Ihaia 40
1 Whakamarietia, whakamarietia taku iwi, e ai ta to koutou Atua.
“Comfort, yes comfort my people!” says your God.
2 Korero i runga i te whakamarie ki Hiruharama, karanga ki a ia, kua mutu tana whawhai, kua murua tona he: i haere rua hoki ta te ringa o Ihowa ki a ia hei utu mo ona hara katoa.
“Speak lovingly to the people of Jerusalem, telling them that their hard times are over, that their sins have been forgiven, and that the Lord has paid them twice over for their sins.”
3 He reo no tetahi e karanga ana, Whakapaia e koutou i te koraha te huarahi o Ihowa, whakatikaia i te titiohea he ara nui mo to tatou Atua.
A voice is heard calling, “Prepare the way for the Lord in the wilderness, make a straight highway for our God through the desert.
4 Ko nga raorao katoa ka whakarewaina ake, ko nga maunga katoa me nga pukepuke, ka whakapapakutia iho: ko nga wahi kopikopiko ka meinga kia tika, ko nga wahi taratara kia papatairite.
Fill in all the valleys; level all the mountains and hills; smooth out the uneven ground; make the rough places flat.
5 Ka whakapuakina ano te kororia o Ihowa, a ka kite ngatahi nga kikokiko katoa: he mea korero hoki tenei na te mangai o Ihowa.
The Lord's glory will be revealed, and everyone will see it together. This is what the Lord has declared.”
6 I mea mai te reo o tetahi, Karanga. A ka mea tetahi, Ko te aha kia karangatia e ahau? He tarutaru nga kikokiko katoa, a ko tona pai katoa, rite tonu ki te puawai o te parae.
A voice is heard saying, “Shout it out.” I asked, “What shall I shout?” “All human beings are like grass, and all their trustworthiness is like the flowers of the field.
7 Ko te tarutaru ka maroke, ko te puawai ka memenga, no te mea e hangia ana e te wairua o Ihowa: he pono, he tarutaru te iwi.
The grass wilts and the flower fades when the Lord's breathes on them. Yes, the people are grass!
8 Ko te tarutaru e maroke, ko te puawai e memenge; ko te kupu ia a to tatou Atua, tu tonu.
However, even though the grass wilts and the flower fades, the word of our God will endure forever.”
9 E koe, e te kaikawe o te rongo pai ki Hiona, e piki ki te maunga tiketike; e koe, e te kaikawe o te rongo pai ki Hiruharama, whakaarahia tou reo, kia kaha; whakaarahia, kaua hei wehi; korero atu ki nga pa o Hura, Nana, to koutou Atua!
Zion, bringer of good news, go up a high mountain. Jerusalem, bringer of good news, raise your voice and shout out loud. Don't be afraid to shout really loud! Tell the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”
10 Nana, ka haere mai te Ariki, a Ihowa, i runga i te kaha, ka whakahaerea ano tona kingitanga e tona ringa: na, ko te utu mona kei a ia ano, kei tona aroaro te wahi mana.
Look! The Lord God is coming with power! He will rule with a firm hand. Look! He's bringing his reward with him, coming to give his gift.
11 Ka rite ki ta te hepara tana whangai i tana kahui, ka whakaminea nga reme e tona ringa, ka hikitia ki tona uma, ka ata arahina nga mea e whakangote ana.
He looks after his flock like a shepherd. He picks up the lambs in his arms and holds them close to his chest. He leads those that are nursing young.
12 Na wai i mehua nga wai ki te kapu o tona ringa, he whanganga ringaringa ano tana ruri mo nga rangi, whaowhina ake e ia te puehu o te whenua ki te mehua, ko nga maunga, paunatia ana e ia, ki te pauna ringaringa, ko nga pukepuke ki te pauna papa?
Who has measured the waters he holds in the palm of his hand? Who has marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has worked out the amount of dust of the earth? Who has weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills with a balance?
13 Na wai ta te wairua o Ihowa i tika ai? ko wai ranei tana kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro hei whakaako i a ia?
Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or taught him what to do as his counselor?
14 Ko wai tona hoa whakatakoto whakaaro hei tohutohu i a ia ki te ara o te whakawa, hei whakaako i a ia ki te matauranga, hei whakakite i te ara o te mohio ki a ia?
Who did the Lord go to for advice to help him understand? Who taught him right from wrong? Who gave him knowledge and showed him the way of wisdom?
15 Nana, ko nga iwi, ano he pata wai i roto i te peere! ki ta te whakaaro he puehu ririki ratou i te pauna; nana, ko nga motu, maua ake e ia, he mea ririki rawa te rite.
It's obvious that the nations are just a drop in a bucket. They're like dust on a set of scales. He can pick up islands as if they weigh next to nothing.
16 E kore ano e ranea a Repanona mo te ahi, me nga kararehe hoki o reira, e kore e ranea hei tahunga tinana.
All the wood in Lebanon for a fire and all its animals as a sacrifice wouldn't be enough a burnt offering.
17 Ko nga iwi katoa, he kore noa iho i tona aroaro; iti iho ratou i te kahore, he horihori kau i tona whakaaro.
To him all the nations are like nothing. He counts them as less than nothing—like they don't exist.
18 Na ka whakaritea e koutou te Atua ki a wai? he aha hoki te ahua e whakaahuatia ai ia e koutou?
Who do you think is like God? What image do you think he looks like?
19 Ko te whakapakoko, na te kaimahi ia i whakarewa, na te kaitahu i whakakikorua ki te koura, a hanga ana mo reira he mekameka hiriwa.
Is he a metal idol that a craftsman casts in a mold, and then a goldsmith overlays it with gold and makes silver chains for it?
20 Ko te tangata, he rawakore rawa ia ki te hoatu whakahere pera, whiriwhiria ana e ia he rakau e kore e pirau; rapua ana e ia he kaimahi mohio mana, hei hanga i tetahi whakapakoko e kore e nekenekehia.
Those who are too poor to pay for that choose wood that won't rot, then they look for a skilled wood-carver to make an idol that won't fall over.
21 Kahore ianei koutou i mohio? kahore koutou i rongo? kahore ianei i korerotia ki a koutou i te timatanga? kahore ianei koutou i matau i nga whakaturanga ra ano o te whenua?
Don't you know? Haven't you heard? Hasn't it been explained to you from the very beginning? Haven't you understood from the time the world was created?
22 Ko ia te noho ana i runga i te porohita o te whenua, a ko o reira tangata, ano he mawhitiwhiti; ko nga rangi, horahia ana e ia ano he kakahu tauarai, horahia ana e ia ano he teneti hei nohoanga;
God sits on his throne above the horizon of the earth; the people that live there are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, spreading them out like a tent to live in.
23 Ko nga rangatira, whakahokia iho e ia ki te kahore; ko nga kaiwhakawa o te whenua, meinga ana e ia hei mea horihori noa iho.
He brings leaders down; he makes the rulers of the world like nothing.
24 Ae ra, kahore ratou i whakatokia; ae ra, kahore ratou i ruia; ae ra, kahore to ratou take i whai pakiaka ki te whenua: ka pupuhi hoki ia ki a ratou, a ka maroke ratou; ka rite ki te kakau witi, ka kawhakina e te paroro.
In fact they are hardly even planted, hardly even sown, hardly even taken root, when he blows on them and they wither, and the wind carries them away like straw.
25 Na ki ta koutou, kei to wai he ahua moku? ka rite ranei ahau ki a wai? e ai ta te Mea Tapu.
“Who are you going to compare me with? Who is equal to me?” asks the Holy One.
26 E ara o koutou kanohi ki runga titiro ai, na wai enei mea i hanga, na wai o ratou mano i whakaputa mai he mea tatau tonu: karangatia ana e ia nga ingoa o ratou katoa, maroro rawa, pakari tonu te kaha; e kore tetahi e ngaro.
Look at the heavens. Who created all this? He leads the stars like an army, and calls each one by name. Because he has great power and incredible strength, not a single one of them is missing.
27 He aha koe i korero ai, e Hakopa, i mea ai, e Iharaira, Kua huna toku ara ki a Ihowa, kua mahue i toku Atua toku whakawa?
Why do you speak like this, Jacob, and why do you say, Israel, “The Lord doesn't see what's happening to me, and he's ignoring my rights!”
28 Kahore koe i mohio? kahore koe i rongo, ko te Atua onamata, ko Ihowa, ko te Kaihanga o nga pito o te whenua, e kore ia e ngenge, e kore ia e mauiui? e kore tona matauranga e taea te rapu.
Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The Lord is the eternal God, the Creator of the whole earth. He's never weak or tired; you can't find out all he knows.
29 E homai ana e ia he kaha ki te hunga ngenge: a whakanuia ana e ia te pakari o te mea ngoikore.
He gives strength to the weary and power the powerless.
30 Ahakoa ko nga taitamariki, ka ngenge tonu, ka mauiui, a ko nga taitama, ka hinga rawa.
Even young people grow weak and tired—they fall down when they're exhausted.
31 Tena ko te hunga e tatari ana ki a Ihowa, puta hou ana he kaha mo ratou; kake ana ratou ki runga; ko nga parirau, koia ano kei o nga ekara; ka rere ratou, a e kore e mauiui; ka haere, a e kore e ngenge.
But those who trust in the Lord will have their strength renewed. They will fly high with wings like eagles. They will run and not be tired. They will walk and not be worn out.
