Comfort for God’s People
1Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: / “Prepare the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.40:3 Hebrew; Septuagint make straight the paths of our God
4Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.”
9You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,40:9 Or Zion, bringer of good news, / go up on a high mountain. / Jerusalem, bringer of good news
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
12Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?
13Who can fathom the Spirit40:13 Or mind of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?
14Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
or showed him the path of understanding?
15Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
16Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
17Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.
18With whom, then, will you compare God?
To what image will you liken him?
19As for an idol, a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.
20A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol that will not topple.
21Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
22He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
24No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
25“To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
27Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Mawu a Chitonthozo kwa Anthu a Mulungu
1Atonthozeni, atonthozeni anthu anga,
akutero Mulungu wanu.
2Ayankhuleni moleza mtima anthu a ku Yerusalemu
ndipo muwawuzitse
kuti nthawi ya ukapolo wawo yatha,
tchimo lawo lakhululukidwa.
Ndawalanga mokwanira
chifukwa cha machimo awo onse.
3Mawu a wofuwula mʼchipululu akuti,
“Konzani njira ya Yehova
mʼchipululu;
wongolani njira zake;
msewu owongoka wa Mulungu wathu mʼdziko lopanda kanthu.
4Chigwa chilichonse achidzaze.
Phiri lililonse ndi chitunda chilichonse azitsitse;
Dziko lokumbikakumbika alisalaze,
malo azitundazitunda awasandutse zidikha.
5Ndipo ulemerero wa Yehova udzaonekera,
ndipo mitundu yonse ya anthu idzawuona,
pakuti wanena zimenezi ndi Yehova.”
6Wina ananena kuti, “Lengeza.”
Ndipo ine ndinati, “Kodi ndifuwule chiyani?
“Pakuti anthu onse ali ngati udzu
ndipo kukongola kwawo kuli ngati maluwa akuthengo.
7Udzu umanyala ndipo maluwa amafota
chifukwa cha kuwomba kwa mpweya wa Yehova.”
Mawu aja anatinso, “Ndithudi anthu sasiyana ndi udzu.
8Udzu umanyala ndipo maluwa amafota,
koma mawu a Mulungu wathu adzakhalapo mpaka muyaya.”
9Iwe amene ukulengeza nkhani yabwino ku Ziyoni,
kwera pa phiri lalitali.
Iwe amene ukulengeza nkhani yabwino ku Yerusalemu,
fuwula kwambiri,
kweza mawu, usachite mantha;
uza mizinda ya ku Yuda kuti,
“Mulungu wanu akubwera!”
10Taonani, Ambuye Yehova akubwera mwamphamvu,
ndipo dzanja lake likulamulira,
taonani akubwera ndi mphotho yake
watsogoza zofunkha zako za ku nkhondo.
11Iye adzasamalira nkhosa zake ngati mʼbusa:
Iye adzasonkhanitsa ana ankhosa aakazi mʼmanja mwake
ndipo Iye akuwanyamula pachifuwa chake
ndi kutsogolera bwinobwino nkhosa zoyamwitsa.
12Kodi ndani akhoza kuyeza kuchuluka kwa madzi a mʼnyanja ndi chikhatho chake,
kapena kuyeza kutalika kwa mlengalenga ndi dzanja lake?
Ndani akhoza kuyeza dothi lonse la dziko lapansi mʼdengu,
kapena kuyeza kulemera kwa
mapiri ndi zitunda ndi pasikelo?
13Ndani anapereka malangizo kwa Mzimu wa Yehova
kapena kumuphunzitsa Iye monga phungu wake?
14Kodi Yehova anapemphapo nzeru kwa yani kuti akhale wopenya,
kapena kuti aphunzire njira yoyenera ndi nzeru?
Iye anapempha nzeru kwa yani
ndi njira ya kumvetsa zinthu?
15Ndithudi mitundu ya anthu ili ngati dontho la madzi ochoka mu mtsuko.
Iwo akungoyesedwa ngati fumbi chabe pa sikelo;
mʼmanja mwa Yehova zilumba nʼzopepuka ngati fumbi.
16Nkhalango ya ku Lebanoni singakwanire nkhuni zosonkhera moto pa guwa lansembe,
ngakhale nyama zake sizingakwanire kupereka nsembe zopsereza.
17Pamaso pa Yehova mitundu yonse ya anthu ili ngati chinthu chopandapake;
Iye amayiwerengera ngati chinthu chopanda phindu
ndi cha chabechabe.
18Kodi tsono Mulungu mungamuyerekeze ndi yani?
Kodi mungamufanizire ndi chiyani?
19Likakhala fano, mʼmisiri ndiye analipanga
ndipo mʼmisiri wa golide amalikuta ndi golide
naliveka mkanda wasiliva.
20Mʼmphawi amene sangathe kupeza ngakhale chopereka nsembe chotere
amasankha mtengo umene sudzawola,
nafunafuna mʼmisiri waluso woti
amupangire fano limene silingasunthike.
21Kodi simukudziwa?
Kodi simunamve?
Kodi sanakuwuzeni kuyambira pachiyambi pomwe?
Kodi simunamvetsetse chiyambire cha dziko lapansi?
22Yehova amene amakhala pa mpando wake waufumu kumwamba ndiye analenga dziko lapansi,
Iye amaona anthu a dziko lapansi ngati ziwala.
Ndipo anafunyulula mlengalenga ngati nsalu yotchinga,
nayikunga ngati tenti yokhalamo.
23Amatsitsa pansi mafumu amphamvu
nasandutsa olamula a dziko kukhala achabechabe.
24Inde, iwo ali ngati mbewu zimene zangodzalidwa kumene
kapena kufesedwa chapompano,
ndi kungoyamba kuzika mizu kumene
ndi pamene mphepo imawombapo nʼkuziwumitsa
ndipo kamvuluvulu amaziwulutsa ngati mankhusu.
25Woyera uja akuti, “Kodi mudzandiyerekeza Ine ndi yani?
Kapena kodi alipo wofanana nane?”
26Tayangʼanani mlengalenga ndipo onani.
Kodi ndani analenga zonsezi mukuzionazi?
Yehova ndiye amene amazitsogolera ngati gulu la ankhondo,
nayitana iliyonse ndi dzina lake.
Ndipo popeza Iye ali ndi nyonga zambiri,
palibe ndi imodzi yomwe imene inasowapo.
27Iwe Yakobo, chifukwa chiyani umanena
ndi kumadandaula iwe Israeli, kuti,
“Yehova sakudziwa mavuto anga,
Mulungu wanga sakusamala zomwe zikundichitikira ine?”
28Kodi simukudziwa?
Kodi simunamve?
Yehova ndiye Mulungu wamuyaya,
ndiyenso Mlengi wa dziko lonse lapansi.
Iye sadzatopa kapena kufowoka
ndipo palibe amene angadziwe maganizo ake.
29Iye amalimbitsa ofowoka
ndipo otopa amawawonjezera mphamvu.
30Ngakhale achinyamata amalefuka ndi kufowoka,
ndipo achinyamata amapunthwa ndi kugwa;
31koma iwo amene amakhulupirira Yehova
adzalandira mphamvu zatsopano.
Adzawuluka ngati chiwombankhanga;
adzathamanga koma sadzalefuka,
adzayenda koma sadzatopa konse.
