Aịzaya 44
1 “Ma ugbu a, gee ntị gị Jekọb, bụ ohu m, geekwanụ ntị, unu ndị Izrel m họpụtara.
But now, you people of Israel whom Yahweh has chosen to serve him, listen to me.
2 Nke a bụ ihe Onyenwe anyị na-ekwu, bụ onye kere unu, onye kpụrụ unu nʼime nʼafọ, na onye ga-enyere unu aka: Atụla egwu, gị Jekọb, ohu m, atụkwala egwu gị Jeshurun, onye nke m họpụtara.
Yahweh, the one who created you and helps you, says this: “You dear people of Israel whom I have chosen, you who serve me, do not be afraid.
3 Nʼihi na aga m eme ka ala ahụ kpọrọ nkụ nweta mmiri, mee ka mmiri na-asọgharị nʼala ahụ akpịrị na-akpọ nkụ. Aga m awụkwasị ụmụ ụmụ unu Mmụọ m, meekwa ka ngọzị m dịrị ha.
I will pour water on your dry land and cause streams to flow. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and greatly bless them.
4 Ha ga-etopụta etopụta dịka ahịhịa a gbara mmiri, e, dịka osisi pọpla nʼakụkụ iyi jupụtara na mmiri.
They will grow up like [SIM] grass grows along the water, like [SIM] willow/poplar [trees] grow well along a riverbank.
5 Ha ga-eji nganga sị, ‘Abụ m nke Onyenwe anyị,’ maọbụ ‘Abụ m nwa nwa Jekọb,’ ebe ndị ọzọ ga-edepụta nʼaka ha, ‘Nke Onyenwe anyị ka m bụ,’ ha ga-agụkwa onwe ha Izrel.
Some of them will say, ‘I belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say, ‘We are descendants of Jacob,’ and others will write on their hands, ‘We belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say, ‘We are Israelis.’”
6 “Nke a bụ ihe Onyenwe anyị na-ekwu, onye bụ Eze Izrel na Onye mgbapụta ya, Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile: Mụ onwe bụ Mmalite na Ọgwụgwụ; ọ dịkwaghị Chineke ọzọ dị ma ewezuga m.
Yahweh, the King of Israel, the one who saves us, the Commander of the armies of angels, says this: “I am the one who begins everything and who ends everything; there is no other God.
7 Ọ bụkwa onye dị ka m? Ya kwupụta ya. Ya kwupụta ya, doo ya nʼusoro ka ntị nụrụ! Ya kwupụta ihe niile mere kemgbe m mere ka ndị m guzosie ike. Ya kwupụtakwa, ma dokwaa ha nʼusoro, ihe niile na-aga ime nʼoge dị nʼihu.
If there is anyone like me [RHQ], he should proclaim it! He should speak and tell me [now]! He should tell what has happened since I caused my people [of Israel] to become a nation long ago, and he should also tell what things will happen; he should predict what will happen in the future.
8 Unu atụla egwu. Unu amakwala jijiji. Ọ bụ na m akọpụtaghị ihe ndị a ma kwupụta ha nʼoge gara aga. Unu onwe unu bụ ndị akaebe m. Ọ dị chi ọzọ dị ma e wezuga m? Mba! O nweghị Oke nkume ọzọ dị, nke m maara ihe banyere ya.”
[My people], do not be afraid. Long ago I told you things that would happen [RHQ]; I predicted them, and you can testify that I did that. There certainly is not [RHQ] any other God. There is no other God who is able to protect you [MET]; I know that there is no other God!”
9 Ndị a niile na-apị arụsị bụ ndị nzuzu. Chi ndị ahụ niile ha na-agụ dị ka ihe ukwu bụkwa ihe na-enweghị isi. Ndị niile na-akpọ isiala nye chi ndị a bụ ndị kpuru ìsì, na ndị amamihe kọrọ, ndị ihere ga-emekwa.
All those who make idols are foolish, and the idols that they (think highly of/greatly respect) are worthless. And the people who worship those idols— [it is as though] they are blind, and they will be ashamed [for having worshiped those idols].
10 Ọ baghị uru mmadụ ịkpụrụ onwe ya arụsị maọbụ chi a pịrị apị, nke na-apụghị inyere ya aka nʼụzọ ọbụla?
Only [foolish people] [RHQ] would make idols in a mold, idols that would never help them at all.
11 Lee ihere ga-eme ndị niile na-akpọ isiala nye ya. Ndị kpụrụ ha bụ naanị ndị mmadụ. Ka ha niile chịkọta onwe ha, guzo, nwee mkpebi ha, ha ga-anọ nʼọnọdụ nʼihere, na nʼoke egwu.
Those who make idols and those who worship them will be ashamed. Those who make idols are only human beings, [but they claim that they are making gods]! They should stand in front of God in a court, and [when they hear what he says], they will be terrified, and they will all be disgraced.
12 Ọkpụ ụzụ na-ewere ngwa ọrụ ya na-ahụ ya nʼime icheku ọkụ, ọ na-eji mkpirisi igwe onye ọka tipịa ya nʼụdịdị arụsị, ọ bụ ike nke ogwe aka ya ka o ji akpụ ụzụ. Agụ na-agụ ya, ike na-agwụsịkwa ya; ọ ṅụghị mmiri ọbụla, ọ na-adakwa mba.
Metalworkers stand in front of hot coals in order to make idols. They pound them strongly with hammers, and shape them. Because they work very hard, they become hungry and weak; they become very thirsty and feel exhausted.
13 Onye ọka osisi na-esite nʼeriri ọtụtụ tụpụta osisi were pensụlụ kaa ya; ọ na-ewere ngwa ọrụ ya kpụchaa osisi ahụ, were ngwa ọrụ ịka akara, kaa ya akara. Ọ na-arụ ya dịka oyiyi mmadụ, oyiyi mmadụ nʼịma mma ya niile, maka ibi nʼime ụlọ arụsị.
Then a woodcarver takes a big block/piece of wood and he measures it; then he marks it to show where he will cut it. He uses a chisel and other tools to carve it to resemble a human. He causes it to become a very beautiful [idol], and then he puts it in a shrine.
14 Ọ na-egbutu osisi sida dị iche iche, maọbụ osisi saipres ma ọ bụkwa osisi ook. Ọ na-ahapụ ya ka o too nʼetiti osisi dị iche iche nke oke ọhịa, maọbụ kụọ osisi fịa, nke mmiri ozuzo na-eme ka o too nke ọma.
[Before he carves an idol from that block of wood], he has cut down a cedar tree, or he has selected a cypress tree or an oak tree and allowed it to grow tall in the forest. Or, he has planted a pine/evergreen tree and the rain has watered it [and caused it to grow tall].
15 Ọ bụkwa nkụ ka eji ya e mere; ụfọdụ ka ọ na-ewere nya ọkụ, ọ na-eji ya afụnwu ọkụ ghee achịcha. Sitekwa na ya pịa chi, kpuo ihu nʼala nye ya; ọ na-emekwa arụsị apịrị apị, kpọọ isiala nye ya.
[And after he uses part of the tree to make an idol], he uses the other part of the tree to make a fire, either to warm himself or to bake bread. But he uses [part of the same tree] to make for himself an idol to worship! He makes an idol and then he bows down to worship it.
16 Ọkara nʼime osisi ndị a ka o ji emenwu ọkụ; nʼelu ya kwa ka ọ na-esi nri ya, ọ na-ahụnye anụ, were tajuo afọ ya. Nkụ ahụ ka o ji anya ọkụ na-asị, “Ahaa, ahụ ekpola m ọkụ; ahụla m ọkụ.”
He burns part of the wood of the tree to cook his meat and eats the meat and his stomach becomes full, and he burns part of the wood to warm his body, and he says, “I feel warm while I am watching the flames in the fire.”
17 Ihe fọdụrụ nʼime osisi ahụ ka ọ na-ewere kwaara onwe ya arụsị a pịrị apị; Ọ na-ada nʼala nʼihu ya, fee ya ofufe. Ọ na-ekpekwara ya ekpere na-asị, “Biko, Zọpụta m, nʼihi na chi m ka ị bụ!”
Then he takes the rest of the wood and makes an idol which is his god. He bows down to it and worships it, and prays to it and says, “You are my god, so save me!”
18 Ha amaghị ihe ọbụla; ha adịghị aghọtakwa, nʼihi na-emechiela anya ha ka ha ghara ịhụ ụzọ, mechiekwa uche ha, ka ha ghara ịghọta.
Those people are very stupid and ignorant [SAR]. [It is as though] they are blind and cannot see, and their minds are closed and they cannot think well.
19 Ọ dịghị onye na-anọdụ chee echiche, ọ dịghịkwa onye nwere ihe ọmụma maọbụ nghọta ị sị, “Ụfọdụ nʼime osisi a ka m ji kwanye ọkụ, Ọ bụladị ghee achịcha nʼelu icheku ọkụ ya, ejikwa m ụfọdụ nʼime ya hụọ anụ m tara. M ga-esite na nke fọdụrụ mepụta ihe rụrụ arụ? Ọ bụ ogwe osisi ka m ga-akpọ isiala nye?”
They do not think about what they are doing, that they are taking a block of wood and burning half of it to warm themselves and using some of the rest to bake bread and roast some meat! [They do not say to themselves], “It is stupid [RHQ] to take the rest of the wood to make a detestable idol! It does not make sense to bow down to a block of wood!”
20 Onye na-adịghị eche ụdị echiche a bụ onye nzuzu, nke na-eji ntụ si nʼebe a kwanyere ọkụ na-azụ onwe ya. Ọ pụghị ịnapụta onwe ya, maọbụ jụọ onwe ya ajụjụ sị, “Ihe a m ji nʼaka m, nke m na-akpọ chi, ọ bụghị okwu ụgha ka ọ bụ?”
They are very stupid to [worship something that if you burn it, it becomes] ashes! They trust in something that cannot save them; they do not admit, “In my hand I hold something that is not really a god! [RHQ]”
21 “Cheta ihe ndị a, gị Jekọb, nʼihi na gị bụ Izrel, ị bụ ohu m. Ọ bụ m kpụrụ gị, ị bụ ohu m; gị bụ Izrel, agaghị m echezọ gị.
[Yahweh says, “You descendants of] [MTY] Jacob, you people of Israel who should be serving me, I created you, and I will not forget you.
22 Ehichapụla m njehie gị niile; dịka igwe ojii, hichapụkwa mmehie gị dịka igirigi ụtụtụ. Lọghachikwute m, nʼihi na akwụọla m ụgwọ ịgbapụta gị.”
I have gotten rid of your sins like [SIM] [the wind blows away] a cloud. [It is as though] your transgressions were a morning mist [SIM] that I have blown away. Return to me because I have rescued you.”
23 Bụọnụ abụ oke ọṅụ, unu eluigwe, nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị emeela ya; tienụ oke mkpu, unu ụwa dị nʼala. Tienụ mkpu ọṅụ, unu ugwu niile, unu bụ oke ọhịa niile na osisi ọbụla nke dị nʼime gị, nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị agbapụtala Jekọb, na-egosikwa ebube ya nʼIzrel.
[The sun and moon and stars] in the sky should sing, and all the things that are beneath the ground should shout joyfully! All the mountains and forests, and all you trees, should sing loudly, because Yahweh has rescued [the descendants of] [MTY] Jacob; [the people of] Israel will praise/honor him.
24 “Otu a, Onyenwe anyị na-ekwu, Onye mgbapụta unu, onye ahụ kpụrụ unu nʼime afọ: Mụ onwe bụ Onyenwe anyị, Onye kere ihe niile, onye gbatipụrụ eluigwe, onye gbasara ụwa naanị mụ onwe m,
Yahweh, who saved you and created you, says this: “I am Yahweh, the one who created everything. I am the only one who stretched out the sky. There was [RHQ] no one who (was with/helped) me when I created the earth.
25 onye na-emebi ihe ịrịbama niile nke ndị amụma ụgha na-emekwa ka ndị na-ajụta ase ghọọ ndị nzuzu, onye na-ekpu ihe ọmụmụ ndị maara ihe ihu nʼala tụgharịa ya, ha ghọọ ihe nzuzu,
I show that the false prophets are liars, and I show that those who perform rituals to predict the future are fools. Some people who [falsely think that they] are [IRO] wise [say that they] know a lot, but I show that they are foolish.
26 onye na-eme ka okwu ndị ohu ya mezuo meekwa ka amụma ndị ozi ya buru mezuo, onye na-asị banyere Jerusalem, ‘A ga-ebikwa nʼime ya ọzọ,’ na-asịkwa banyere obodo niile nke Juda, ‘A ga-ewughachi ha,’ banyere mkpọmkpọ ebe ha niile, ‘Aga m ewulikwa ha.’
But I always cause to happen what my prophets predict [DOU]. [I tell them to] say to [the people of] [MTY] Jerusalem, ‘[Some day] people will live here again.’ [And I tell them to] say to [the people in other] towns in Judah [that Yahweh says], ‘Your towns will be rebuilt; I will cause the places that are only ruins to be rebuilt.’
27 Onye ahụ na-asị, ogbu mmiri, ‘Takọrọ, aga m emekwa ka iyi ya niile takọrọsịa,’
When I say to the rivers, ‘Dry up!’, they will become dry.
28 Onye na-asị banyere Sairọs, ‘Ọ bụ onye ọzụzụ atụrụ m, ọ ga-emezukwa ihe niile na-adị m mma; Ọ ga-asịkwa banyere Jerusalem, “Ka ewugharịa ya,” ma banyere ụlọnsọ, “Ka ehiwe ntọala ya.”’
When I say about King Cyrus, ‘He will [take care of my people like] [MET] a shepherd [takes care of his sheep], he will do what I want him to do,’ he will say about Jerusalem, ‘We must rebuild it!’, and he will also say, ‘We must rebuild the temple!’”
