Idolatry and True Worship
1 People of Israel, listen to the message that the Lord has for you. 2 He says,
“Do not follow the ways of other nations;
do not be disturbed by unusual sights in the sky,
even though other nations are terrified.
3 The religion of these people is worthless.
A tree is cut down in the forest;
it is carved by the tools of the woodworker
4 and decorated with silver and gold.
It is fastened down with nails
to keep it from falling over.
5 Such idols are like scarecrows in a field of melons;
they cannot speak;
they have to be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them:
they can cause you no harm,
and they can do you no good.”
6 Lord, there is no one like you;
you are mighty,
and your name is great and powerful.
7 Who would not honor you, the king of all nations?
You deserve to be honored.
There is no one like you
among all the wise men of the nations
or among any of their kings.
8 All of them are stupid and foolish.
What can they learn from wooden idols?
9 Their idols are covered with silver from Spain
and with gold from Uphaz,
all the work of artists;
they are dressed in violet and purple cloth
woven by skilled weavers.
10 But you, Lord, are the true God,
you are the living God
and the eternal king.
When you are angry, the world trembles;
the nations cannot endure your anger.
( 11 You people must tell them that the gods who did not make the earth and the sky will be destroyed. They will no longer exist anywhere on earth.)
A Hymn of Praise to God
12 The Lord made the earth by his power;
by his wisdom he created the world
and stretched out the heavens.
13 At his command the waters above the sky roar;
he brings clouds from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning flash in the rain
and sends the wind from his storeroom.
14 At the sight of this, people feel stupid and senseless;
those who make idols are disillusioned,
because the gods they make are false and lifeless.
15 They are worthless and should be despised;
they will be destroyed when the Lord comes to deal with them.
16 The God of Jacob is not like them;
he is the one who made everything,
and he has chosen Israel to be his very own people.
The Lord Almighty is his name.
The Coming Exile
17 People of Jerusalem, you are under siege! Gather up your belongings. 18 The Lord is going to throw you out of this land; he is going to crush you until not one of you is left. The Lord has spoken.
19 The people of Jerusalem cried out,
“How badly we are hurt!
Our wounds will not heal.
And we thought this was something we could endure!
20 Our tents are ruined;
the ropes that held them have broken.
Our children have all gone away;
there is no one left to put up our tents again;
there is no one to hang their curtains.”
21 I answered, “Our leaders are stupid;
they do not ask the Lord for guidance.
This is why they have failed,
and our people have been scattered.
22 Listen! News has come!
There is a great commotion in a nation to the north;
its army will turn the cities of Judah into a desert,
a place where jackals live.”
23 Lord, I know that none of us are in charge of our own destiny;
none of us have control over our own life.
24 Correct your people, Lord,
but do not be too hard on us
or punish us when you are angry;
that would be the end of us.
25 Turn your anger on the nations that do not worship you
and on the people who reject you.
They have killed your people;
they have destroyed us completely
and left our country in ruins.
Lui Edeedero Mätu ndi Mätu Ŋgye be
1 Ami lidri Yisaraele ro, nyeri ata se OPI kabe atana ono.
2 OPI ka atani nonye ekye:
“Mìso ko taoye tu'dei azaka ro voro;
nyà'do ko wiriwiriro ta taka'daro se kabe a'do vokuru ya iyi rota,
tu'dei azaka ka'doyi ca turiro ni ànyari owo.
3 Tana mätu lidri kwoi ro orivoya kowero.
Aga ce aza gwo vuru vocowa ya;
ago ice opa'bai payi lomvona gwo coloŋwa si,
4 itirate mo'di ndi logo läguläguro be si.
Otote voaloya ŋbaṛa si ukyi epere 'da.
5 Lui edeedero nonye kwoi laba oso ŋgase edebe ari onjaza
ni ämvu kurunju ro yasi iyi ronye;
ànya niyi ata ko;
be ànya luŋgyine luŋgyi
tana ànya niyi aba ko.
Nyà'do ko turiro ni ànyari;
ànya uninayi ko ami oyene koziro,
ago ànya uninayi kpa ko takado aza oyene ämiri.”
6 OPI, 'diaza i'do oso mi ronye;
tana mi orivoya mbaraekye,
ago ävuru miro orivoya 'desipara ago mbara be.
7 A'di orina ni mi oroako ya, mi 'bädri'ba tu'dei cini ro ono?
Tana sindi mi orone.
'Diaza i'do oso mi ronye
lidri se cini tavouni be tu'dei iyi lako
kode 'bädri'bai ànyaro lako.
8 Vo ànya cini ro orivoya tauniako ago amaamaro.
Ŋgaemba ànyaro ka ikyi ni lui awi edeedero resi.
9 Lui edeedero ànyaro a'bi lomvona te mo'di se ezibe ni Sepaina yasi,
ago logo läguläguro se ezibe ni Ufaza yasi ana si,
iyi cini orivoya losi ŋgaede'bai ro ago toka'bai ro;
Boŋgo ànyaro orivoya walawalaro ago lärimiro.
Se a'dite tauni ŋgao'di'bai rosi.
10 Oko mi, OPI, mi ni Lu ŋgye yi,
mi ni Lu se lidriidriro
ago 'bädri'ba äduako ono owo.
Ondro nya'dote kyilaro, ägbigbi ka a'do;
ago tu'dei unina ko yaiŋgyine ni kyila miro ri.
11 (Ka'do inye nyìtita kwoi ànyari mìkye eperena lui se ko'ba 'bädri ndi vo'buyakuru be koni kwoi 'da ni vo'buyakuru ya ago 'bädri ya noŋwa.)
Loŋgo Lu Räṛu ro
12 OPI 'ba 'bädri te mbara ndaro si;
nda nju 'bädri te tavouni ndaro si
ago eŋga vokuru ni a'dwi kuru tauni ndaro si.
13 Uhwe ndaro si gyi se vokuru ya 'do ka kporo oye;
nda kani 'dikolo ezi ni sidri ädu 'bädri ro yasi.
Nda ka 'bu o'ba ni si onyine
ago kani oli ezi ni zo ndaro ŋgaodroro yasi.
14 Ta ono ondrena si, lidri a'do ṛo tauniako ago amaamaro;
ànya se kayibe lui awi edena iyi a'doyite driupiro,
ta lui awi ànyaro rota tana lui edeedero ànyaro orivoya kowe ro ago adri ako.
15 Ànya orivoya takado ako ago amawona 'da;
tu ànya ezaro si oko utufuna ànya cini 'da.
16 Tana Lu Yakoba ro a'do ko oso ànya ronye;
tana nda ni se ko'ba ŋga cini be owo,
ago nda nji Yisaraele ni a'done lidri modo ndaro ro.
Ävuru ndaro ni OPI Mbaraekye.
Ikyi 'Diuru ro Midiro
17 Nyòtokala ŋga cini amiro ro, ami lidri Yerusalema ro, ämudri amiro te! 18 OPI atani nonye ekye ya oyete ami lovone tesi ni wari ono yasi tu ono si; nda ka oye rueza ezine ämidri madale mìnina lutu.
19 Lidri Yerusalema ro kayite totre ekye:
“Ama te kandrakozi ya tana aga ama te laza be!
Laza amaro ozwane te i'do.
Mùsutate màkye amaro ono rriti se mä̀nina ndi iŋgyine ono owo!
20 Epere zo boŋgoro amaro te;
otokye iba otona ro cini te.
Ŋgàga amaro vona cini oyite lozo ni ama resi;
'diaza te i'do ogone zo boŋgoro amaro eŋgane kpa to'dina kuru;
ago boŋgo toyitoyiro amaro toyine aree.”
21 Mazatadrite makye: “Dri'bai amaro orivoya tauniako;
tana ànya ejiyi OPI kote iyi lepene.
Ta 'doro ta pe ànya te ṛe.
Ago lidri ànyaro pererute.
22 Nyeri dri! Lazo esate!
Amo orivoya amba tu'dei se mä'dudrisi ana lako;
ànya tozana 'bakicii Yuda ro 'da tandro ro,
vo oriro kobai ro.”
23 OPI, mänite 'diaza ko 'desi andivo modo ndaro ro;
'diaza i'do ori modo ndaro ritane.
24 OPI, nyoloto lidri miro, oko taŋgye miro si;
ko kyila miro si;
ukyi ta amaro okye 'da.
25 Miza kyila miro kalana tu'dei se kuniyi mi ko iyi dri
ago lidri se kämätuyi mi ko iyi dri.
Tana ànya tufuyi lidri miro te;
ànya pereyi ama te kpeye
ago e'beyi 'bädri amaro te tandroro.