Israel the Chosen
1“But now listen, Jacob, my servant,
Israel, whom I have chosen.
2This is what the Lord says—
he who made you, who formed you in the womb,
and who will help you:
Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant,
Jeshurun,44:2 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel. whom I have chosen.
3For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
like poplar trees by flowing streams.
5Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and will take the name Israel.
The Lord, Not Idols
6“This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God.
7Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let them foretell what will come.
8Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
9All who make idols are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.
Those who would speak up for them are blind;
they are ignorant, to their own shame.
10Who shapes a god and casts an idol,
which can profit nothing?
11People who do that will be put to shame;
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.
12The blacksmith takes a tool
and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
he forges it with the might of his arm.
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.
13The carpenter measures with a line
and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.
14He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.
15It is used as fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.
16Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”
17From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
“Save me! You are my god!”
18They know nothing, they understand nothing;
their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
20Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
21“Remember these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
Israel, I will not forget you.
22I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you.”
23Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.
Jerusalem to Be Inhabited
24“This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,
who spreads out the earth by myself,
25who foils the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,
who overthrows the learning of the wise
and turns it into nonsense,
26who carries out the words of his servants
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’
27who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up your streams,’
28who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd
and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,”
and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.” ’
Israeli Aliyechaguliwa
144:1 Yer 30:10; Isa 41:8-10; Mwa 16:11; Isa 14:1“Lakini sasa sikiliza, ee Yakobo, mtumishi wangu,
Israeli, niliyemchagua.
244:2 Hes 23:21; Kum 32:15; Za 149:2; 139:13; Isa 41:10; Yer 30:10; 46:27Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana,
yeye aliyekuhuluku, aliyekuumba tumboni,
yeye atakayekusaidia:
Usiogope, ee Yakobo, mtumishi wangu,
Yeshuruni,44:2 Yeshuruni hapa maana yake ni Yeye aliye mnyofu, yaani Israeli (ona pia Kum 32:15). niliyekuchagua.
344:3 Yn 4:10; Yoe 3:18; Isa 65:23; Yoe 2:28; Yn 7:37-39; Mit 9:5; Eze 36:27Kwa maana nitamimina maji juu ya nchi yenye kiu,
na vijito vya maji juu ya ardhi iliyokauka;
nitamimina Roho wangu juu ya watoto wako,
nayo baraka yangu juu ya wazao wako.
444:4 Law 23:40; Ay 40:22; 5:25; Za 72:16Nao watachipua kama manyasi katika shamba la majani,
kama mierezi kando ya vijito vya maji yatiririkayo.
544:5 Kut 13:9; Neh 9:38; Zek 13:9; 14:16; 8:20-22; Yer 50:5Mmoja atasema, ‘Mimi ni wa Bwana’;
mwingine atajiita kwa jina la Yakobo;
vilevile mwingine ataandika juu ya mkono wake, ‘Wa Bwana,’
na kujiita kwa jina la Israeli.
Ni Bwana, Siyo Sanamu
644:6 Ay 19:25; Isa 41:4; Ufu 22:13; Isa 43:10; 1Nya 17:20“Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana,
Mfalme wa Israeli na Mkombozi,
Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote:
Mimi ni wa kwanza na Mimi ni wa mwisho;
zaidi yangu hakuna Mungu.
744:7 Kum 32:39; Isa 41:22-26Ni nani basi aliye kama mimi? Yeye na atangaze.
Yeye atangaze na kuweka mbele yangu
ni kitu gani kilichotokea tangu nilipoumba watu wangu wa kale,
tena ni nini kitakachotokea:
naam, yeye na atoe unabii ni nini kitakachokuja.
844:8 Isa 43:10; Mwa 49:24; Kum 4:35; Isa 42:9Msitetemeke, msiogope.
Je, sikutangaza hili, na kutoa unabii tangu zamani?
Ninyi ni mashahidi wangu.
Je, yuko Mungu zaidi yangu mimi?
Hasha, hakuna Mwamba mwingine;
mimi simjui mwingine.”
944:9 Isa 41:24; Kum 4:28; Kut 20:4; Law 19:4; Isa 40:19; 1:29; Yer 22:22Wote wachongao sanamu ni ubatili,
navyo vitu wanavyovithamini havifai kitu.
Wale ambao wanazitetea ni vipofu,
ni wajinga, nao waaibika.
1044:10 Yer 10:5; Mdo 19:24; Isa 41:29Ni nani atengenezaye mungu na kusubu sanamu,
ambayo haiwezi kumfaidia kitu chochote?
1144:11 2Fal 19:18; Isa 42:17; 37:19; 1:29Yeye pamoja na wenziwe wa aina yake wataaibishwa,
mafundi wao si kitu ila ni wanadamu tu.
Wote wakusanyike pamoja na kuwa na msimamo wao,
watashushwa chini kwa hofu na kwa fedheha.
1244:12 Isa 40:19; 54:16; Yer 10:3-5; Mdo 17:29; Isa 41:6-7; 40:28Muhunzi huchukua kifaa
na kukifanyia kazi kwenye makaa ya moto,
hutengeneza sanamu kwa nyundo,
huifanyiza kwa nguvu za mkono wake.
Huona njaa na kupoteza nguvu zake,
asipokunywa maji huzimia.
1344:13 Isa 41:7; Za 115:4-7; Amu 17:4-5Seremala hupima kwa kutumia kamba
na huuchora mstari kwa kalamu;
huchonga kwa patasi
na kutia alama kwa bikari.
Huifanyiza katika umbo la binadamu,
la mwanadamu katika utukufu wake wote,
ili iweze kukaa katika sehemu yake ya ibada ya miungu.
1444:14 Isa 41; 19Hukata miti ya mierezi,
huchukua mtiriza au mwaloni.
Huuacha ukue miongoni mwa miti ya msituni,
au hupanda msunobari, nayo mvua huufanya ukue.
1544:15 Ufu 9:20; 2Nya 25:14Ni kuni ya binadamu:
yeye huchukua baadhi yake na kuota moto,
huwasha moto na kuoka mkate.
Lakini pia huutumia kumtengeneza mungu na akamwabudu,
huitengeneza sanamu na kuisujudia.
1644:16 Isa 47:14Sehemu ya kuni huziweka motoni,
akapikia chakula chake,
hubanika nyama na kula hadi ashibe.
Huota moto na kusema,
“Aha! Ninahisi joto, ninaona moto.”
1744:17 1Fal 18:26; Amu 10:14; Isa 47:15; Kut 20:5; Isa 45:20; 46:7Mabaki yake hutengeneza mungu, sanamu yake;
yeye huisujudia na kuiabudu.
Huiomba na kusema,
“Niokoe; wewe ni mungu wangu.”
1844:18 Isa 16:12; Yer 4:22; Isa 29:10; Rum 11:8-10; Isa 6:9-10; Yer 10:8, 14-15Hawajui chochote, hawaelewi chochote,
macho yao yamefungwa hata hawawezi kuona,
akili zao zimefungwa hata hawawezi kufahamu.
1944:19 Isa 45:20; Kum 27:15; Isa 5:13; 27:11; 40:20Hakuna anayefikiri,
hakuna mwenye maarifa wala ufahamu wa kusema,
“Sehemu yake nilitumia kwa kuni;
hata pia nilioka mkate juu ya makaa yake,
nikabanika nyama na kuila.
Je, nifanye machukizo kwa kile kilichobaki?
Je, nisujudie gogo la mti?”
2044:20 Hos 4:12; Ay 15:31; 2Tim 3:13; Rum 1:25; Za 102; 9; 2The 2:11; Kum 4:28Hujilisha kwa majivu, moyo uliodanganyika humpotosha;
hawezi kujiokoa mwenyewe, au kusema,
“Je, kitu hiki kilichoko katika mkono wangu wa kuume si ni uongo?”
2144:21 Isa 46:8; Zek 10:9; Za 27:10; Yer 31:20; Isa 49:15; 27:11“Ee Yakobo, kumbuka mambo haya,
ee Israeli, kwa kuwa wewe ni mtumishi wangu.
Nimekuumba wewe, wewe ni mtumishi wangu.
Ee Israeli, sitakusahau.
2244:22 2Nya 6:21; Mdo 3:19; Mt 20:28; Mal 3:7; 2Sam 12:13; Ay 22:23; 1Kor 6:20Nimeyafuta makosa yako kama wingu,
dhambi zako kama ukungu wa asubuhi.
Nirudie mimi,
kwa kuwa nimekukomboa wewe.”
2344:23 Za 98:4; Isa 42:10; Za 98:8; Yer 30:19; Isa 12:6; 1Nya 16:31; Za 65:13; Kut 16:7Enyi mbingu, imbeni kwa furaha,
kwa maana Bwana amefanya jambo hili.
Ee vilindi vya dunia, piga kelele.
Enyi milima, pazeni sauti kwa nyimbo,
enyi misitu na miti yenu yote,
kwa maana Bwana amemkomboa Yakobo,
ameuonyesha utukufu wake katika Israeli.
Yerusalemu Kukaliwa
2444:24 Ay 19:25; Isa 43:15; 42:5; Za 139:13“Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana,
Mkombozi wako, aliyekuumba tumboni:
“Mimi ni Bwana,
niliyeumba vitu vyote,
niliyezitanda mbingu peke yangu,
niliyeitandaza nchi mwenyewe,
2544:25 Law 19:26; Ay 5:13; 2Sam 15:31; 1Kor 1:19-20, 27; Za 33:10; 1Sam 6:2; Isa 47:13“mimi huzipinga ishara za manabii wa uongo,
na kuwatia upumbavu waaguzi,
niyapinduaye maarifa ya wenye hekima,
na kuyafanya kuwa upuzi,
2644:26 Zek 1:6; Isa 59:21; Mt 5:18; Ezr 9:9; Isa 46:10; Yer 23:20; 39:16niyathibitishaye maneno ya watumishi wake,
na kutimiza utabiri wa wajumbe wake,
“niambiaye Yerusalemu, ‘Itakaliwa na watu,’
niambiaye miji ya Yuda kuwa, ‘Itajengwa,’
na kuhusu magofu yake, ‘Mimi nitayatengeneza,’
2744:27 Isa 11:15; 19:5; Ufu 16:12niambiaye kilindi cha maji, ‘Kauka,
nami nitakausha vijito vyako,’
2844:28 2Nya 36:22-23; Ezr 1:2-4; Isa 14:32; 41:2; 28:16; 58:12nisemaye kuhusu Koreshi, ‘Yeye ni mchungaji wangu,
naye atatimiza yote yanipendezayo;
atauambia Yerusalemu, “Ukajengwe tena,”
na kuhusu Hekalu, “Misingi yake na iwekwe.” ’
