< Isaya 49 >
1 Ndinzwei, imi zviwi; inzwai izvi, imi ndudzi dziri kure; Jehovha akandidana ndisati ndaberekwa; kubva pakuzvarwa kwangu akataura zita rangu.
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 Akaita muromo wangu somunondo unopinza, akandiviga mumumvuri wechanza chake; akandiita museve unopenya, akandiviga mugomba rake.
[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 Akati kwandiri, “Ndiwe muranda wangu, Israeri, wandicharatidza kubwinya kwangu maari.”
He said to me, “You will serve my Israeli [people], and you will cause people to honor me.”
4 Asi ndakati, “Ndakashandira pasina, ndapedza simba rangu pane zvisina maturo uye pasina. Nyamba zvakandifanira ini zviri muruoko rwaJehovha, uye mubayiro wangu uri kuna Mwari.”
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 Zvino Jehovha anoti, iye akandiumba ndiri muchizvaro kuti ndive muranda wake, kuti ndidzorere Jakobho kwaari uye kuti Israeri vaunganidzwezve kwaari, nokuti ndinokudzwa pamberi paJehovha, uye Mwari wangu ndiye anga ari simba rangu,
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 iye anoti: “Chinhu chiduku kwazvo kuti iwe uve muranda wangu, anomutsazve marudzi aJakobho uye achadzosa avo vaIsraeri vandakachengeta. Uyezve ndichakuita chiedza chevedzimwe ndudzi, kuti uuyise ruponeso rwangu kumigumo yenyika.”
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 Zvanzi naJehovha, Mudzikinuri noMutsvene waIsraeri, kuna iye akanga azvidzwa uye akasemwa norudzi, kumuranda wavatongi: “Madzimambo achakuona agosimuka, machinda achaona agokotamira pasi, nokuda kwaJehovha akatendeka, Mutsvene waIsraeri, akakusarudza.”
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 Zvanzi naJehovha: “Munguva yangu yakafanira, ndichakupindura, uye pazuva roruponeso ndichakubatsira; ndichakuchengeta uye ndichakuita kuti uve sungano yavanhu, kuti uvandudze nyika uye uvagarise patsva nhaka yakaparara,
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 kuti uti kunhapwa, ‘Budai,’ nokuna avo vari murima, ‘Uyai muchiedza!’ “Vachadya zvokudya parutivi rwenzira, uye vachawana mafuro pazvikomo zvose zvisina zvibereko.
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 Havangavi nenzara kana nyota, havangabayiwi nokupisa kwegwenga, kana nokupisa kwezuva. Iye anovanzwira tsitsi achavatungamirira, uye achavafambisa napazvitubu zvemvura.
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 Ndichashandura makomo angu ose kuti ave migwagwa, uye migwagwa yangu mikuru ichasimudzirwa.
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 Tarirai vachauya vachibva kure: vamwe vachibva nechokumusoro, vamwe nechokumavirazuva, vamwe nokurutivi rweAsiwani.”
My people will return from far away; some will come from the north, some from the west, some from southern Egypt.”
13 Imbai, imi matenga, pembera iwe nyika; imbai rwiyo imi makomo! Nokuti Jehovha anonyaradza vanhu vake, uye achava netsitsi navanhu vake vanotambudzika.
[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 Asi Zioni rakati, “Jehovha akandisiya, Jehovha akandikanganwa.”
[The people of] Jerusalem say, “Yahweh has abandoned us; he has forgotten about us.”
15 “Ko, mai vangakanganwa mucheche anonwa ari pachipfuva chavo, uye vangasanzwira tsitsi mwana wavakazvara here? Kunyange hazvo ivo vakakanganwa, ini handizokukanganwi!
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 Tarira, ndakakunyora pazvanza zvamaoko angu; madziro ako anogara ari mberi kwangu.
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 Vanakomana vako vanokurumidza kudzoka shure, uye vose vaikuparadza vachabva kwauri.
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 Simudza meso ako utarise kwose kwose; vanakomana vako vose vanoungana vachiuya kwauri. Zvirokwazvo noupenyu hwangu,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha, “uchavafuka vose sezvishongo: uchavapfeka, somwenga.
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 “Kunyange wakaparadzwa ukaitwa dongo, uye nyika yako yakasiyiwa yava dongo, zvino vanhu vako havachakwani mauri, uye vose vaikumedza vachava kure.
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 Vana vakaberekwa panguva yokufirwa kwako vachatizve munzeve dzako, ‘Nzvimbo iyi yava diki kwatiri: tipeiwo nzvimbo yakatambanuka yatingagara.’
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 Ipapo uchati mumwoyo mako, ‘Ndianiko akandiberekera ava? Ndakanga ndafirwa uye ndisina mwana; ndakanga ndadzingwa uye ndarambwa. Ndianiko akarera ava? Ndakasiyiwa ndiri ndoga, asi ava, vabvepiko?’”
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 Zvanzi naIshe Jehovha, “Tarira ndichasimudza ruoko rwangu kune veDzimwe Ndudzi, ndichasimudzira mureza wangu kumarudzi; vachauya navanakomana vako vari mumaoko avo, uye vachatakura vanasikana vako pamapfudzi avo.
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 Madzimambo achava madzibaba anokurerai, uye vanamambokadzi vavo vachava vanamai vanokurerai. Vachakupfugamirai uso hwavo hwakatsikitsira pasi, vachananzva guruva patsoka dzenyu. Ipapo muchaziva kuti ndini Jehovha; vanovimba neni havachazonyadziswi.”
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 Ko, mhare ingapambwa here, kana vatapwa vanganunurwa kubva kune anotyisa here?
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 Asi zvanzi naJehovha, “Hongu vatapwa vachatorwa kubva kumhare, uye zvakapambwa kubva kune anotyisa; ndicharwa nevanorwa newe, uye vana vako ndichavaponesa.
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 Ndichaita kuti vamanikidzi vako vadye nyama yavo; vachadhakwa neropa ravo, sevadhakwa newaini. Ipapo vanhu vose vachaziva kuti ini Jehovha, ndini Muponesi wako, Mudzikinuri wako, Wamasimba Ose waJakobho.”
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.”