The Work of the Lord's Servant
1 Everyone, listen,
even you foreign nations
across the sea.
The Lord chose me
and gave me a name
before I was born.
2 He made my words pierce
like a sharp sword
or a pointed arrow;
he kept me safely hidden
in the palm of his hand.
3 The Lord said to me,
“Israel, you are my servant;
and because of you
I will be highly honored.”
4 I said to myself,
“I'm completely worn out;
my time has been wasted.
But I did it for the Lord God,
and he will reward me.”
5 Even before I was born,
the Lord God chose me
to serve him and to lead back
the people of Israel.
So the Lord has honored me
and made me strong.
6 Now the Lord says to me,
“It isn't enough for you
to be merely my servant.
You must do more than lead back
survivors from the tribes
of Israel.
I have placed you here as a light
for other nations;
you must take my saving power
to everyone on earth.”
The Lord Will Rescue His People
7 Israel, I am the holy Lord God,
the one who rescues you.
You are slaves of rulers
and of a nation
who despises you.
Now this is what I promise:
Kings and rulers will honor you
by kneeling at your feet.
You can trust me! I am your Lord,
the holy God of Israel,
and you are my chosen ones.
The Lord Will Lead His People Home
8 This is what the Lord says:
I will answer your prayers
because I have set a time
when I will help
by coming to save you.
I have chosen you
to take my promise of hope
to other nations.
You will rebuild the country
from its ruins,
then people will come
and settle there.
9 You will set prisoners free
from dark dungeons
to see the light of day.
On their way home,
they will find plenty to eat,
even on barren hills.
10 They won't go hungry
or get thirsty;
they won't be bothered
by the scorching sun
or hot desert winds.
I will be merciful
while leading them along
to streams of water.
11 I will level the mountains
and make roads.
12 Then my people will return
from distant lands
in the north and the west
and from the city of Syene.
The Lord's Mercy
13 Tell the heavens and the earth
to celebrate and sing;
command every mountain
to join in the song.
The Lord's people have suffered,
but he has shown mercy
and given them comfort.
14 The people of Zion said,
“The Lord has turned away
and forgotten us.”
15 The Lord answered,
“Could a mother forget a child
who nurses at her breast?
Could she fail to love an infant
who came from her own body?
Even if a mother could forget,
I will never forget you.
16 A picture of your city
is drawn on my hand.
You are always in my thoughts!
17 “Your city will be built faster
than it was destroyed —
those who attacked it
will retreat and leave.
18 Look around! You will see
your people coming home.
As surely as I live,
I, the Lord, promise
that your city with its people
will be as lovely as a bride
wearing her jewelry.”
Jerusalem's Bright Future
19 Jerusalem is now in ruins!
Nothing is left of the city.
But it will be rebuilt
and soon overcrowded;
its cruel enemies
will be gone far away.
20 Jerusalem is a woman
whose children were born
while she was in deep sorrow
over the loss of her husband.
Now those children
will come and seek room
in the crowded city,
21 and Jerusalem will ask,
“Am I really their mother?
How could I have given birth
when I was still mourning
in a foreign land?
Who raised these children?
Where have they come from?”
22 The Lord God says:
“I will soon give a signal
for the nations
to return your sons
and your daughters
to the arms of Jerusalem.
23 The kings and queens
of those nations
where they were raised
will come and bow down.
They will take care of you
just like a slave
taking care of a child.
Then you will know
that I am the Lord.
You won't be disappointed
if you trust me.”
The Lord Is on Our Side
24 Is it possible to rescue victims
from someone strong
and cruel?
25 But the Lord has promised
to fight on our side
and to rescue our children
from those strong
and violent enemies.
26 He will make those cruel people
dine on their own flesh
and get drunk from drinking
their own blood.
Then everyone will know
that the Lord is our Savior;
the powerful God of Israel
has rescued his people.
Yaawe la dookuulaa mu maloo le ti bankoolu ye
1 Alitolu baadaa borindoo sabatilaalu, ali i lamoyi n na.
Alitolu banku jamfariŋo moolu, ali ali tuloo loo.
Janniŋ n ka wuluu, Yaawe* ye n tomboŋ ne,
ka ke a la dookuulaa ti.
Kabiriŋ m be m baamaa wuluuñaŋo kono,
wo to le a ye n toolaa.
2 A ye n daa ke le ko hawusari* daa diyaariŋo.
A ka a buloo le biti n kaŋ ka n tanka.
A ye n ke le ko beñe melundiŋo,
a ye m maabo a bularaŋo kono.
3 A ko n ye ko, “Banisirayila, ite le mu n na dookuulaa ti,
aduŋ i la kuwo le be a tinna la, m be buuñaa soto la.”
4 Bari n ko, “N na dookuwo maŋ nafaa soto.
Ŋa n semboo bee baŋ kensenke le.
Bari n na kuwo be Yaawe le bulu,
Alla le ye a loŋ, a ñanta n joo la meŋ na.”
5 Yaawe ye n daa m baamaa wuluuñaŋo kono le,
ka n ke a la dookuulaa ti,
ka Yaakuba koomalankoolu ñaatonkayaa,
fo ì si muru a kaŋ,
aniŋ ka Banisirayilankoolu ñaa tilindi a la.
Yaawe be m buuñaa la le,
aduŋ n na semboo be bo la naŋ Alla le bulu.
6 Saayiŋ, Yaawe ko n ye le ko,
“I mu n na dookuulaa le ti, i be kuu le ke la,
meŋ tambita ka Yaakuba lasiloolu seyindi ì ñaama,
ka Banisirayila moo toomaalu murundi naŋ.
M be i ke la bantala bankoolu* fanaa ye maloo le ti,
i ye n na kiisoo samba duniyaa tonkoŋ naanoo bee to.”
7 Yaawe, Banisirayila la Senuŋ Baa, a Kumakaalaa
ka diyaamu moo le ye,
bankoolu jututa meŋ na, ì ye a koŋ,
a keta maralilaalu la dookuulaa ti,
a ye ñiŋ ne fo a ye ko,
“Niŋ mansoolu ye i je, ì be wuli la le,
maralilaalu fanaa be ñoyi la i ye le,
kaatu nte Yaawe le be a saabu la.
N ka laahidoolu timmandi le,
nte Banisirayila la Senuŋ Baa meŋ ye i tomboŋ.”
Banisirayilankoolu la seyoo
8 Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo a la dookuulaa ye ko:
“Niŋ n na hiinoo waatoo siita,
m be i danku la le.
Niŋ kiisoo luŋo siita,
m be i maakoyi la le.
M be i kanda la,
i ye ke n niŋ moolu teema kambeŋo ti,
ka banku tumbundiŋo seyindi a ñaama,
ka kenoo talaa moolu teema ka ke ì ye keetaafeŋo ti.
9 I si a fo mutamoolu ye ko,
‘Ali finti naŋ!’
aniŋ moolu mennu be diboo kono ye ko,
‘Ali firinta le!’
“Moolu be daañinoo soto la sila daalu le la,
aduŋ ì be domoroo soto la bere konkoolu faŋo kaŋ ne.
10 Ì te konko la, waraŋ mindoo ye ì muta,
sako tiloo si i kandi waraŋ keñewuloo* foñoo si ì mantoora.
Nte Alla meŋ ka balafaa soto ì ye,
be ì ñaatonkayaa la le,
ka ì samba woyoolu to.
11 M be n na konkoolu bee yelemandi la siloolu le ti,
n na sila kendoolu ye tintiŋ.
12 A juubee, n na moolu be bo la naŋ dulaa jamfariŋolu le to,
doolu be bo la naŋ maraa karoo le la,
doolu ye bo naŋ tilijii,
doolu ye bo fo Asuwani maafaŋo la.”
13 Saŋ fatoolu, ali sari santo seewoo kamma,
bankoo ye kontaani,
konkoolu ye wutu suukuwo ti,
kaatu Yaawe ye a la moolu jusoo ñabu le,
aduŋ a be balafaa soto la a la moo bataariŋolu ye le.
14 Bari Siyoni* ko le ko,
“Yaawe ye i bo n to le,
m Maariyo ñinata n na le.”
15 Yaawe ye a jaabi ko:
“Fo musoo ka ñina a la suusuu diŋo la le baŋ,
waraŋ a te balafaa soto la a wuluudiŋo ye?
A si ke noo a ye ñina,
bari Siyoni, nte te ñina la i la.
16 A juubee, ŋa i muluŋo ñenje m buluteetee bala le,
n hakiloo be tu la i la sansaŋ tumbundiŋolu kaŋ ne waati-wo-waati.
17 I diŋolu be hawujiriŋ ne ka muruŋ naŋ,
aduŋ mennu ye i la saatewo kasaara, be taa la le.
18 I dandaŋolu juubee, i ye a je, meŋ be ke kaŋ.
I diŋolu bee benta le ka seyi i yaa.”
Yaawe kalita ñiŋ ne la ko:
“A be koyiriŋ ñaameŋ ko nte be baluuriŋ ne,
i be kibiri la i diŋolu la kuwo la le,
ko maañoo ka kibiri a la ñaroolu la ñaameŋ.
19 “Ì ye i tiñaa, aniŋ ka i la saatewo kasaara ñaa-wo-ñaa,
ka i la bankoo kenseŋyandi,
bari saayiŋ, bankoo be dooyaabaa la i la moolu ye le, mennu naata,
aduŋ mennu ye i kasaara be jamfa la i la le.
20 Dindiŋolu mennu wuluuta i la niikuyaa waatoo,
be a fo la i ye le ko,
‘Ñiŋ dulaa dooyaabaata ntolu ye le,
dulaa fanuŋo dii ǹ na, ŋà sabati jee.’
21 Wo to i be a fo la i sondomoo kono le ko,
‘Jumaa le duŋ ye ñiŋ dindiŋolu bee wuluu n ye?
N niyo kuyaata le, kaatu m foota n diŋolu la le,
n tarata nuŋ mutoo kono le, ì ye m fili jee.
Jumaa le duŋ ye ñiŋ dindiŋolu kuluu?
N dammaa le tuta m faŋ ye,
saayiŋ duŋ, ñinnu bota mintoo le?’ ”
22 Maarii Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo ko:
“Saayiŋ, m be taamanseeroo ke la bantala bankoolu ye le.
M be n na bandeeroo wulindi la le, moolu ye a je.
Ì be i dinkewolu sika la le,
ì ye i dimmusoolu laa ì dabakunkuŋolu kaŋ, ì ye ì naati i ye.
23 Mansoolu le be ke la i diŋolu la kuluuribaalu ti,
ì la mansamusoolu ye ke i diŋolu ye bambaanoolu ti.
Ì be ñoyi la i ñaatiliŋo la le,
ì kuŋolu ye tara jimiriŋ duuma,
ì ye kankaŋo newuŋ i siŋolu bala.
Wo to le i be a loŋ na ko, nte le mu Yaawe ti,
moolu mennu ye ì jikoo loo n kaŋ, te jikilateyi la.”
24 Fo moo si buusi feŋo taa noo kelejawaroo bulu baŋ,
waraŋ mutamoolu ye kana noo maralilaa saŋarariŋo la?
25 Bari Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo ko:
“Tooñaa, mutamoolu si buusi noo kelejawaroolu bulu le,
buusi feŋo ye seyi ka bo maralilaa saŋarariŋo bulu.
Niŋ moolu wulita ka i kele,
m fanaa be ì kele la le,
aduŋ m be i diŋolu tanka la le.
26 M be a ke la le, i toorandilaalu ye ñoo faa.
Ì faŋolu yeloo le be ì siirandi la ko doloo.
Wo to hadamadiŋolu bee be a loŋ na le ko,
nte Yaawe le mu i Kiisandirilaa ti,
i Kumakaalaa, Yaakuba la Alla Tallaa.”
