Israel’s Only Savior
1But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush43:3 That is, the upper Nile region and Seba in your stead.
4Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.
6I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
8Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.
9All the nations gather together
and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
11I, even I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
12I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”
God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness
14This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians,43:14 Or Chaldeans
in the ships in which they took pride.
15I am the Lord, your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator, your King.”
16This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
17who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
18“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
20The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise.
22“Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
you have not wearied yourselves for43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of me, Israel.
23You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,
nor honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with grain offerings
nor wearied you with demands for incense.
24You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me,
or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied me with your offenses.
25“I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more.
26Review the past for me,
let us argue the matter together;
state the case for your innocence.
27Your first father sinned;
those I sent to teach you rebelled against me.
28So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
I consigned Jacob to destruction43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
and Israel to scorn.
Yehova Yekha Mpulumutsi wa Israeli
1Koma tsopano, Yehova
amene anakulenga, iwe Yakobo,
amene anakuwumba, iwe Israeli akuti,
“Usaope, pakuti ndakuwombola;
Ndinakuyitanitsa mokutchula dzina lako, ndiwe wanga.
2Pamene ukuwoloka nyanja,
ndidzakhala nawe;
ndipo pamene ukuwoloka mitsinje,
sidzakukokolola.
Pamene ukudutsa pa moto,
sudzapsa;
lawi la moto silidzakutentha.
3Chifukwa Ine Yehova, Mulungu wako,
Woyera wa Israeli, ndine Mpulumutsi wako.
Ndinapereka Igupto pofuna kuti ndiwombole iwe,
ndinapereka Kusi ndi Seba mʼmalo mwa iwe.
4Popeza kuti ndiwe wamtengowapatali wolemekezeka ndi wapamtima panga,
ndipo chifukwa ndimakukonda,
ndidzapereka anthu mʼmalo mwa iwe,
ndidzapereka mitundu ya anthu pofuna kuwombola moyo wako.
5Usachite mantha, pakuti Ine ndili nawe;
ndidzabweretsa ana ako kuchokera kummawa,
ndipo ndidzakusonkhanitsani kuchokera kumadzulo.
6Ndidzawuza a kumpoto kuti, ‘Amasuleni,’
ndidzawuza akummwera kuti, ‘Musawagwire.’
Bweretsani ana anga aamuna kuchokera ku mayiko akutali,
ana anga a akazi kuchokera kumalekezero a dziko lapansi;
7onsewo amadziwika ndi dzina langa;
ndinawalenga chifukwa cha ulemerero wanga,
ndinawawumba, inde ndinawapanga.”
8Tulutsa anthu amene ali nawo maso koma sakupenya,
anthu amene ali nawo makutu koma sakumva.
9Mitundu yonse ya anthu isonkhane pamodzi,
anthu a mitundu ina akhale pamodzi pabwalo la milandu.
Ndani wa iwo amene ananeneratu zimenezi?
Ndani wa iwo anatifotokozerapo zinthu zakalekale?
Abweretu ndi mboni zawo kuti adzatsimikizire kuti ananena zoona,
kuti anthu ena amve ndi kunena kuti, “Ndi zoona.”
10Yehova akunena kuti, “Inu Aisraeli ndinu mboni zanga,
ndi mtumiki wanga amene ndinakusankha,
kuti mundidziwe ndi kundikhulupirira, ndipo mudzamvetsa kuti Mulungu ndine ndekha.
Patsogolo panga sipanapangidwepo mulungu wina,
ngakhale pambuyo panga
sipadzakhalaponso wina.”
11Akutero Yehova, “Ine, Inetu ndine Yehova,
ndipo palibe Mpulumutsi wina koma Ine ndekha.
12Ndine amene ndinaneneratu, amene ndinakupulumutsa;
ndine, osati mulungu wina wachilendo pakati panu amene ndinalengezeratu.
Inu ndinu mboni zanga, kuti Ine ndine Mulungu,” akutero Yehova.
13“Ine ndine Mulungu kuyambira nthawi yamakedzana, ndipo ndidzakhalabe Mulungu ku nthawi zonse.
Palibe amene angathe kuthawa mʼmanja mwanga,
ndipo chimene ndachita palibe angathe kuchisintha.”
Chifundo cha Mulungu ndi Kusakhulupirika kwa Israeli
14Yehova akuti,
Mpulumutsi wanu, Woyerayo wa Israeli akuti,
“Chifukwa cha inu ndidzatuma gulu lankhondo kukalimbana ndi Babuloni
ndi kukupulumutsani.
Ndidzagwetsa zitseko zonse za mzindawo, ndipo kukondwa kwa anthu ake kudzasanduka kulira.
15Ine ndine Yehova, Woyera wanu uja,
Mlengi wa Israeli. Ine ndine Mfumu yanu.”
16Yehova
anapanga njira pa nyanja,
anapanga njira pakati pa madzi amphamvu.
17Iye anasonkhanitsa magaleta, akavalo,
gulu lankhondo ndi asilikali amphamvu,
ndipo onse anagwa pamenepo, osadzukanso
anazimitsidwa kutheratu ngati chingwe cha nyale. Yehova ameneyu akuti,
18“Iwalani zinthu zakale;
ndipo musaganizirenso zinthu zimene zinachitika kale.
19Taonani, Ine ndikuchita zinthu zatsopano!
Tsopano zayamba kale kuoneka; kodi simukuziona?
Ine ndikulambula msewu mʼchipululu
ndi kupanga mitsinje mʼdziko lowuma.
20Nyama zakuthengo, nkhandwe ndi akadzidzi
zinandilemekeza.
Ndidzayendetsa mitsinje mʼdziko lowuma
kuti ndiwapatse madzi anthu anga
osankhidwa.
21Anthu amene ndinadziwumbira ndekha
kuti aziyimba nyimbo yotamanda Ine.
22“Komatu simunapemphera kwa Ine, Inu a mʼbanja la Yakobo,
munatopa nane, Inu Aisraeli.
23Simunabweretse kwa Ine nkhosa za nsembe zopsereza,
kapena kundilemekeza ndi nsembe zanu.
Ine sindinakulemetseni pomakupemphani zopereka za chakudya
kapena kukutopetsani pomakupemphani nsembe zofukiza.
24Simunandigulire bango lonunkhira
kapena kundipatsa Ine mafuta okwanira a nsembe zanu.
Koma inu mwandilemetsa Ine ndi machimo anu
ndipo mwanditopetsa Ine ndi zolakwa zanu.
25“Ine, Inetu, ndi amene ndimafafaniza
zolakwa zanu, chifukwa cha Ine mwini,
ndipo sindidzakumbukiranso machimo anu.
26Mundikumbutse zakale,
ndipo titsutsane nkhaniyi pamodzi;
fotokozani mlandu wanu kuti muonetse kuti ndinu osalakwa.
27Kholo lanu loyamba linachimwa;
ndipo Atsogoleri anu achipembedzo anandiwukira.
28Chifukwa chake Ine ndidzanyazitsa akuluakulu a Nyumba yanu ya mapemphero,
ndipo ndidzapereka Yakobo kuti awonongedwe
ndi Israeli kuti achitidwe chipongwe.”
