Isaia 40
1 Ampionony, ampionony ny oloko, Hoy Andriamanitrareo;
Our God says, “Encourage my people! Encourage them!
2 Mitoria teny soa mahafaly amin’ i Jerosalema, ka lazao aminy fa vita ny adiny, sady voavela ny helony, ary efa nandray indroa heny tamin’ ny tànan’ i Jehovah izy ho valin’ ny fahotana rehetra nataony.
Speak kindly to [the people of] Jerusalem; tell them that their suffering is ended, and that I have forgiven them for the sins that they have committed; I [SYN] have fully punished them for their sins.”
3 Injany! misy feon’ ny miantso hoe: Manamboara lalana any an-efitra ho an’ i Jehovah, manaova lalambe any an-tany foana ho an’ Andriamanitsika.
I hear someone who is shouting, “Prepare in the desert a way for Yahweh to come [to you]; make a smooth road for our God (OR, Prepare yourselves to receive Yahweh when he comes, like people make a straight road for an important official [MET]).
4 Aoka hasandratra ny lohasaha rehetra, Aoka haetry ny tendrombohitra sy ny havoana rehetra; Aoka ny be havoana ho tonga lembalemba, ary ny tany saro-dalana ho tonga lemaka;
Fill in the valleys; flatten every hill and every mountain. Make the uneven ground smooth, and make the rough places smooth.
5 Dia hiseho ny voninahitr’ i Jehovah, ary ny nofo rehetra hiara-mahita izany; Fa ny vavan’ i Jehovah no efa niteny.
[If you do that], it will become known that Yahweh is glorious/great, and all people will realize it at the same time. [Those things will surely happen] because it is Yahweh who has said [MTY] it.”
6 Injany! misy miteny hoe: Miantsoa. Ary hoy izy: Ahoana anefa no antso hataoko? Ahitra ny nofo rehetra, ary ny hatsaran-tarehiny rehetra dia tahaka ny vonin-javatra any an-tsaha;
Someone said to me, “Shout!” I replied, “What should I shout?” [He replied], “[Shout that] people are like [SIM] grass; their influence fades as quickly as flowers in the field.
7 Maina ny ahitra, malazo ny voniny, satria tsofin’ ny fofonain’ i Jehovah ireny; Eny, ahitra tokoa ny olona.
Grass withers and flowers dry up when Yahweh causes a hot wind from the desert to blow on them. And people are [MET] like that.
8 Maina ny ahitra, malazo ny voniny; Fa ny tenin’ Andriamanitsika dia haharitra mandrakizay.
The grass withers and the flowers dry up, but what our God promises will last forever.”
9 Ry Ziona, izay mitondra teny soa mahafaly ô, miakara any an-tendrombohitra avo; Ry Jerosalema izay mitondra teny soa mahafaly ô, Asandrato mafy ny feonao, asandrato, fa aza matahotra; Lazao amin’ ny tanànan’ ny Joda hoe. Indro Andriamanitrareo!
You [people of] Jerusalem, you have good news to tell to people, so, shout it from the top of a high mountain! Shout it loudly, and do not be afraid! Tell the people in the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming here!”
10 Indro, Jehovah Tompo ho avy amin’ ny heriny, ka ny sandriny ihany no hanapaka; indro, ny valim-pitia hatolony dia eny aminy, ary ny valin’ asa homeny dia eo anoloany.
Yahweh your God will be coming with power; he will rule powerfully [MTY]. And when he comes, he will bring with him the people whom he has freed [MET] [from being slaves in Babylonia].
11 Hiandry ny ondriny tahaka ny mpiandry ondry Izy; Ny sandriny no hanangonany ny zanak’ ondry, ka hotrotroiny eo an-tratrany ireny, ary horoahiny miadana ny ampianahany.
He will take care of his people like [SIM] a shepherd takes care of his sheep, and carries the young lambs in his arms. He carries them close to his chest and he gently leads the female sheep that are nursing their young lambs.
12 Iza no namatra ny rano teo am-pelatanany, ary nanjehy ny lanitra tamin’ ny zehiny, sy namory ny vovo-tany tamin’ ny vata, ary nandanja ny tendrombohitra tamin’ ny fandanjana sy ny havoana tamin’ ny mizana?
[There is no one like Yahweh]! (Who else has measured the water in the oceans in the palm of his hand?/No one else has measured the water in the oceans in the palm of his hand!) [RHQ] (Who else has measured the sky with his fingers?/No one else has measured the sky with his fingers!) [RHQ] (Who else knows how much the earth weighs?/No one else knows how much the earth weighs!) [RHQ] (Who else has weighed the mountains and hills on scales?/No one else has weighed the mountains and hills on scales!) [RHQ]
13 Iza no nanome hevitra ny Fanahin’ i Jehovah, ary iza no mpanolo-tsaina nampianatra Azy?
And (who else can advise Yahweh’s Spirit?/No one else can advise Yahweh’s Spirit!) [RHQ] (Who can teach him or advise/tell him what he should do?/No one can teach him or advise/tell him what he should do!) [RHQ]
14 Iza no nidinihany ka nanome saina Azy sy nanoro Azy ny lalan’ ny fitsarana ary nampianatra fahalalana Azy sy nampahafantatra Azy ny lalan’ ny fahendrena?
(Has Yahweh consulted anyone else to get advice?/Yahweh has certainly not consulted anyone else to get advice!) [RHQ] (Does he need someone to tell him what is right to do and how to act justly?/He certainly does not need someone to tell him what is right to do and how to act justly!) [RHQ]
15 Indro, ny firenena dia tahaka ny rano indray mitete avy amin’ ny siny ary atao ho tahaka ny vovoka madinika amin’ ny mizana; Indro, ny nosy dia tsintsininy tahaka ny zavatra bitika indrindra.
[Yahweh considers that] the nations are [as insignificant as] [MET] one drop from a bucket [full of water]. They are [as insignificant as] dust on scales. He is able to weigh islands [as though they weighed no more than] grains of sand.
16 Ary Libanona aza tsy ampy hataina, ary ny biby ao tsy ampy ho fanatitra dorana.
There would be [not] enough wood from all the trees in Lebanon to make a suitable fire for [sacrificing animals to] him, and there are not enough animals in Lebanon to offer as sacrifices to him.
17 Ny firenena rehetra dia tahaka ny tsinontsinona eo anatrehany, ka ataony ho naman’ ny tsinontsinona sy ny zava-poana izy.
The nations of the world are completely insignificant/unimportant to him; he considers that they are worthless and less than nothing [HYP, DOU].
18 Koa ampitovinareo amin’ iza moa Andriamanitra? Ary endrik’ inona no ampanahafinareo Azy?
So, to whom can you compare God? What image resembles him?
19 Ny mpiasa manao sarin-javatra an-idina, ary ny mpanefy volamena mametaka takela-bolamena aminy sy manao tongalika volafotsy an-idina.
Can you compare him to an idol that is made in a mold, and then is covered with [a thin sheet of] gold and decorated with silver chains?
20 Izay malahelo ka tsy manan-katerina dia mifidy hazo tsy mety ho lò ary mitady mpiasa mahay zavatra mba hamorona sarin-javatra voasokitra izay tsy hihezongozona.
A man who is poor [cannot buy silver or gold for his idol]; [so] he selects a piece of wood that will not rot, and he gives it to a craftsman to carve an idol that will not fall down!
21 Tsy fantatrareo va? Tsy efa renareo va? Tsy efa nambara taminareo fony taloha va? Tsy efa azonareo an-tsaina va ny amin’ ny fanorenan’ ny tany?
Have you(pl) not heard this? Do you not understand it? Are you unable to hear what God said long ago— [messages that he gave] before he created the earth?
22 Izy no mipetraka amin’ ny habakabaka ambonin’ ny tany, ary ny mponina etỳ dia tahaka ny valala; Izy no mamelatra ny lanitra tahaka ny lamba manify kararavina ary manenjana azy tahaka ny lay hitoerana;
God sits [on his throne] above the earth, and the people [on the earth] below seem to be [as small] as [SIM] grasshoppers. He spreads out the sky like a curtain; it is like [SIM] a tent for him to live in.
23 Izy no mahatsinontsinona ny mpanapaka sy mahatonga ny mpitsara amin’ ny tany ho tahaka ny zava-poana.
He causes kings to have no more power, and he causes the rulers to be worth nothing.
24 Vao nambolena vetivety ireo, vao nafafy ireo, vao namaka tao amin’ ny tany ny fotony, dia notsofin’ Andriamanitra ireo, ka dia nalazo, ary nindaosin’ ny tafio-drivotra tahaka ny vodivary izy.
They start to rule, like small plants start to grow and form roots; but then [he gets rid of them] as though [MET] they withered when he blew on them, like [SIM] chaff that is blown away by the wind.
25 Koa ampitovinareo amin’ iza moa Aho, hitahako aminy? Hoy ny Iray Masìna.
The Holy One asks, “To whom will you compare me? Is anyone equal to me?”
26 Asandrato ny masonareo, ka mijere; Iza no nahary ireny? Izy no mamoaka ny antokony araka ny isany sy miantso azy rehetra amin’ ny anarany avy noho ny haben’ ny fahatanjahany sy ny heriny tsy toha, ka tsy misy diso ireny na dia iray akory aza.
Look up toward the sky: Consider who [RHQ] created all the stars. [Yahweh created them], and at night he causes them to appear; he calls each one by its name. Because he is extremely powerful [DOU], all of the stars are there [LIT] [when he calls out their names].
27 Nahoana no miteny ianao, ry Jakoba ô, ary milaza ianao, ry Isiraely ô, hoe: Miafina tsy hitan’ i Jehovah ny lalako, ary mihelina tsy hitan’ Andriamanitro ny rariny tokony ho ahy?
You people of Israel [DOU], why do you complain that Yahweh does not see the [troubles that you are experiencing]? Why do you say that he does not act fairly toward you?
28 Tsy fantatrao va? Tsy efa renao va fa Andriamanitra mandrakizay Jehovah, izay namorona ny faran’ ny tany? Tsy mba mety ho reraka na sasatra Izy; Tsy takatry ny saina ny fahalalany.
Have you never heard and have you never understood that Yahweh is the everlasting God; he is the one who created the earth, [even the] most distant places on the earth. He never becomes weak or weary, and no one can find out how much he understands.
29 Mampahatanjaka ny reraka Izy, ary izay kely hery dia omeny hery be.
He strengthens [DOU] those who feel weak and tired.
30 Na dia ny tanora fanahy aza dia ho reraka sy ho sasatra, ary na dia ny zatovo aza dia mety ho tafintohina mafy;
Even youths become faint and weary, and young men will fall when they are exhausted.
31 Fa izay miandry an’ i Jehovah dia mandroso hery kosa; Elatra no hiakarany tahaka ny voromahery; Hihazakazaka izy, nefa tsy ho sasatra; Handeha izy, nefa tsy ho reraka.
But those who trust in Yahweh will become strong again; [it will be as though] they will soar/fly high like [SIM] eagles do. They will run [for a long time] and not become weary; they will walk [long distances] and not faint.
