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.”
Alla la neemoo be jii la Banisirayila kaŋ
1 Yaawe* ko: “Banisirayilankoolu, ali i lamoyi n na,
n na dookuulaalu, n na tomboŋ moolu, Yaakuba koomalankoolu.
2 Nte Yaawe meŋ ye alitolu daa,
ŋa muluŋo ke ali la wuluuñaŋo kono,
ali la maakoyilaa, ŋa a fo ali ye le ko,
n na dookuulaa Yaakuba, n na tomboŋ moo Yesuruni, ali kana sila.
3 Bankoo meŋ suulata jiyo la, m be jamaa ke la jee le,
ŋa jiyo boŋ banku jaaroo kaŋ.
M be n na Nooroo dii la ali diŋolu la le,
ŋa n na neemoo jindi ali koomalankoolu kaŋ.
4 Ì be wulikuu la le ko ñaamoo meŋ ye jiyo soto a ñaama,
aniŋ komeŋ yirisuŋ biireeriŋolu mennu be looriŋ woyoolu daala.
5 Moo jamaa le be naa kafu la Yaawe la moolu ma.
Doo si a fo ko, ‘Yaawe le taa mu nte ti.’
Doo si a faŋo toolaa ‘Yaakuba’ la.
Doo koteŋ fanaa si a tampu a buloo bala ko, ‘Yaawe taa,’
aduŋ a si a too ke ‘Banisirayila’ ti.”
Yaawe, Alla kiliŋo
6 Banisirayila la Mansoo, a Kumakaalaa,
Yaawe Alihawaa Maariyo* ko:
“Nte le mu foloo ti,
aduŋ nte le mu labaŋo ti.
Nte koolaa Alla te keriŋ.
7 Jumaa le be ko nte? A maarii ye a faŋ fo.
A ye a yitandi n na, kuwolu mennu keta,
kabiriŋ ŋa n na moo foloolu fintindi ñiŋ duniyaa kono,
aniŋ kuwolu mennu be naa ke la ñaato.
8 Ali kijoo kana ali fara, waraŋ ka sila.
Fo m maŋ ñiŋ fo ali ye nuŋ kabiriŋ aniŋ saayiŋ?
Alitolu le mu n seedoo ti.
Fo alla doo le be jee nte koolaa?
Hanii, semberaŋ bere doo te jee, nte maŋ hani kiliŋ loŋ.”
Kuntaŋyaa meŋ be jalambatoo la kuwo to
9 Moo-wo-moo ka jalaŋo dadaa, a maŋ ke feŋ ti,
i ka feŋolu mennu muta naafuloo ti, maŋ nafaa soto.
Moolu mennu ka loo ì ye, mu finkintewolu le ti,
ì maŋ feŋ kalamuta, wo le ye a tinna ì be malu la.
10 Toolewo koolaa, jumaa le be a fansuŋ alla dadaa la,
jalaŋo meŋ te a maakoyi noo la muumeeke?
11 Ate niŋ a ñoŋolu bee be malu la le.
Jalaŋ tunkannaalu fanaa maŋ ke feŋ ti fo hadamadiŋolu.
Ì bee kafuriŋo be loo la le, ì kijoo ye ì fara,
aduŋ ì be tara la dooyaa le kono.
12 Neefiŋ numoo ka nee kuntoo bula dimbaa kono le,
a ye dookuwo ke a la,
a ka jalaŋo tembendi niŋ maritoo la,
aduŋ a ka a semboo le boyi ka a dadaa kuu.
A ka konko le, fo a buka sembe soto.
A buka jii miŋ fo a ka lafi ketu la.
13 Kapintaa ka sumandiroo ke niŋ juloo le la,
a ye nuuneeroo ke niŋ nuuneerilaŋo la.
A ye a lese niŋ denoo la.
A ye a dadaa le ko hadamadiŋ muluŋo,
hadamadiŋo la kallankeeyaa* be ñaameŋ,
fo a si sabati noo batudulaa to.
14 A ka sedari* yiroolu kuntu le.
A ka yiri kendoolu tomboŋ sutoo kono,
a ye ì topatoo fo ì ye meŋ,
waraŋ a ye junipa yiroo tutu, samaajiyo ye a falindi.
15 Hadamadiŋo ka a ke loo le ti.
A ka doo samba le, a ka i jaa a la,
a ka dimbaa mala doo la, ka mbuuroo jani.
Bari a ka batufeŋo fanaa dadaa a la le, ka a batu,
a ka jalaŋo lese, a ka sujudi a ye.
16 A ka a talantee taa le, a ye a mala, a ye a la domoroo tabi a la.
A ka a la suboo jani a la, a ye a ñimi fo a konoo ye faa.
A ka i jaa le fanaa, a ye a fo ko,
“Allaŋ, n kandita le, dimbaa diyaata le.”
17 Too meŋ tuta jee, a ka jalaŋo dadaa a la,
a ka sujudi a ye, a ka a batu.
A ka duwaa ñini a bulu le, a ka a fo ko,
“N tanka, kaatu ite le mu n na alla ti.”
18 Ì maŋ feŋ loŋ, aduŋ ì maŋ feŋ fahaamu.
Ì ñaalu be finkiriŋ ne, wo le ye a tinna ì buka feŋ je.
Ì sondomoo be sukiriŋ, ì buka fahaamuroo ke.
19 Moo te jee meŋ ye londoo soto,
waraŋ ka fahaamuroo ke ka a miira ko,
“Ŋa kara kiliŋo ke loo ti,
ŋa mbuuroo jani a dimbaa keñemboo la,
ŋa suboo fanaa jani ka a ñimi.
Fo n si kuu kondiŋo ke noo a too la le baŋ?
Fo n si sujudi noo yiri kuntoo ye le baŋ?”
20 Toolewo meŋ ka a faŋ neenee ka i baluu seebuutoo le la.
A laata feŋ ne la, meŋ te a maakoyi noo la muumeeke.
Hani wo, a maŋ a faŋo hakiloo kiitii ka a fo ko,
“Fo ñiŋ jalaŋo ŋa meŋ muta m buloo kono, maŋ ke faniyaa le ti baŋ?”
Alla le mu Daamansoo ti, aniŋ Taarikoo Maariyo
21 Yaawe ko: “Hee Yaakuba, ali kana ñina ñiŋ kuwolu la,
kaatu alitolu mu n na dookuulaalu le ti, Banisirayila.
Nte le ye ali daa, ali mu n na dookuulaalu le ti.
Hee Banisirayila, n te ñina la ali la.
22 Ŋa ali la kuu jawoolu bondi le komeŋ minaayoo,
ali la junuboolu komeŋ soomandaa tuutuwo.
Ali muruŋ n kaŋ, kaatu ŋa ali kumakaa le.”
23 Hee saŋ fatoolu, ali suukuwo laa,
kaatu Yaawe le ye ñiŋ ke.
Hee duniyaa daŋo, sari santo.
Alitolu konkoolu ali wutu suukuwo ti,
aniŋ alitolu sutoolu niŋ ali la yiroolu bee,
kaatu Yaawe ye Yaakuba kumakaa le,
a ye a la semboo niŋ waroo yitandi Banisirayila.
24 Yaawe ali Kumakaalaa meŋ ye ali daa wuluuñaŋo kono ko:
“Nte le mu Yaawe ti, meŋ ye feŋolu bee daa,
nte dammaa le ye saŋ fatoolu waree,
aduŋ nte faŋo le ye duniyaa fanundi.
25 N ka juubeerilaalu ke moo kuntaŋolu le ti,
ŋa ì la taamanseeroolu ke faniyaa ti.
N ka moo ñaamendiŋolu la kumoolu faniyandi,
ŋa a yitandi ì la ko, ì la ñaameŋo mu kuntaŋyaa le ti.
26 N ka n na dookuulaa la kumoo timmandi le,
ŋa n na annabiyomoo la bankeeroo ke kuu sotoriŋo ti.
Ŋa a fo le ko, moolu be sabati la Yerusalaamu le kotenke,
ì ye Yahuuda saatewolu lookuu.
Ì la saatewolu be bo la tumbundiŋ ne,
ì ye seyi ì ñaama.
27 Ŋa a fo le fankaasoo ye jaa,
aduŋ m be a baalu jandi la le.
28 Ŋa a fo Kirusi ye le ko, ‘I mu n na kantarilaa le ti,
aduŋ feŋ-wo-feŋ diyaata n ye i be wo le ke la.
I be yaamaroo dii la le, ka Yerusalaamu lookuu,
aniŋ ka Alla Batudulaa fondamaŋo dadaa.’ ”
