Israel’s only Saviour
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 Saviour;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush43:3 That is, the upper Nile region and Seba in your stead.
4Since you are precious and honoured 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 saviour.
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 honour 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 honoured 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 offences.
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.
Mũhonokia wa Isiraeli
143:1 Isa 45:3-4; Kĩam 32:28No rĩrĩ, wee Jakubu, Jehova ũrĩa wakũũmbire,
o we ũcio watũmire ũgĩe ho,
wee Isiraeli, ekuuga atĩrĩ:
“Tiga gwĩtigĩra, nĩgũkorwo nĩ niĩ ngũkũũrĩte;
Ngwĩtĩte na rĩĩtwa rĩaku; wee ũrĩ wakwa.
243:2 Thab 66:12; Dan 3:25-27Rĩrĩa ũkũgerera maaĩ-inĩ ũkĩhĩtũkĩra kuo-rĩ,
ndĩrĩkoragwo hamwe nawe;
o na rĩrĩa ũkũringa njũũĩ-rĩ, itigagũtwara.
Rĩrĩa ũkũgerera mwaki-inĩ-rĩ, ndũgaagũcina;
ndũkarĩrĩmbũkĩrwo nĩ rũrĩrĩmbĩ rwaguo.
343:3 Thaam 20:2; Thab 68:31; Kĩam 10:7Nĩgũkorwo nĩ niĩ Jehova, Ngai waku,
o we Ũrĩa Mũtheru wa Isiraeli, Mũhonokia waku;
nĩheanĩte bũrũri wa Misiri ũtuĩke kĩndũ gĩa gũgũkũũra,
nakuo Kushi na Seba ngakũheana ithenya rĩaku.
4Tondũ wee ũrĩ wa goro mũno, na ũgatĩĩka maitho-inĩ makwa,
na tondũ nĩngwendete-rĩ,
nĩnganeana andũ nĩ ũndũ waku,
na neane ndũrĩrĩ nĩ ũndũ wa muoyo waku.
543:5 Kĩam 15:1; Thaam 14:22; Zek 8:7Tiga gwĩtigĩra, nĩgũkorwo ndĩ hamwe nawe;
nĩngakũrehere ciana ciaku kuuma mwena wa irathĩro,
na ngũcookanĩrĩrie kuuma mwena wa ithũĩro.
643:6 Thab 107:3; Gũcook 30:4Nĩngeera mwena wa gathigathini atĩrĩ, ‘Marekererie!’
na njĩĩre mwena wa gũthini atĩrĩ, ‘Tiga kũmagirĩrĩria.’
Ariũ akwa marehei moime kũndũ kũraya,
o nao airĩtu akwa marehei moime ituri-inĩ ciothe cia thĩ:
743:7 Jer 15:16; Thab 100:3arĩa othe metanĩtio na rĩĩtwa rĩakwa,
o acio ndoombire nĩgeetha riiri wakwa wonekage,
acio ndoombire, o acio wĩra wa moko makwa.”
843:8 Ezek 12:2Tongoriai andũ arĩa marĩ na maitho, no nĩ atumumu,
na andũ arĩa marĩ na matũ, no matiiguaga.
943:9 Isa 41:26Andũ a ndũrĩrĩ ciothe nĩmonganĩte hamwe,
nao andũ a mabũrũri makagomana.
Nĩ mũndũ ũrĩkũ wao warathire ũhoro ũyũ,
na agĩtwĩra maũndũ marĩa maarĩ ma tene?
Nĩmarehe aira ao moonanie atĩ ũhoro ũcio wao warĩ wa ma,
nĩguo andũ maũigua moige atĩrĩ, “Ũhoro ũcio nĩ wa ma.”
1043:10 Josh 24:22; Isa 44:6, 8“Inyuĩ nĩ inyuĩ aira akwa,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
“O na nĩ inyuĩ ndungata ciakwa iria thuurĩte
nĩgeetha mũmenye, na mũnjĩtĩkie,
na mũmenye atĩ niĩ nĩ niĩ ũrĩa we.
Mbere yakwa gũtirĩ ũngĩ wombĩtwo,
na gũtikagĩa ũngĩ thuutha wakwa.
11Niĩ-rĩ, o niĩ nĩ niĩ Jehova,
na gũtirĩ mũhonokia ũngĩ tiga niĩ.
1243:12 Gũcook 32:12Niĩ-rĩ, nĩnguũranĩirie ũhoro, na ngahonokania, na ngoimbũra:
Niĩ mwene, na ti ngai ngʼeni ĩrĩ thĩinĩ wanyu.
Tondũ ũcio, inyuĩ nĩ inyuĩ aira akwa atĩ niĩ nĩ niĩ Mũrungu,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
1343:13 Thab 90:2; Ndar 23:8“Ĩĩ, ti-itherũ, kuuma matukũ ma tene, niĩ nĩ niĩ ũrĩa we.
Gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũ ũngĩhota kũhonokia mũndũ kuuma guoko-inĩ gwakwa.
Rĩrĩa ndeka ũndũ-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota kũũgarũra?”
Tha cia Ngai, na Kwaga Wĩhokeku kwa Isiraeli
1443:14 Thaam 15:13; Isa 23:13Jehova, Mũhonokia wanyu,
o Ũrĩa Mũtheru wa Isiraeli, ekuuga atĩrĩ,
“Nĩngatũma mbũtũ ya ita yũkĩrĩre Babuloni nĩ ũndũ wanyu,
na ndehe andũ othe a Babuloni marĩ mĩgwate,
maikũrũkĩtio na marikabu iria makenagio nĩcio.
15Niĩ nĩ niĩ Jehova, Ũrĩa Mũtheru wanyu,
Mũũmbi wa Isiraeli, na Mũthamaki wanyu.”
1643:16 Isa 11:15; Thaam 14:29Ũũ nĩguo Jehova ekuuga,
o ũcio watemire njĩra iria-inĩ,
na agĩtema gacĩra kũndũ kũrĩa kwarĩ maaĩ marĩ hinya,
1743:17 Thab 118:12; Ayub 13:25ũrĩa waguucĩrĩirie ngaari cia ita o na mbarathi,
na mbũtũ cia ita, hamwe na anene a cio,
nao magĩkoma hau na maticooke kwarahũka rĩngĩ,
makĩhora biũ ta rũtambĩ rũhoretio.
18“Tigai kũririkana maũndũ marĩa mahĩtũkĩte;
o na tigai gwĩcũũrania maũndũ marĩa ma tene.
1943:19 2Akor 5:17; Thab 126:4Atĩrĩrĩ, nĩngwĩka ũndũ mwerũ!
Rĩu no hĩndĩ ũraakunũka; kaĩ inyuĩ mũtaraũmenya?
Ngwĩka atĩrĩ, nĩngũtema njĩra werũ-inĩ,
nakuo rũngʼũrĩ-inĩ ndũme gũtherũke tũrũũĩ.
20Nyamũ cia gĩthaka, ta mbwe na ndundu,
nĩciiheaga gĩtĩĩo,
tondũ nĩ niĩ heanaga maaĩ werũ-inĩ
o na rũngʼũrĩ-inĩ,
ngatũma kũgĩe na tũrũũĩ twa kũnyuuagwo nĩ andũ akwa,
andũ arĩa niĩ thuurĩte,
2143:21 Thab 102:18andũ arĩa ndeyũmbĩire,
nĩguo mahunjagie ũhoro wa ũgooci wakwa.
22“No rĩrĩ, wee Jakubu ndũrĩ wangaĩra,
nawe Isiraeli-rĩ, nĩkũnogio ũnogetio nĩ niĩ.
2343:23 Amos 5:25; Thaam 30:35Inyuĩ mũtindeheire ngʼondu cia maruta ma njino,
kana mũkandĩĩithia na magongona manyu.
Ndimũhatĩrĩirie na magongona ma mũtu,
kana ngamũnogia na kũmwĩtia ũbumba.
2443:24 Isa 1:14; Mal 2:17Mũtirĩ mwangũrĩra ũbumba ũrĩa ũrĩ mũtararĩko mwega,
o na kana mũkandutĩra maguta ma magongona manyu.
No rĩrĩ, mehia manyu nĩmanditũhĩire
na mũkaanogia na mawaganu manyu.
2543:25 2Sam 12:13; Luk 5:4“Niĩ, o niĩ mwene, nĩ niĩ tharagia mahĩtia maku, mathire biũ,
nĩ ũndũ wakwa Niĩ mwene,
na ngaaga kũririkana mehia manyu rĩngĩ.
2643:26 Isa 41:1Ta ndirikaniai maũndũ marĩa mahĩtũkĩte,
na mũreke tũmaarĩrĩrie tũrĩ hamwe;
ningĩ mũciire muonanie atĩ mũtiĩhĩtie.
2743:27 Kĩam 12:18Ithe wanyu wa mbere nĩehirie;
nao andũ arĩa maaragia ithenya rĩanyu makĩĩnemera.
2843:28 Ndar 5:27; Zek 5:3Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, nĩngaconorithia anene a hekarũ yanyu,
na ndũme Jakubu anangĩke,
o nake Isiraeli atuĩke wa kũnyararwo.
