ʻIsaia 41

1 “ʻAe ngaahi motu, mou fakalongo pē ʻi hoku ʻao; pea tuku ke fakafoʻou ʻe he kakai honau mālohi: tuku ke nau haʻu ke ofi; pea toki tuku ke nau lea: ke tau ʻunuʻunu ke ofi ki he fakamaau.

Keep silence before me, O islands; and let nations acquire new strength: let them approach, then let them speak, together let us come near to judgment.

2 Ko hai naʻa ne fokotuʻu ʻae tangata māʻoniʻoni mei he potu hahake, ʻo ui ia ki hono vaʻe, pea foaki ʻae ngaahi puleʻanga ʻi hono ʻao, pe ngaohi ia ke pule ki he ngaahi tuʻi? Naʻa ne foaki ʻakinautolu ʻo hangē ko e efu ki heʻene heletā, pea hangē ko e veve kuo vilingia ki heʻene kaufana.

Who waked up from the east the man whom righteousness met in his steps? he giveth up nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings; that his sword may render them as the dust, as driven stubble, his bow.

3 Naʻa ne tulia ʻakinautolu, pea ʻalu fiemālie pe; ʻio, ʻi he hala naʻe ʻikai fou ai hono vaʻe.

He pursueth them, passeth along in safety, by a path which his feet have not gone over before.

4 Ko hai kuo ngāue mo fai ia, ʻo ne ui ʻae toʻutangata mei he kamataʻanga? Ko au ko Sihova, ko e ʻuluaki pea mo e kimui; ko au ia.

Who hath wrought and done it? he who called the generations from the beginning; I the Lord, [who am] the first, and with the latest I am the same.

5 Naʻe mamata ʻe he ngaahi motu, pea manavahē; naʻe manavahē ʻae ngaahi ngataʻanga ʻo māmani, ʻonau ʻunuʻunu mai, pea haʻu.

The isles saw it, and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near, and come.

6 Naʻe tokoni taki taha ki hono kaungāʻapi; pea pehē taki taha ki hono tokoua, “Ke ke lototoʻa.”

They help one another; and each one saith to his brother, Be strong!

7 Ko ia naʻe tokoni ʻae tufunga ʻakau ki he tufunga koula, pea mo ia ʻoku fakamolemole ʻaki ʻae hamala ʻaia naʻa ne taaʻi ki he fakalalango, ʻo pehē, “Kuo ʻosi” hono teu ki he fakahoko: pea ne fakamaʻu ia ʻaki ʻae ngaahi faʻo, ke ʻoua naʻa ngaue ia.

So the smith encouraged the melter, he that smootheth with the hammer him that striketh on the anvil; saying of the solder, It is good; and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.

8 Ka ko koe, ʻE ʻIsileli, ko ʻeku tamaioʻeiki, ʻE Sēkope ʻa koe kuo u fili, ko e hako ʻo ʻEpalahame ko hoku kāinga.

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend;

9 ‌ʻA koe kuo u toʻo mei he ngataʻanga ʻo māmani, pea ui mei he kau tangata tuʻu ki muʻa ʻi ai, pea kuo u pehē kiate koe, ‘Ko koe ko ʻeku tamaioʻeiki;’ kuo u fili koe, ka naʻe ʻikai liʻaki koe.

Thou, whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the midst of its chiefs, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

10 ‌ʻOua naʻa ke manavahē; he ʻoku ou ʻiate koe: ʻoua ʻe loto vaivai; he ko au ko ho ʻOtua, te u fakamālohi koe; ʻio, te u tokoni koe; ʻio, te u poupou hake koe ʻaki ʻae nima toʻomataʻu ʻo ʻeku angatonu.

Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I strengthen thee, yea, I help thee, yea, I uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

11 Vakai, ko kinautolu kotoa pē naʻe ʻita kiate koe te nau mā pea puputuʻu: te nau hangē ko e meʻa noa pe; pea ʻe ʻauha mo kinautolu ʻoku fai kovi kiate koe.

Behold, ashamed and confounded shall be all that were incensed against thee; they shall be as naught and perish—the men that strive with thee.

12 Te ke kumi ʻakinautolu, ka e ʻikai ʻiloʻi ʻakinautolu, ʻio, ʻakinautolu naʻe fai mo koe: ko kinautolu ʻoku tauʻi koe te nau hangē ko e meʻa noa pe, pea hangē ha meʻa ʻoku ʻikai.

Thou wilt seek them, and shalt not find them, the men that contend with thee; they shall be as naught and as nothing, the men that make war against thee.

13 He ko au ko Sihova ko ho ʻOtua te u puke ho nima toʻomataʻu, ʻo pehē kiate koe, ‘ʻOua ʻe manavahē; te u tokoni koe.’

For I the Lord thy God lay hold of thy right hand; [I am he] who saith unto thee, Fear not, I help thee.

14 ‌ʻOua naʻa manavahē ʻa koe, ko e kelemutu ko Sēkope, pea mo kimoutolu ʻae kau tangata ʻo ʻIsileli; ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, ko ho huhuʻi, ko e tokotaha māʻoniʻoni ʻo ʻIsileli, te u tokoni kiate koe.

Fear not, thou worm Jacob, ye few men of Israel: I myself help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

15 Vakai, te u ngaohi kiate koe ha meʻa haha foʻou ʻoku māsila pea nifo: te ke haha ʻae ngaahi moʻunga, pea taaʻi ke iiki, pea ngaohi ʻae ngaahi tafungofunga ʻo hangē ko e veve vilingia.

Behold, I have rendered thee a threshing instrument, sharp, new, having many teeth: thou shalt thresh mountains, and beat them small, and shalt render the hills as chaff.

16 Te ke tuiʻi ʻakinautolu, pea ko e matangi te ne puneekina ʻakinautolu, pea ko e ʻahiohio te ne vetekina ʻakinautolu: pea te ke fiefia ko e ʻia Sihova, pea vikiviki ʻi he tokotaha māʻoniʻoni ʻo ʻIsileli.

Thou shalt scatter them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the storm shall disperse them; but thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, in the Holy One of Israel shalt thou glorify thyself.

17 ‌ʻOka kumi ʻe he masiva mo e paea ʻae vai, pea ʻoku ʻikai ia, pea ʻoku vaivai honau ʻelelo ʻi he fieinu, Ko au ko Sihova te u fanongo kiate kinautolu, Ko au ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli ʻe ʻikai te u liʻaki ʻakinautolu.

The poor and the needy seek water, and there is none; their tongue is dried up with thirst: I the Lord will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

18 Te u fakaava ʻae ngaahi vaitafe ʻi he ngaahi potu māʻolunga, pea mo e ngaahi matavai ʻi he ngaahi teleʻa: te u ngaohi ʻae toafa ko e anovai, pea mo e fonua mōmoa ko e ngaahi matavai.

I will open on naked mountain-peaks rivers, and in the midst of valleys fountains; I will change the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into springs of water.

19 Te u tō ʻi he toafa ʻae sita, ʻae ʻakau ko e sita, pea mo e maile, pea mo e ʻakau lolo; te u tō fakataha ʻi he toafa lala ʻae ʻakau ko e fea, pea mo e paini, pea mo e ʻakau ko e pokasi:

I will place in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine and the box-tree together;

20 Koeʻuhi ke nau mamata, pea ongoʻi, pea tokanga, pea ʻilo fakataha, ko e nima ʻo Sihova kuo ne fai ʻae meʻa ni, pea kuo fakatupu ia ʻe he tokotaha māʻoniʻoni ʻo ʻIsileli.

In order that they may see, and know and take [it to heart], and comprehend together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

21 ‌ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, “Fakahā hoʻomou meʻa;” ʻoku pehē ʻe he Tuʻi ʻo Sēkope, “ʻOmi hoʻomou lea mamafa.”

Produce your cause, saith the Lord: bring forward your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.

22 “Tuku ke nau ʻomi ia, pea fakahā kiate kimautolu pe ko e hā ʻe hoko: tuku ke nau fakahā ʻae ngaahi meʻa muʻa, pe ko e hā ia, ke mau fifili ki ai, pea ʻilo mo hono fakamoʻoni ʻo ia; pe fakahā kiate kimautolu ʻae ngaahi meʻa ʻe haʻu ʻamui.

Let them bring them forward and tell us what shall happen: the former things—what are they?—tell us, that we may take it to heart, and know the result of them; or let us hear the things that are to come.

23 Fakahā ʻae ngaahi meʻa ʻe hoko ʻamui, ke mau ʻilo ko e ngaahi ʻotua ʻakimoutolu: ʻio, fai lelei, pe fai kovi, ke mau ilifia, pea mamata fakataha ki ai.

Tell the events that are to happen hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be astonished, and see it together.

24 Vakai, ʻoku siʻi hifo ʻakimoutolu ʻi he meʻa ʻoku ʻikai, pea ko hoʻomou ngāue ko e meʻa noa pe: ʻoku fakalielia ia ʻaia ʻoku ne fili ʻakimoutolu.

Behold, ye are less than nothing, and your work less than a breath: [he that is] an abomination [alone] chooseth you.

25 “Kuo u fokotuʻu ha tokotaha mei he potu tokelau, pea ʻe haʻu ia: talu mei he hopo ʻae laʻā te ne ui ki hoku huafa: pea te ne molomoloki ʻae houʻeiki ʻo hangē ko e lahe kuo hakaluku, pea hangē ʻoku molomoloki ʻe he tangata ngaohi ipu ʻae ʻumea.

I have waked up one from the north, and he cometh; from the rising of the sun one who will call on my name: and he shall [over-]come princes as mortar, and as the potter treadeth down the clay.

26 Ko hai kuo ne fakahā mei he kamataʻanga, ke mau ʻilo ia? Pea ʻi muʻa, ke mau pehē ai, ‘ʻOku moʻoni ʻae meʻa ni?’ Ko e moʻoni, ʻoku ʻikai ha tokotaha naʻe tomuʻa tala ia, ko e moʻoni, ʻoku ʻikai ha taha naʻe fakahā ia, ʻio, naʻe ʻikai ha tokotaha te ne fanongo ki hoʻomou ngaahi lea.

Who hath told it from the beginning, that we may know it? and aforetimes, that we may say, “it is right?” but indeed there is none that telleth, indeed there is none that letteth us hear, indeed there is none that heareth your words.

27 Ne u fuofua pehē ki Saione, ‘Vakai, vakai kiate kinautolu:’ pea ne u foaki ki Selūsalema ha tokotaha ʻoku ʻomi ʻae ongoongolelei.

The first [was I to say] to Zion, Behold, there they are; and to Jerusalem will I give one that bringeth good tidings.

28 He naʻaku mamata, ka naʻe ʻikai ha tangata; ʻio, ʻiate kinautolu, pea naʻe ʻikai ha fakahinohino, pea ʻi heʻeku ʻeke kiate kinautolu, naʻe ʻikai te nau tali ʻaki ha momoʻi lea.

And I ever look, and there is no man; and among these there is no counsellor, that they could answer a word.

29 Vakai, ko e vaʻinga kotoa pē ʻa ʻenau ngāue: ko e matangi mo e vaʻinga ʻa ʻenau ngaahi tamapua kuo haka.

Behold, they all are naught; their works are nothing: wind and vanity are their molten images.