The Lord Is the Only God
1 The Lord says,
“Listen now, Israel, my servant,
my chosen people, the descendants of Jacob.
2 I am the Lord who created you;
from the time you were born, I have helped you.
Do not be afraid; you are my servant,
my chosen people whom I love.
3 “I will give water to the thirsty land
and make streams flow on the dry ground.
I will pour out my spirit on your children
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They will thrive like well-watered grass,
like willows by streams of running water.
5 “One by one, people will say, ‘I am the Lord's.’
They will come to join the people of Israel.
They each will mark the name of the Lord on their arms
and call themselves one of God's people.”
6 The Lord, who rules and protects Israel,
the Lord Almighty, has this to say:
“I am the first, the last, the only God;
there is no other god but me.
7 Could anyone else have done what I did?
Who could have predicted all that would happen
from the very beginning to the end of time?
8 Do not be afraid, my people!
You know that from ancient times until now
I have predicted all that would happen,
and you are my witnesses.
Is there any other god?
Is there some powerful god I never heard of?”
Idolatry Is Ridiculed
9 All those who make idols are worthless, and the gods they prize so highly are useless. Those who worship these gods are blind and ignorant—and they will be disgraced. 10 It does no good to make a metal image to worship as a god! 11 Everyone who worships it will be humiliated. The people who make idols are human beings and nothing more. Let them come and stand trial—they will be terrified and will suffer disgrace.
12 The metalworker takes a piece of metal and works with it over a fire. His strong arm swings a hammer to pound the metal into shape. As he works, he gets hungry, thirsty, and tired.
13 The carpenter measures the wood. He outlines a figure with chalk, carves it out with his tools, and makes it in the form of a man, a handsome human figure, to be placed in his house. 14 He might cut down cedars to use, or choose oak or cypress wood from the forest. Or he might plant a laurel tree and wait for the rain to make it grow. 15 A person uses part of a tree for fuel and part of it for making an idol. With one part he builds a fire to warm himself and bake bread; with the other part he makes a god and worships it. 16 With some of the wood he makes a fire; he roasts meat, eats it, and is satisfied. He warms himself and says, “How nice and warm! What a beautiful fire!” 17 The rest of the wood he makes into an idol, and then he bows down and worships it. He prays to it and says, “You are my god—save me!”
18 Such people are too stupid to know what they are doing. They close their eyes and their minds to the truth. 19 The maker of idols hasn't the wit or the sense to say, “Some of the wood I burned up. I baked some bread on the coals, and I roasted meat and ate it. And the rest of the wood I made into an idol. Here I am bowing down to a block of wood!”
20 It makes as much sense as eating ashes. His foolish ideas have so misled him that he is beyond help. He won't admit to himself that the idol he holds in his hand is not a god at all.
The Lord, the Creator and Savior
21 The Lord says,
“Israel, remember this;
remember that you are my servant.
I created you to be my servant,
and I will never forget you.
22 I have swept your sins away like a cloud.
Come back to me; I am the one who saves you.”
23 Shout for joy, you heavens!
Shout, deep places of the earth!
Shout for joy, mountains, and every tree of the forest!
The Lord has shown his greatness
by saving his people Israel.
24 “I am the Lord, your savior;
I am the one who created you.
I am the Lord, the Creator of all things.
I alone stretched out the heavens;
when I made the earth, no one helped me.
25 I make fools of fortunetellers
and frustrate the predictions of astrologers.
The words of the wise I refute
and show that their wisdom is foolishness.
26 But when my servant makes a prediction,
when I send a messenger to reveal my plans,
I make those plans and predictions come true.
I tell Jerusalem that people will live there again,
and the cities of Judah that they will be rebuilt.
Those cities will rise from the ruins.
27 With a word of command I dry up the ocean.
28 I say to Cyrus, ‘You are the one who will rule for me;
you will do what I want you to do:
you will order that Jerusalem be rebuilt
and that the foundations of the Temple be laid.’”
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.’ ”
