Isaia 43
1 No 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.
But now, you people of Israel, listen to Yahweh, the one who established your nation. The one who caused you to become a nation [DOU] says this: “Do not be afraid, because I previously rescued you. I enabled you to have a personal relationship with me [MTY], and you belong to me.
2 Rĩrĩa 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.
When you [experience dangerous situations], and [you feel like] [MET] you are crossing deep rivers, I will be with you. When you have very big troubles/difficulties, you will [LIT] be able to endure them. When [people try to kill you like they tried to kill Daniel’s three friends by] throwing them in a fire, you will not [die, just like Daniel’s three friends were not] burned up,
3 Nĩgũkorwo 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.
because I am Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel, the one who rescues you. I will enable [the army of the emperor of Persia] to conquer Egypt instead of conquering you; similarly I will enable them to conquer Ethiopia, and Seba [in Arabia], in order that you can be saved.
4 Tondũ 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.
I will cause other countries to be conquered, instead of your country; I will trade them for you, in order that you will not be killed, because you are very precious [DOU] to me and because I love you.
5 Tiga gwĩtigĩra, nĩgũkorwo ndĩ hamwe nawe; nĩngakũrehere ciana ciaku kuuma mwena wa irathĩro, na ngũcookanĩrĩrie kuuma mwena wa ithũĩro.
Do not be afraid, because I am with you. [Some day] I will gather your descendants from the east and from the west.
6 Nĩngeera 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:
I will command the [rulers of the nations to] the north and to the south, ‘Allow all the people of Israel to return [to their country], from the most distant places on the earth.
7 arĩa othe metanĩtio na rĩĩtwa rĩakwa, o acio ndoombire nĩgeetha riiri wakwa wonekage, acio ndoombire, o acio wĩra wa moko makwa.”
Allow all those who belong to me [MTY] to return, because I have caused them to become a nation in order that they would honor me; I am the one who has done that [DOU].’
8 Tongoriai andũ arĩa marĩ na maitho, no nĩ atumumu, na andũ arĩa marĩ na matũ, no matiiguaga.
Summon the people who have eyes but [it is as though] they are blind; summon those who have ears but [because they do not listen to me, it is as though] they are deaf.
9 Andũ 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.”
Gather people of all nations together, ones from all people-groups, [and ask them this]: ‘Has any of their idols foretold the things that are happening now? And can any of them predict what will happen in the future?’ Then bring people who will testify and say ‘I heard them predict things, and what they predicted was what happened,’ [but they will be lying].”
10 “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.
But Yahweh says, “You people of Israel (are my witnesses/know what I have done), and you are the ones who serve me. I chose you in order that you would know me, believe in me, and understand that I am the only one who is [truly] God. There is no other [true] God. There was no other [true] God previously, and there will never be another [true] God.
11 Niĩ-rĩ, o niĩ nĩ niĩ Jehova, na gũtirĩ mũhonokia ũngĩ tiga niĩ.
I, [only] I, am Yahweh, and there is no other one who can save you.
12 Niĩ-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.
I said that I would rescue [your ancestors], and then I rescued them, and I proclaimed [that I had done it]. No foreign god among you did that! And you are witnesses that only I, Yahweh, am God.
13 “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?”
I am God, the one who has existed forever and who will exist forever; no one can snatch people from my hand, and no one can alter/change what I have done.”
14 Jehova, 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.
Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, is the one who rescues you; and this is what he says: “For your sake, I will send [an army] to [attack] Babylon. They will force the people of that city to flee in ships which they have been proud of.
15 Niĩ nĩ niĩ Jehova, Ũrĩa Mũtheru wanyu, Mũũmbi wa Isiraeli, na Mũthamaki wanyu.”
I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the one who caused Israel to become a nation, and the one who is really your king.
16 Ũũ nĩguo Jehova ekuuga, o ũcio watemire njĩra iria-inĩ, na agĩtema gacĩra kũndũ kũrĩa kwarĩ maaĩ marĩ hinya,
I am Yahweh, the one who opened a path through the water, making a road through the [Red] Sea.
17 ũrĩa 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.
Then I summoned the great army [of Egypt] to come with all their chariots and horses. [But when they tried to pursue my people], I caused the waves to flow over them [and they drowned]; their lives ended [like the light of a candle ends when someone] [MET] snuffs out the wick.
18 “Tigai kũririkana maũndũ marĩa mahĩtũkĩte; o na tigai gwĩcũũrania maũndũ marĩa ma tene.
But do not think [only] about what happened in the past, long ago [DOU].
19 Atĩrĩrĩ, nĩngwĩka ũndũ mwerũ! Rĩu no hĩndĩ ũraakunũka; kaĩ inyuĩ mũtaraũmenya? Ngwĩka atĩrĩ, nĩngũtema njĩra werũ-inĩ, nakuo rũngʼũrĩ-inĩ ndũme gũtherũke tũrũũĩ.
Instead, consider the new thing that I am going to do. I have already started to do it; can you see it? I am going to make a road through the desert. And I will cause there to be streams in the wasteland/desert.
20 Nyamũ 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,
The jackals/wolves and owls and other wild creatures will thank me for giving them water in the desert. I will cause streams to appear in the dry desert in order that my people, the ones whom I have chosen, will have water;
21 andũ arĩa ndeyũmbĩire, nĩguo mahunjagie ũhoro wa ũgooci wakwa.
I will do that for the people whom I have created [and chosen] to belong to me, and [some day] they will cause many others to praise me.
22 “No rĩrĩ, wee Jakubu ndũrĩ wangaĩra, nawe Isiraeli-rĩ, nĩkũnogio ũnogetio nĩ niĩ.
But now, you descendants of Jacob, you refuse to request my help. It seems that you people of Israel have become tired of worshiping me.
23 Inyuĩ mũtindeheire ngʼondu cia maruta ma njino, kana mũkandĩĩithia na magongona manyu. Ndimũhatĩrĩirie na magongona ma mũtu, kana ngamũnogia na kũmwĩtia ũbumba.
You have not brought to me sheep or goats for offerings that will be completely burned [on the altar]; you have not honored me by [bringing to me any] sacrifices, even though the offerings of grain and incense [that I asked you] to bring to me were not a burden to you.
24 Mũtirĩ mwangũrĩra ũbumba ũrĩa ũrĩ mũtararĩko mwega, o na kana mũkandutĩra maguta ma magongona manyu. No rĩrĩ, mehia manyu nĩmanditũhĩire na mũkaanogia na mawaganu manyu.
You have bought for me fragrant reeds, and you have brought me the fat from your sacrifices. But these have not pleased me, because you have burdened me by all the sins that you have committed, and made me weary because of all (your iniquities/the wrong things that you have done).
25 “Niĩ, o niĩ mwene, nĩ niĩ tharagia mahĩtia maku, mathire biũ, nĩ ũndũ wakwa Niĩ mwene, na ngaaga kũririkana mehia manyu rĩngĩ.
I am the one who is able to forgive you for all your sins; I am the only one who can do that, with the result that I will never think about them again.
26 Ta ndirikaniai maũndũ marĩa mahĩtũkĩte, na mũreke tũmaarĩrĩrie tũrĩ hamwe; ningĩ mũciire muonanie atĩ mũtiĩhĩtie.
Tell me what I have done that you do not like. Do you think that when you state your case, you will prove that you (are innocent/have done nothing wrong) [IRO]?
27 Ithe wanyu wa mbere nĩehirie; nao andũ arĩa maaragia ithenya rĩanyu makĩĩnemera.
No, [what has happened is that] the first ancestor of you Israelis sinned [against me], and since then, all your leaders have rebelled against me.
28 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, nĩngaconorithia anene a hekarũ yanyu, na ndũme Jakubu anangĩke, o nake Isiraeli atuĩke wa kũnyararwo.
That is why I have caused your priests to be disgraced; and I have allowed others to destroy you people of Israel and caused you to be despised.”
