Isaia 49
1 Atĩrĩrĩ, inyuĩ mũtũũraga icigĩrĩra-inĩ ta thikĩrĩriai; o na inyuĩ andũ a mabũrũri ma kũraya ta iguai: Jehova aanjĩtire itarĩ mũciare; ndĩ o nda ya maitũ nĩguo aanjĩtire na rĩĩtwa rĩakwa.
All you people who live on islands [in the ocean] and in other distant areas, pay attention [DOU] to what I will say! Yahweh called/chose me before I was born; he chose/appointed me when I was still in my mother’s womb.
2 Nĩatũmire kanua gakwa gatuĩke ta rũhiũ rũũgĩ rwa njora, na akĩĩhitha kĩĩruru-inĩ gĩa guoko gwake; agĩĩthondeka ta mũguĩ mũnyoroku, na akĩĩhitha thiaka-inĩ wake.
[When I grew up], he caused my messages to be like [SIM] a sharp sword. He has protected me with his hand [SYN]. [He protects me] [MET] like someone protects sharp arrows in a quiver.
3 Agĩcooka akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Wee Isiraeli, nĩwe ndungata yakwa, andũ nĩmarĩngoocaga nĩ ũndũ waku.”
He said to me, “You will serve my Israeli [people], and you will cause people to honor me.”
4 No ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Niĩ ndutĩte wĩra wa tũhũ; hũthĩrĩte hinya wakwa wothe nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ matarĩ kĩguni na ma tũhũ. No rĩrĩ, ũhoro wakwa wa gũtuĩrwo ciira na kĩhooto uumaga harĩ Jehova, narĩo irĩhi rĩakwa rĩrĩ na Ngai wakwa.”
I replied, “My work has been useless; I have used my strength, but I have accomplished nothing worthwhile; everything that I have done has been (in vain/useless). However, Yahweh can honor me as he pleases; my God is the one who will reward me [as I deserve].”
5 Na rĩu-rĩ, Jehova ũrĩa wanyũũmbire ndĩ nda ya maitũ nduĩke ndungata yake, nĩguo hũndũre Jakubu, ndĩmũcookie harĩ we, na njookanĩrĩrie Isiraeli harĩ we, nĩgũkorwo ndĩ mũtĩĩku maitho-inĩ ma Jehova, na Ngai wakwa agakorwo arĩ hinya wakwa,
Yahweh formed me when I was in [my mother’s] womb in order that I would serve him; he appointed me to bring [the people of] Israel back to himself [DOU]. Yahweh has honored me, and he is the one who has caused me to be strong.
6 Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Nĩ ũndũ mũhũthũ harĩwe gũtuĩka ndungata yakwa, ya gũcookereria mĩhĩrĩga ya Jakubu, na kũhũndũra matigari ma Isiraeli marĩa ndĩĩtigĩirie. Ningĩ nĩngatũma ũtuĩke ũtheri wa gũtherera andũ a ndũrĩrĩ, nĩgeetha ũtware ũhonokio wakwa ituri-inĩ ciothe cia thĩ.”
He says to me, “It is not enough for you to serve me by bringing the descendants of Jacob back to worship me again [DOU]; I also want you to be like [MET] a light for the non-Jews; I want you to take my [my message] about how to be saved to [people] all over the world.”
7 Jehova, Mũkũũri wa Isiraeli, o we Ũrĩa Mũtheru wa Isiraeli, ekwarĩria ũrĩa mũnyarare na agathũũrwo nĩ ndũrĩrĩ, akeera ũrĩa ndungata ya aathani atĩrĩ, “Athamaki marĩkuonaga magakũrũgamĩra, aanake a athamaki makuona magakũinamĩrĩra, nĩ ũndũ wa Jehova, ũcio mwĩhokeku, o we Ũrĩa Mũtheru wa Isiraeli, ũrĩa ũgũthuurĩte.”
Yahweh, the one who saves us, the Holy God of us Israeli [people], says to the one who was despised and rejected by the [people of many] nations, the one who is the slave of rulers, “[Some day] kings will stand up to respect you when they see you, and princes will bow down before you because [you serve] me, Yahweh, the one who faithfully [does what I promise]. I am the Holy God to whom you Israelis belong, the one who has chosen you.”
8 Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Hĩndĩ ya gwĩtĩkĩrĩka, nĩngagũcookeria ũhoro, naguo mũthenya wa kũhonokania, nĩngagũteithia; nĩndĩkũmenyagĩrĩra, na nĩngũkũheana ũtuĩke wa kũrĩkanĩra kĩrĩkanĩro na andũ anyu gĩa kũmacookeria bũrũri, na ũtũme megwatĩre igai rĩa kũndũ kũrĩa gwatigirwo gũkirĩte ihooru,
This is also what Yahweh says: “At a time when it pleases me, I will answer your prayers. On the day when you will be rescued [from your oppressors], I will help you. I will protect you and enable you to establish an agreement with other nations. And by what you do, I will re-establish your nation of Israel and allow you to live/settle again in your land that was abandoned.
9 na ningĩ wĩre andũ arĩa mohetwo atĩrĩ, ‘Thiĩi, nĩmuohorwo,’ nao arĩa maikarĩte nduma-inĩ ũmeere atĩrĩ, ‘Umĩrai ũtheri-inĩ!’ “Makaarĩithagio mĩkĩra-inĩ ya njĩra, na moonage gĩa kũrĩa tũrĩma-inĩ tuothe tũrĩa tũtarĩ kĩndũ.
I will say to those who were captured [and (exiled/taken to Babylonia)], ‘Leave [Babylonia] and return to your own country!’ And I will say to those who are in dark prisons, ‘Come out into the light!’ When that happens, they will again be like [MET] sheep that eat grass in green pastures, on hills where [previously] there was no grass.
10 Matikaahũũta kana manyoote, kana macinwo nĩ ũrugarĩ wa werũ-inĩ o na kana mahĩe nĩ riũa. Nĩgũkorwo ũrĩa ũmaiguagĩra tha nĩwe ũkaamoonia njĩra na amatongoragie amatware ithima-inĩ cia maaĩ.
They will not be hungry or thirsty [any more]; the hot sun will not beat upon them again [DOU]. I, Yahweh, will act mercifully toward them and lead them; I will lead them to where there are springs of cool water.
11 Nĩngatũma kũgĩe njĩra irĩma-inĩ ciakwa ciothe, nacio barabara ciakwa iria njariĩ ciambatĩrio na igũrũ.
And I will cause the mountains to become [as though they were] level roads, and I will prepare good highways [for my people to travel on, to return to Jerusalem].
12 Atĩrĩrĩ, magooka moimĩte kũndũ kũraya: amwe makoima gathigathini, na amwe moime ithũĩro, na arĩa angĩ moime rũgongo rũa Sinimu.”
My people will return from far away; some will come from the north, some from the west, some from southern Egypt.”
13 Wee igũrũ, anĩrĩra nĩ gũkena; nawe thĩ ũcanjamũke, na inyuĩ irĩma-rĩ, inai rwĩmbo! Nĩgũkorwo Jehova nĩahooreretie andũ ake, nao andũ ake arĩa anyariire akamaiguĩra tha.
[Because of what Yahweh has promised to do], everything should shout joyfully— the sky and the earth and the mountains should sing, because Yahweh comforts his people, and he will pity those who are suffering.
14 No rĩrĩ, Zayuni oigire atĩrĩ, “Jehova nĩandiganĩirie, Mwathani nĩariganĩirwo nĩ niĩ.”
[The people of] Jerusalem say, “Yahweh has abandoned us; he has forgotten about us.”
15 “Nyina wa mwana-rĩ, no ariganĩrwo nĩ mwana ũrĩa arongithia, na aage kũiguĩra tha mwana ũrĩa aciarĩte? Hihi no kũhoteke ariganĩrwo, no niĩ ndikaariganĩrwo nĩwe!
But [Yahweh replies], “That is not true! (Can a woman forget the infant that she is nursing?/A woman certainly cannot forget the infant that she is nursing!) [RHQ] (Can she stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth?/She certainly cannot stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth!) [RHQ] But even if a woman would do that, I will not forget you!
16 Atĩrĩrĩ, ngururĩte mũhiano waku hĩ-inĩ ciakwa, nacio thingo ciaku ikoragwo mbere yakwa hĩndĩ ciothe.
Note that I have written your [names] on the palms of my hands; in my mind I can always see the walls of your city.
17 Ariũ aku mahiũhĩte magĩcookaga kũrĩ we, nao arĩa makwanangĩte nĩmarakũũrĩra.
Soon your children will be returning there (OR, Those who rebuild your city will work more quickly than those who destroyed it), and all those who destroyed your city will leave.
18 Tiira maitho maku wĩrorere kũndũ guothe; ariũ aku othe maracookanĩrĩra hamwe moke harĩwe.” Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa niĩ ndũũraga muoyo-rĩ, ũkaamehumba othe ta mathaga; ũkaamehumba o ta ũrĩa mũhiki egemagia na mathaga make.
You will look around and see all of your children coming back to you. As surely as I live, they will be around you [for you to show to people] like [SIM] a bride shows her wedding ornaments!
19 “O na gũtuĩka nĩwanangĩtwo ũgakira ihooru, o naguo bũrũri waku ũkonũhwo-rĩ, bũrũri ũcio nĩũkanyiiha wage kũiganĩra andũ arĩa matũũraga kuo, nao arĩa magũtambuurangĩte magaakorwo maingatĩtwo magathiĩ haraaya nawe.
Your land has been ruined and caused to become desolate/abandoned [DOU], but [some day] it will be filled with people, and those who conquered you will be far away.
20 Ciana iria ciaciarĩirwo bũrũri ũrĩa watahĩirwo, ikoiga ũkĩiguaga atĩrĩ, ‘Bũrũri ũyũ nĩ mũnini, ndũngĩtũigana, tũhe kũndũ kũngĩ gwa gũtũũra.’
The children who were born while you were (exiled/in Babylonia) [MET] will return [to Jerusalem] and say, ‘This city is too small for us; We need more space to live in!’
21 Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩũkeyũria na ngoro yaku atĩrĩ, ‘Nũũ wanjiarĩire ciana ici, kuona atĩ nĩndakuĩrĩirwo nĩ ciana ciakwa, ngĩtigwo ta ndĩ thaata; ndaarĩ mũtahe na ngamenwo. Nũũ warerire ciana ici? Niĩ ndatigirwo nyiki, no rĩrĩ, ciana ici ciumĩte nakũ?’”
Then you will think to yourselves [MTY], ‘It is amazing that we have [RHQ] all these children! Most of our children were dead, and the rest were exiled. We were left here alone; so we do not know [RHQ] where all these children have come from! Who raised them?'”
22 Mwathani Jehova ekuuga ũũ: “Atĩrĩrĩ, nĩngeeta ndũrĩrĩ, njooke nyambararie bendera yakwa kũrĩ andũ a mabũrũri; nao nĩmakarehe ariũ aku mamakuuĩte na moko, na makuue airĩtu aku na ciande ciao.
This is what Yahweh our God says: “Watch! [It is as though] I will lift up my hand to signal to those who are not Israelis. And they will carry your little sons and daughters on their shoulders and bring them back to you.
23 Athamaki nĩo magaatuĩka mathoguo ma gũkũrera, na atumia ao matuĩke ta aa maitũguo a gũkũrera. Nĩmagakũinamĩrĩra maturumithĩtie mothiũ mao thĩ, na nĩmagacũna rũkũngũ rũrĩa rũrĩ magũrũ-inĩ maku. Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩũkamenya atĩ niĩ nĩ niĩ Jehova; arĩa manjĩhokaga matigaaconoka.”
Kings will serve you and will tutor/teach your children, and their queens will take care of your young children. They will prostrate themselves in front of you and [humble themselves by] licking the dust off your feet. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do]; and those who trust in me will never be disappointed.”
24 Anga njamba ĩrĩ hinya no ĩtunywo indo iria itahĩte, o na kana andũ arĩa maanyiitĩtwo mahonokio kuuma kũrĩ andũ karaũ?
There is no one [RHQ] who can snatch valuable things from a soldier who has captured those things [in a war]; there is no one [RHQ] who can force a (tyrant/cruel man) to free the people whom he has captured.
25 No rĩrĩ, Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Ĩĩ, njamba cia ita nĩigatunywo andũ arĩa ciohete mĩgwate, na indo iria itahĩtwo itunyanwo kuuma kũrĩ andũ arĩa karaũ; nĩngahũũrana na andũ arĩa mahũũranaga nawe, na nĩngahonokia ciana cianyu.
But Yahweh says this: “[Some day], those who have been captured will be freed, and the valuable things that (tyrants/cruel men) have snatched from others will be returned, because I will fight against those who fight against you, and I will rescue your children.
26 Nĩngatũma andũ arĩa makũhinyagĩrĩria marĩe nyama cia mĩĩrĩ yao; makaarĩĩo nĩ thakame yao ene o ta marĩĩtwo nĩ njoohi. Nao andũ othe nĩmakamenya, atĩ niĩ, Jehova, nĩ niĩ Mũhonokia waku, na Mũkũũri waku, o niĩ Ũrĩa Mwene-Hinya wa Jakubu.”
And I will cause your enemies to destroy themselves [MET] instead of murdering others. When that happens, everyone [in the world] will know that I, Yahweh, am the one who saves you, the one who rescues you from your enemies; everyone will know that I am the mighty God to whom [you descendants of] [MTY] Jacob belong.”
