Isaya 44
1 “Asi zvino chinzwa, iwe Jakobho, muranda wangu, Israeri, wandakasarudza.
But now, you people of Israel whom Yahweh has chosen to serve him, listen to me.
2 Zvanzi naJehovha, iye akakuita, akauumba mudumbu uye iye achakubatsira: Usatya, iwe Jakobho, muranda wangu, Jeshuruni, wandakasarudza.
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 Nokuti ndichadurura mvura panyika ine nyota, nehova pamusoro pevhu rakaoma; ndichadurura Mweya wangu pamusoro porudzi rwako, nemikomborero yangu pamusoro pavana vako.
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 Vachamera souswa mudekete, semiti yemikonachando pahova dzinoyerera.
They will grow up like [SIM] grass grows along the water, like [SIM] willow/poplar [trees] grow well along a riverbank.
5 Mumwe achati, ‘Ndiri waJehovha’; mumwe achazvitumidza nezita raJakobho; zvakadaro, mumwe achanyora muruoko rwake achiti, ‘Ndiri waJehovha,’ uye achatora zita rokuti Israeri.
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 “Zvanzi naJehovha, Mambo waIsraeri noMudzikinuri, Jehovha Wamasimba Ose: Ndini wokutanga uye ndini wokupedzisira; kunze kwangu hakuna Mwari.
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 Ndianiko zvino akafanana neni? Ngaazvitaure. Ngaadanidzire, azviise mberi kwangu izvo zvakaitika kubva pandakasimbisa vanhu vangu vekare, uye kuti chiiko chichaitika hongu, ngaataure zvichaitika.
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 Musadedera, musatya. Handina kuparidza izvi here uye ndikazvitaura kare kare? Imi muri zvapupu zvangu. Kune mumwe Mwari kunze kwangu here? Kwete, hakuna rimwe Dombo; hakuna rimwe randinoziva.”
[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 Vose vanoita zvifananidzo havana maturo, uye zvinhu zvavanofarira hazvibatsiri. Vose vangada kuvapupurira mapofu; havazivi, ndiko kuchava kunyadziswa kwavo.
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 Ndiani anoveza mwari uye anoumba chifananidzo, chisingamubatsiri chinhu?
Only [foolish people] [RHQ] would make idols in a mold, idols that would never help them at all.
11 Iye navamwe vake vachanyadziswa; mhizha hadzizi chinhu asi vanhu zvavo. Ngavaungane vose pamwe chete uye vamire vasingazungunuswi; vachaderedzwa, uye vachatya vachanyadziswa.
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 Mupfuri anotora chokupfurisa agochishandisa mumazimbe; anoita chifananidzo nenyundo, agochiumba nesimba roruoko rwake. Anonzwa nzara agorasikirwa nesimba rake. Mukusanwa kwake mvura anobva aziya.
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 Muvezi anoyera nerwodzi ozoita mutsetse nechokunyoresa; anounatsa nembezo, uye anoutara nezvienzaniso. Anouumba mumufananidzo womunhu, womunhu nokunaka kwake kwose, kuti ugare mumba.
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 Akatema misidhari, kana zvimwe akatora musipuresi kana muouki. Akaurega uchikura pakati pemiti yesango, kana kuti akasima mupaini, mvura ikaita kuti ukure.
[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 Ndidzo huni dzomunhu dzokuvesa moto; dzimwe dzacho anodzitora agozvidziyisa nadzo, anovesa moto agobika chingwa nadzo. Asizve anoveza chimwari agochinamata; anoita chifananidzo agochipfugamira.
[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 Hafu yehuni anopisa mumoto, nadzo anobika zvokudya zvake, anogocha nyama yake agoidya achiguta. Anozvidziyisazve, agoti, “Haiwa! Ndadziyirwa; moto ndiri kuuona.”
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 Nezvasara anoita nazvo chimwari, icho chifananidzo chake; anochipfugamira agochinamata. Anonyengetera kwachiri achiti, “Ndiponesei; ndimi mwari wangu.”
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 Havana chavanoziva, havanzwisisi chinhu, meso avo akanamwa kuitira kuti varege kuona, uye ndangariro dzavo dzakafukidzirwa kuitira kuti varege kunzwisisa. Hapana anombomira kuti afunge,
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 Hapana ane ruzivo kana kunzwisisa kuti ati, “Hafu yacho ndaishandisa pakuvesa moto; ini iyeni ndabikira chingwa pamazimbe acho, ndagocha nyama ndikadya. Ndichaita zvinonyangadza pane zvasara here? Ndichapfugamira kudanda rehuni here?”
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 Anodya madota, mwoyo wakanyengerwa unomutsausa; haagoni kuzviponesa kana kuti ati, “Ko, chinhu ichi chiri muruoko rwangu rworudyi hachisi chenhema here?”
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 “Rangarira zvinhu izvi, iwe Jakobho, nokuti uri muranda wangu, iwe Israeri. Ndakakuita, uri muranda wangu; haiwa Israeri, handichakukanganwizve.
[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 Ndakadzima kudarika kwako segore, nezvivi zvako semhute yamangwanani. Dzokera kwandiri, nokuti ndakakudzikinura.”
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 Imbai nomufaro imi matenga, nokuti Jehovha akaita izvozvi; danidzira nesimba, iwe nyika iri pasi. Imbai nziyo, imi makomo, nemi masango nemiti yose, nokuti Jehovha adzikinura Jakobho, akaratidza kubwinya muIsraeri.
[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 “Zvanzi naJehovha, mudzikinuri wako, iye akakuumba uri mudumbu: “Ndini Jehovha, akaita zvinhu zvose, iye oga akatatamura matenga, akatambanudza nyika oga,
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 “iye anokonesa zviratidzo zvavaprofita venhema, anoita kuti vavuki vave mapenzi, iye anoparadza kudzidza kwevane njere, uye anokushandura kuti kuve upenzi,
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 anozadzisa mashoko omuranda wake, uye anozadzisa zvakaprofitwa nenhume dzake, “anoti kuJerusarema, ‘Richagarwa,’ nokumaguta eJudha, ‘Achavakwa,’ nokumatongo awo, ‘Ndichaavandudza,’
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 iye anoti kumvura yakadzika, ‘Oma, uye ndichaomesa hova dzako,’
When I say to the rivers, ‘Dry up!’, they will become dry.
28 iye anoti pamusoro paSirasi, ‘Ndiye mufudzi wangu uye achaita zvose zvandinoda; iye achati pamusoro peJerusarema, “Ngarivakwezve,” uye pamusoro petemberi achati, “Nheyo dzayo ngadziteyiwe.”’
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!’”
