we Iziraela ne N'yengemali wayo
kuna iwoyu wakalengudziwa,
kashimiwa nge zwitjaba, kabe nlanda we babusi
bakati, “Bomambo banowokubona, bakamilika,
makombgwa iwo banowokuthigamila
ngekwa Yahwe ibo banogalika moyo,
ibo Wakayengemala we Iziraela bakakushalula.”
Kubgwiliziwa kwe Iziraela
8 Yahwe banolebeleka bakati,
“Ndowomudabila mu tjibaka tje kuda kwangu,
mu zhuba le jidzo ndowomubhatsha,
ndowomulondolodza amuthama tjidumano ku bathu,
kubiga shango ne kukoba thaka dzayo dzakabe dzathukudziwa
9 udwa basungwa uti, ‘Bhudani,’
kuna bamu zhalima uti,
‘Muzwilakidze.’
Banowoja bali mu dzizila,
banowowana mafulilo pezhugwi kwe matuthu akathukudzika,
10 abangabhakhwe nge zhala kene nge nyota,
kene phepo inopisa ye tjilambanyika kene zhuba azwingabapise,
ngoti iye unobahwila zogwadza unowobatungamila,
unowobayisa ku misenya ye vula.
11 Pana matombo ndowothama zila,
zila dzangu phabi dzowomilidzika.
12 Bonani, banowodwa kulekule,
bamwe banowodwa ku bunandzwa
bamwe bedwa ku golombedzo,
bamwe banowodwa ku ntuthu we Siyene.”
13 Kudzimu ngakumbe nge kushatha,
shango ipululudze nge kushatha,
matombo naiwo ngaamilidze mahwi ambe.
Ngoti Yahwe banyaladza bathu babo,
kakale banowohwila ngoni bathu babo banodziyila.
14 Koga Ziyoni yakati, “Yahwe bakandifupatila,
She wangu wakandikangang'wa.”
15 “Apa mme bangakangang'wa mwana wabo wabanomwisa kene,
bangasahwila ngoni mwana we tjibumbilo tjabo kene?
Ee, kene mme bangakangang'wa mwana wabo zwabo,
imi andingamukangang'we!
16 Bonani, ndakamukwala mukati kwe zwiazha zwangu,
makuma enyu amu mesho angu tjibaka tjose.
17 Bakololo babo baswika ngolibilidza,
ngono ibabo bakakuthukudza banobhuda pa kuli.
18 Milidza mesho awo ulinge kukupoteleka ubone,
banokubungana bana babo banozha ku kuli.
Nge malebeswa se nditjila, koleba Yahwe,
banowonga maseka ku kuli
awakaambala kuzwinakisa,
kube kufanana ne nlongo akaambala maseka anon'nakisa.
19 “Malebeswa shango iyo izhele matongo yakathukudzika yakashakala,
ngwenu inowobe tukununu,
inowozhala bagali bayo bakamanikana,
ibabo bakabe bakukolomodza banobe bali kulekule.
20 Bana bakazwagwa mu tjibaka tje kutapiwa kuko
banowolebeleka uhwa beti,
‘Ntuthu iwoyu ntukunusa patili,
muutalabudze tiwane patingagala.’
21 Ngono ipapo mu moyo uwo unowoti,
‘Ndiani wakandizwalila bana ibaba?
Ndakabe ndabulayigwa bana kakale ndisitjina mbeleko,
ndakabe ndatatiwa ndalambiwa,
ngono ibaba bana bakadwa ngayi?’ ”
22 She Yahwe banolebeleka bakati,
“Bonani tjinyolotjo ndowomilidza luboko gwangu aweba zwitjaba,
ndowomilidzila njudzi dze bathu tjilakidzo tjangu,
ngono banowozhisa bakololo benyu bakabafukata,
bakololokadzi benyu banobazhisa bakabapika mu mathudzi abo.
23 Bomambo banowobe botate benyu banomulela,
bafumakadzi babo bakabe bomme benyu banomumwisa.
Banowothigama mbeli kwenyu bakakotamisa misholo
bebe benazwa hwuluba imu makumbo enyu.
Ipapo mowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe,
ibabo banogalabgwe mundili abatobhakhwa nge shoni.”
24 Apa ungatolela mbhayani wakasima thundu yaatapa kene?
Batapiwa bangatjidziwa mu ntapi unotjisa kene?
25 Koga Yahwe banolebeleka bakati,
“Ee, bakatapiwa banowotogwa mu babhayani bakasima,
ne thundu yatapiwa inowotogwa mu ntapi unotjisa,
ngoti imi ndowobhayana ne unobhayana namwi,
ngono bana benyu ndowobatjidza.
26 Ndowothama kuti badziyidzi benyu baje nyama ye mibili yabo,
banowolaladzisiwa nge malopa abo se nkumbi we zhambi.
Ipapo bathu bose banowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe Ntjidzi wenyu,
Ndzutunuli wenyu, iye Wakasima wa Jakubo.”