Isaiah 49

¹ Make una listen to me, far nations, una people wey dey live for far away! Before dem born me, na hin God don chose me and don appoint me make I be him servant.

² He make my words dey sharp like sword. He dey protect me with him own hand. He make me be like arrow, sharp and ready for use.

³ He tell me say, “Israel, you be my servant; because of you, people go praise me.”

⁴ I talk say, “I don work, but e no get hope! I don finish my strength, but I no achieve anything.” Yet I fit trust the LORD to defend my case; he go reward me for wetin I do.

⁵ God don choose me, before dem born me; he make me him servant make I bring back him people, to bring back people of Israel wey don scatter. God honour me; na him be the source of my strength.

⁶ God tell me say, “My servant, I get great task for you. No be say you go only restore people of Israel wey don survive to greatness, but I go also make you light to nations- so that all the world fit dey save.”

⁷ Holy God of Israel and savior tell the one wey people hate, wey nations hate and wey be servant to rulers say: “Kings go see say dem release you and dem go rise to show their respect; princes go also see am, and dem go bow down to honour you.” This go happen because God don choose him servant; the holy God of Israel dey keep him promise.

⁸ God tell him people say, “When time come to save una, I go favour una and I go answer una cry for help. I go guard and protect una and I go make covenant to all people through una. I go allow una settle again for land wey dey waste.

⁹ I go tell the prisoners say, ‘Make una go free!’ and I go tell those wey dey for darkness say, make una come out to light!’ dem go dey like sheep wey dey chop on top hills;

¹⁰ Dem no go dey hungry or find water to drink again. Sun and desert heat no go hurt them, because na the one wey love them go lead them. He go lead them go spring water.

¹¹ “I go make high way across the mountains and I go prepare road for my people to travel.

¹² My people go come from far away, from the north and west, and from Aswan for south.”

¹³ Make una sing, heavens! Make una shout for joy, earth! Make the mountain start to dey sing! God go comfort him people; he go pity him people wey dey suffer.

¹⁴ But people of Jerusalem talk say, “God don abandon us! He don forget us.”

¹⁵ Naso God answer say, “Shey mother fit forget him own pikin and no love the pikin wey she born? Even if mother forget her own pikin, I no go ever forget una.

¹⁶ Jerusalem, I no fit forget una! I don write una names for the palm of my hands.

¹⁷ Those wey go rebuild una dey come soon, and those wey destroy una go commot.

¹⁸ Make una look around and see wetin dey happen! Una people don dey gather- dem dey come home! As I be the living God for sure, una go dey proud of una people, as bride dey get pride in her jewels.

¹⁹ “Una country don destroy and empty- but now e go dey small for those people to live . And those wey leave una for destruction go leave una.

²⁰ Una people wey dem born for strange land go say to una one day say, ‘This land too small-we need plenty room to dey live!’

²¹ Then you go tell yourselves say, ‘Who born all these pikin for me? I don lost my children and I no fit born again. Dem pursue me and drive me commot- who con bring these children up? Dem leave me alone- where all these children come from?’”

²² The sovereign LORD tell him people say: “I go signal to nations , and dem go bring una children come home.

²³ Kings go be like father to una; queens go dey like mothers. Dem go bow down before una and dem go honour una; dem go show their respect for una. Then una go know say I be the LORD; anybody wey wait for my help no go dey disappointed.”

²⁴ Shey una fit take wetin soldiers don steal away? Shey una fit rescue prisoners of tyrant?

²⁵ God reply say, “Na wetin go just happen be that. Dem go take soldiers prisoners away, and dem go seize wetin tyrant don steal. I go fight against those wey fight una, and I go rescue una children.

²⁶ I go make una oppressors kill each other; dem go dey drunk with killing and anger. Then the whole nation go know say I be the LORD , the one wey save una and set una free. Dem go know say I be powerful God of Israel.”