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.

[Yahweh says], “You [people who live on] [APO] islands in the ocean, be silent in front of me [while I ask you some questions]! Then you can be courageous and talk to me. We will meet together and decide [which one of us is right].

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 has urged this king to come from the east? Who has enabled his [army] to righteously defeat many nations and to trample their kings under their feet? With their swords they cut [their enemies] into tiny pieces [HYP]; with their arrows they cause their enemies to scatter like [SIM] the wind scatters chaff.

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

Even though they march through areas where they have not gone previously, they pursue [their enemies] and continue to march, and nothing stops them.

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 has enabled rulers to do [DOU] mighty things like that? Who has done that throughout all generations? It is I, Yahweh; I was the first [one to do things like that], and I will be the last one [to do them].”

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

[People who live on] [PRS] islands in the ocean are afraid while they watch. People in remote areas tremble and gather together.

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

They encourage each other and say to each other, “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.

The craftsmen encourage those who make things from gold, and the men who flatten metal encourage those who hammer metal (on an anvil/into shape). They all say, “The idol has been well made!” And then they carefully nail down the idol in order that it will not topple over!

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

[Yahweh says], “[You people of] Israel [are like] my servants; you are [descendants of] Jacob, whom I chose; [you are] descendants of Abraham, who [I said is] 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.

I summoned you from very distant places [DOU] on the earth, and I said ‘I [want you to] serve me; I have chosen you, and I will not reject you.’

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.

Do not be afraid, because I will (be with/help) you. Do not be discouraged, because I am your God. I will enable you to be strong, and I will help you; I will hold you up with my powerful arm by which you will be rescued.

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.

It is certain that all those who are angry with you [Israeli people] will be disgraced [DOU]. Those who oppose you will be wiped out; they will all die.

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.

If you search for those who tried to conquer you, you will not find them, [because they will all have disappeared]. Those who attacked you will not exist [any more].

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.’

[It will be as though] I will hold you up by your right hand. I am Yahweh, your God, and I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid, [because] I will help you.’

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.

Although you people of Israel [DOU] [think that you are as insignificant as] worms, do not be afraid [of your enemies], because I will help you. I am Yahweh, the one who rescues you; I am 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.

[I will cause] you to be like [MET] a (threshing sledge/big piece of metal that has sharp teeth for separating grain from chaff). You will tear [your enemies to bits], causing them to be like bits of chaff on the mountains.

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.

You will toss them up into the air, and a strong wind will blow them away [DOU]. [When that happens], you will rejoice about what I [have done for you]; you will praise me, the Holy One of Israel.

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.

When poor and needy people need water and they have no water, and their tongues are very dry because they are very thirsty, I, Yahweh, will come and help them. I, the God to whom you Israeli people belong, will never abandon 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 cause rivers to flow for them on the barren hills. I will give them fountains in the valleys. I will fill [HYP] the desert with pools of water. Water from springs will flow into rivers, and the rivers will flow across the dry ground.

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 plant [trees] in the desert— cedar [trees], acacia [trees], myrtle [trees], olive [trees], cypress [trees], fir [trees], and pine [trees].

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.

[I will do that] in order that people who see it will think about it, and they will know and understand [DOU] that it is [I], Yahweh, who have done it; it is what [I], the Holy One of Israel, have done.

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

[I], Yahweh, the true king of Israel say [to you nations], “Tell what your idols can do for you!

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.

Bring them here to tell us what is going to happen! Ask them to tell us what things happened long ago, in order that we may think about those things, and learn if those things that they predicted really happened. Or, ask them to tell us about the future, in order that we can know what will happen.

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.

[Yes], those idols should tell us what will happen in the future. If they do that, we will know that they are really gods. Tell them to do something—either something good or something bad! Tell them to do something that will cause us to be amazed and afraid!

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.

But [that is impossible, because] idols are absolutely worthless [HYP]; they can do nothing, and I detest those who decide [to worship] idols.”

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.

“[But] I have incited/urged a ruler who will come [with his army] from the north. I have summoned him to come from [his country, which is] east [of Israel], and I have given him my authority [MTY]. I will [enable his army to conquer other rulers]; they will trample those leaders like [SIM] a man who makes clay pots first tramples 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 told you people long ago that this would happen?/No one told you people long ago that this would happen!) [RHQ] (Who predicted it, with the result that we can say, ‘What he predicted was correct!’?/No one predicted it, with the result that we can say, ‘What he predicted was correct!’) [RHQ] No one else said that it would happen.

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

I was the first one to tell [the people of] Jerusalem, ‘Listen to this! I have appointed a messenger to tell good news to you!’

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.

None of your idols told you that [DOU]. And when I asked them questions, none of them was able to give me any answers.

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

Think about it: Those idols are all useless, worthless [DOU] things. They are [as meaningless as] [MET] the wind.”