The Lord Helps Israel
1The Lord says, “People who live on the islands,
come and stand quietly in front of me.
Let the nations gain new strength
in order to state their case.
Let them come forward and speak.
Let us go to court and find out who is right.
2“Who has stirred up a king from the east?
Who has helped him win his battles?
I hand nations over to him.
I bring kings under his control.
He turns them into dust with his sword.
With his bow he turns them into straw blowing in the wind.
3He hunts them down. Then he moves on unharmed.
He travels so fast that his feet
don’t seem to touch the ground.
4Who has made that happen? Who has carried it out?
Who has created all the people who have ever lived?
I, the Lord, have done it.
I was with the first of them.
And I will be with the last of them.”
5The people on the islands have seen that king coming.
And it has made them afraid.
People tremble with fear from one end of the earth to the other.
They come and gather together.
6They help one another.
They say to one another, “Be strong!”
7One skilled worker makes a statue of a god.
Another covers it with gold.
The first worker says to the second,
“You have done a good job.”
Another worker smooths out the metal with a hammer.
Still another gives the statue its final shape.
The one who hammers says to the one who shapes,
“You have done a good job.”
Then they nail the statue down so it won’t fall over.
8The Lord says, “People of Israel, you are my servants.
Family of Jacob, I have chosen you.
You are the children of my friend Abraham.
9I gathered you from one end of the earth to the other.
From the farthest places on earth I brought you together.
I said, ‘You are my servants.’
I have chosen you.
I have not turned my back on you.
10So do not be afraid. I am with you.
Do not be terrified. I am your God.
I will make you strong and help you.
I will hold you safe in my hands.
I always do what is right.
11“All those who are angry with you will be put to shame.
And they will be dishonored.
Those who oppose you will be destroyed.
And they will vanish.
12You might search for your enemies.
But you will not find them.
Those who go to war against you
will completely disappear.
13I am the Lord your God.
I take hold of your right hand.
I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid.
I will help you.’
14Family of Jacob, you are as weak as a worm.
But do not be afraid.
People of Israel, there are only a few of you.
But do not be afraid.
I myself will help you,” announces the Lord.
He is the one who sets his people free.
He is the Holy One of Israel.
15He says, “I will make you into a threshing sled.
It will be new and sharp.
It will have many teeth.
You will grind the mountains down and crush them.
You will turn the hills into nothing but straw.
16You will toss them in the air.
A strong wind will catch them and blow them away.
You will be glad because I will make that happen.
You will praise me.
I am the Holy One of Israel.
17“Those who are poor and needy search for water.
But there isn’t any.
Their tongues are dry because they are thirsty.
But I will help them. I am the Lord.
I will not desert them.
I am Israel’s God.
18I will make streams flow on the bare hilltops.
I will make springs come up in the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water.
I will turn the dry and cracked ground into flowing springs.
19I will make trees grow in the desert.
I will plant cedar and acacia trees there.
I will plant myrtle and olive trees there.
I will make juniper trees grow in the dry and empty desert.
I will plant fir and cypress trees there.
20Then people will see and know
that my powerful hand has done it.
They will consider and understand
that I have created it.
I am the Holy One of Israel.”
21The Lord says to the nations and their gods,
“State your case.”
Jacob’s King says to them,
“Prove your case to me.
22Tell us, you false gods,
what is going to happen.
Tell us what happened in the past.
Then we can check it out
and see if it is really true.
Or announce to us the things that will take place.
23Tell us what will happen in the days ahead.
Then we will know that you are gods.
Do something. It does not matter whether it is good or bad.
Then we will be terrified and filled with fear.
24But you false gods are less than nothing.
Your actions are completely worthless.
I hate it when people worship you.
25“I have stirred up a king
who will come from the north.
He lives in the east.
He will bring honor to me.
He walks all over rulers as if they were mud.
He steps on them just as a potter stomps on clay.
26Which one of you false gods said those things
would happen before they did?
Who told us about them
so we could know them?
Who told us ahead of time?
Who told us so we could say,
‘You are right’?
None of you false gods told us about them.
None of you told us ahead of time.
In fact, no one heard you say anything at all.
27I was the first to tell Zion.
I said, ‘Look! The people of Israel are coming back!’
I sent a messenger to Jerusalem with the good news.
28I look, but there is no one
among the gods that can give me advice.
None of them can answer
when I ask them the simplest question.
29So they are not really gods at all.
What they do does not amount to anything.
They are as useless as wind.
Mũteithia wa Isiraeli
1“Atĩrĩrĩ, inyuĩ icigĩrĩra, ta kirai ki mũrĩ mbere yakwa!
Nacio ndũrĩrĩ nĩcierũhie hinya wacio!
Nĩcikuhĩrĩrie ciarie;
nĩtũcemaniei hamwe tũciire.
241:2 Ezar 1:2; Isa 45:1, 13“Nũũ warahũrĩte mũndũ oime na mwena wa irathĩro,
akamwĩta amũtungatagĩre na ũthingu?
Aneanaga ndũrĩrĩ kũrĩ we,
na agatooria athamaki makamwathĩkagĩra.
Amatuuaga o ta rũkũngũ na rũhiũ rwake rwa njora,
akamatua maragara na ũta wake nao makombũrwo nĩ rũhuho.
3Amatengʼeragia, akamahĩtũka atagurarĩtio,
o na angĩkorwo nĩ njĩra atarĩ agerera na magũrũ make mbere ĩyo.
441:4 Isa 44:6; Kũg 1:8, 17Nũũ wĩkĩte ũndũ ũcio na akaũhingia,
ageeta njiarwa marĩĩtwa kuuma o kĩambĩrĩria?
Niĩ Jehova, nĩ niĩ wa mbere
na wa kũrigĩrĩria; niĩ nĩ niĩ we.”
5Icigĩrĩra nĩciĩoneire ũndũ ũcio na igetigĩra;
nacio ituri cia thĩ ikainaina.
Ikuhagĩrĩria na ikeyumĩria;
641:6 Josh 1:6o ũmwe ateithagia ũrĩa ũngĩ,
na akeera mũrũ wa nyina atĩrĩ, “Wĩyũmĩrĩrie mũno!”
741:7 Jer 10:3-5; Isa 46:7Mũbundi ekagĩra mũturi wa thahabu hinya,
nake ũrĩa ũnyorokagia na nyondo ĩrĩa nene
omagĩrĩria ũrĩa ũturagĩra ihiga-inĩ rĩa ũturi.
Nake akoiga atĩrĩ, “Wĩra ũcio wa kũnyiitithania cuma nĩ mwega.”
Akanyiitithania mũhianano ũcio wa kũhooywo na mĩcumarĩ, nĩguo ndũkenyenye, ũgwe.
841:8 2Maũ 20:7; Jak 2:23“No rĩrĩ, wee Isiraeli, ndungata yakwa,
o wee Jakubu ũrĩa thuurĩte,
o inyuĩ njiaro cia Iburahĩmu mũrata wakwa,
9ndakũrutire kuuma ituri cia thĩ,
ngĩgwĩta kuuma koine ciayo iria irĩ kũraya mũno.
Ngĩkwĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Wee ũrĩ ndungata yakwa;’
nĩngũthuurĩte na ndikũregete.
1041:10 Isa 43:2, 5; Thaam 3:20Nĩ ũndũ ũcio tiga gwĩtigĩra, nĩgũkorwo ndĩ hamwe nawe;
tiga kũmaka, nĩgũkorwo niĩ nĩ niĩ Ngai waku.
Nĩndĩkuongagĩrĩra hinya na ngũteithagie;
na ti-itherũ nĩndĩrĩgũtiiragĩrĩra na guoko gwakwa kwa ũrĩo kwa ũthingu.
1141:11 Isa 45:24“Andũ arĩa othe makũrakaragĩra magagũũkĩrĩra
ti-itherũ nĩmagaconorithio na manyararithio;
arĩa marũaga nawe
magaatuĩka o ta kĩndũ hatarĩ na mathire biũ.
1241:12 Isa 17:14O na ũngĩgaacaria thũ ciaku, ndũgaaciona.
Andũ arĩa mahũũranaga mbaara nawe
magaatuĩka o ta kĩndũ hatarĩ.
13Nĩgũkorwo niĩ nĩ niĩ Jehova, Ngai waku,
ũrĩa ũkũnyiitaga guoko kwa ũrĩo,
na agakwĩra atĩrĩ, Tiga gwĩtigĩra;
nĩngũgũteithia.
1441:14 Kĩam 15:1; Ayub 4:19Tiga gwĩtigĩra, wee Jakubu kagunyũ gaka,
o wee Isiraeli gakundi kanini,
niĩ mwene nĩ niĩ ngũgũteithia,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga,
ũcio Mũkũũri waku, Ũrĩa Mũtheru wa Isiraeli.
1541:15 Ayub 41:30; Thab 107:33“Atĩrĩrĩ, nĩngagũtua kĩhũũri kĩa ngano,
kĩhũũri kĩerũ na kĩũgĩ, kĩna magego maingĩ.
Nĩũkahũũra irĩma na ũcihehenje,
natuo tũrĩma ũtũtue mũũngũ.
1641:16 Jer 51:2; Mar 1:24Wee nĩũgaacihuha, naruo rũhuho rũcigũrũkie,
nakĩo kĩhuhũkanio gĩcihurunje.
No rĩrĩ, wee nĩũgakenera Jehova,
na wĩrahagĩre Ũrĩa Mũtheru wa Isiraeli.
17“Andũ arĩa athĩĩni na abatari methaga maaĩ ma kũnyua, no gũtirĩ;
nĩmĩ ciao nĩcingʼarĩtio nĩ nyoota.
No rĩrĩ, niĩ Jehova nĩngamacookeria ũhoro;
niĩ Ngai wa Isiraeli, ndirĩ hĩndĩ ngaamatiganĩria.
1841:18 2Ath 3:17; Isa 35:7Nĩngatũma njũũĩ itherere kũu rũngʼũrĩ-inĩ kũrĩa gũtũũgĩru,
nacio ithima itherũke cianda-inĩ.
Nĩngatũma kũu werũ-inĩ kũgĩe tũria twa maaĩ,
nakuo kũndũ kũrĩa kũngʼaru ndũme gũtherũke ithima cia maaĩ.
19Nĩngahaanda mĩtarakwa na mĩgaa,
na mĩhandathi na mĩtamaiyũ kũu werũ-inĩ.
Na haande mĩbinde kũndũ kũrĩa gũtakũraga kĩndũ,
na mĩthengera, na mĩkarakaba o hamwe,
2041:20 Thaam 6:7; Ezar 7:6nĩgeetha andũ mone na mamenye,
mecũũranie na mataũkĩrwo,
atĩ nĩ guoko kwa Jehova gwĩkĩte maũndũ macio,
na atĩ Ũrĩa Mũtheru wa Isiraeli nĩwe wamĩũmbire.”
21Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Rehei ciira wanyu ũrĩa mũrĩ naguo.
Onaniai ihooto cianyu cia hinya,”
ũguo nĩguo Mũthamaki wa Jakubu ekuuga.
2241:22 Isa 45:21; Joh 13:19“Rehei ngai cianyu cia mĩhianano ya kũhooywo
itwĩre ũrĩa gũkaahaana.
Twĩrei ũrĩa maũndũ ma tene maatariĩ,
nĩguo twĩcũũranie ũhoro wamo,
na tũmenye ũrĩa makaarigĩrĩria.
Kana mũtũmenyithie ũhoro wa maũndũ marĩa magooka thuutha,
2341:23 Isa 45:3; Jer 10:5na mũtwĩre ũrĩa gũgaikara thuutha-inĩ,
nĩguo tũmenye atĩ mũrĩ ngai.
Ĩkai ũndũ mwega kana mũũru,
nĩguo tũmake na tũiyũrwo nĩ guoya.
2441:24 Isa 37:19; Thab 109:7No rĩrĩ, inyuĩ mũrĩ kĩndũ hatarĩ,
na mawĩra manyu matirĩ bata;
mũndũ ũrĩa ũmwĩthuurĩire atariĩ o ta kĩndũ kĩrĩ magigi.
2541:25 Jer 50:9, 41“Nĩnjarahũrĩte mũndũ wa kuuma gathigathini, na nĩarooka:
mũndũ uumĩte irathĩro rĩa riũa ũrĩa ũkayagĩra rĩĩtwa rĩakwa.
Arangagĩrĩria aathani a thĩ o ta marĩ ndaka,
akamarangĩrĩria o ta ũrĩa mũmbi akimaga rĩũmba.
2641:26 Hab 2:18-19Nũũ waheanire ũhoro ũcio kuuma o kĩambĩrĩria, nĩguo tũũmenye;
kana akĩũheana mbere ĩyo, nĩguo tuuge atĩrĩ, ‘Ũhoro ũcio aarĩtie nĩ wa ma’?
Gũtirĩ mũndũ weranire ũhoro ũyũ,
na gũtirĩ mũndũ waũheanĩte mbere ĩyo,
gũtirĩ mũndũ waiguĩte ũhoro ũyũ kuuma kũrĩ inyuĩ.
2741:27 Isa 40:9Nĩ niĩ ndaarĩ wa mbere kwĩra Zayuni atĩrĩ, ‘Atĩrĩrĩ, aya marĩ haha!’
Nĩ niĩ ndatũmire mũndũ athiĩ Jerusalemu agatware ũhoro ũrĩa mwega.
2841:28 Isa 63:5Ndĩrarora no hatirĩ mũndũ;
gũtirĩ mũndũ thĩinĩ wao ũngĩheana kĩrĩra,
gũtirĩ mũndũ wa kũnjookeria ũhoro rĩrĩa ingĩmoria kĩũria.
2941:29 1Sam 12:21; Jer 5:13Atĩrĩrĩ, andũ othe nĩ a maheeni!
Ciĩko ciao no cia tũhũ;
mĩhianano yao ya gwacũhio ĩhaana o ta rũhuho, na nĩ ya tũhũ mũtheri.
