Ἠσαΐας 44
1 νῦν δὲ ἄκουσον παῖς μου Ιακωβ καὶ Ισραηλ ὃν ἐξελεξάμην
Yet listen now, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 οὕτως λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας σε καὶ ὁ πλάσας σε ἐκ κοιλίας ἔτι βοηθηθήσῃ μὴ φοβοῦ παῖς μου Ιακωβ καὶ ὁ ἠγαπημένος Ισραηλ ὃν ἐξελεξάμην
This is what Yahweh who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: “Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 ὅτι ἐγὼ δώσω ὕδωρ ἐν δίψει τοῖς πορευομένοις ἐν ἀνύδρῳ ἐπιθήσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπὶ τὸ σπέρμα σου καὶ τὰς εὐλογίας μου ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα σου
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring;
4 καὶ ἀνατελοῦσιν ὡσεὶ χόρτος ἀνὰ μέσον ὕδατος καὶ ὡς ἰτέα ἐπὶ παραρρέον ὕδωρ
and they will spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
5 οὗτος ἐρεῖ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰμι καὶ οὗτος βοήσεται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ιακωβ καὶ ἕτερος ἐπιγράψει τοῦ θεοῦ εἰμι ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ισραηλ
One will say, ‘I am Yahweh’s.’ Another will be called by the name of Jacob; and another will write with his hand ‘to Yahweh,’ and honor the name of Israel.”
6 οὕτως λέγει ὁ θεὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ισραηλ ὁ ῥυσάμενος αὐτὸν θεὸς σαβαωθ ἐγὼ πρῶτος καὶ ἐγὼ μετὰ ταῦτα πλὴν ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν θεός
This is what Yahweh, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies, says: “I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.
7 τίς ὥσπερ ἐγώ στήτω καλεσάτω καὶ ἑτοιμασάτω μοι ἀφ’ οὗ ἐποίησα ἄνθρωπον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ τὰ ἐπερχόμενα πρὸ τοῦ ἐλθεῖν ἀναγγειλάτωσαν ὑμῖν
Who is like me? Who will call, and will declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? Let them declare the things that are coming, and that will happen.
8 μὴ παρακαλύπτεσθε οὐκ ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἠνωτίσασθε καὶ ἀπήγγειλα ὑμῖν μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς ἐστε εἰ ἔστιν θεὸς πλὴν ἐμοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἦσαν τότε
Don’t fear, neither be afraid. Haven’t I declared it to you long ago, and shown it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Indeed, there is not. I don’t know any other Rock.”
9 οἱ πλάσσοντες καὶ γλύφοντες πάντες μάταιοι οἱ ποιοῦντες τὰ καταθύμια αὐτῶν ἃ οὐκ ὠφελήσει αὐτούς ἀλλὰ αἰσχυνθήσονται
Everyone who makes a carved image is vain. The things that they delight in will not profit. Their own witnesses don’t see, nor know, that they may be disappointed.
10 πάντες οἱ πλάσσοντες θεὸν καὶ γλύφοντες ἀνωφελῆ
Who has fashioned a god, or molds an image that is profitable for nothing?
11 καὶ πάντες ὅθεν ἐγένοντο ἐξηράνθησαν καὶ κωφοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων συναχθήτωσαν πάντες καὶ στήτωσαν ἅμα ἐντραπήτωσαν καὶ αἰσχυνθήτωσαν ἅμα
Behold, all his fellows will be disappointed; and the workmen are mere men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up. They will fear. They will be put to shame together.
12 ὅτι ὤξυνεν τέκτων σίδηρον σκεπάρνῳ εἰργάσατο αὐτὸ καὶ ἐν τερέτρῳ ἔτρησεν αὐτό εἰργάσατο αὐτὸ ἐν τῷ βραχίονι τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ καὶ πεινάσει καὶ ἀσθενήσει καὶ οὐ μὴ πίῃ ὕδωρ ἐκλεξάμενος
The blacksmith takes an ax, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint.
13 τέκτων ξύλον ἔστησεν αὐτὸ ἐν μέτρῳ καὶ ἐν κόλλῃ ἐρρύθμισεν αὐτό ἐποίησεν αὐτὸ ὡς μορφὴν ἀνδρὸς καὶ ὡς ὡραιότητα ἀνθρώπου στῆσαι αὐτὸ ἐν οἴκῳ
The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. He marks it out with compasses, and shapes it like the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to reside in a house.
14 ὃ ἔκοψεν ξύλον ἐκ τοῦ δρυμοῦ ὃ ἐφύτευσεν κύριος καὶ ὑετὸς ἐμήκυνεν
He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak, and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest. He plants a cypress tree, and the rain nourishes it.
15 ἵνα ᾖ ἀνθρώποις εἰς καῦσιν καὶ λαβὼν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐθερμάνθη καὶ καύσαντες ἔπεψαν ἄρτους ἐπ’ αὐτῶν τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν εἰργάσαντο εἰς θεούς καὶ προσκυνοῦσιν αὐτούς
Then it will be for a man to burn; and he takes some of it and warms himself. Yes, he burns it and bakes bread. Yes, he makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
16 οὗ τὸ ἥμισυ αὐτοῦ κατέκαυσαν ἐν πυρὶ καὶ καύσαντες ἔπεψαν ἄρτους ἐπ’ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτοῦ κρέας ὀπτήσας ἔφαγεν καὶ ἐνεπλήσθη καὶ θερμανθεὶς εἶπεν ἡδύ μοι ὅτι ἐθερμάνθην καὶ εἶδον πῦρ
He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it, he eats meat. He roasts a roast and is satisfied. Yes, he warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire.”
17 τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν ἐποίησεν εἰς θεὸν γλυπτὸν καὶ προσκυνεῖ αὐτῷ καὶ προσεύχεται λέγων ἐξελοῦ με ὅτι θεός μου εἶ σύ
The rest of it he makes into a god, even his engraved image. He bows down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
18 οὐκ ἔγνωσαν φρονῆσαι ὅτι ἀπημαυρώθησαν τοῦ βλέπειν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτῶν καὶ τοῦ νοῆσαι τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν
They don’t know, neither do they consider, for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see, and their hearts, that they can’t understand.
19 καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσατο τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ἀνελογίσατο ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ἔγνω τῇ φρονήσει ὅτι τὸ ἥμισυ αὐτοῦ κατέκαυσεν ἐν πυρὶ καὶ ἔπεψεν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθράκων αὐτοῦ ἄρτους καὶ ὀπτήσας κρέας ἔφαγεν καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς βδέλυγμα ἐποίησεν καὶ προσκυνοῦσιν αὐτῷ
No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”
20 γνῶτε ὅτι σποδὸς ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν καὶ πλανῶνται καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐξελέσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἴδετε οὐκ ἐρεῖτε ὅτι ψεῦδος ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ μου
He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he can’t deliver his soul, nor say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?”
21 μνήσθητι ταῦτα Ιακωβ καὶ Ισραηλ ὅτι παῖς μου εἶ σύ ἔπλασά σε παῖδά μου καὶ σύ Ισραηλ μὴ ἐπιλανθάνου μου
Remember these things, Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant. I have formed you. You are my servant. Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
22 ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀπήλειψα ὡς νεφέλην τὰς ἀνομίας σου καὶ ὡς γνόφον τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου ἐπιστράφητι πρός με καὶ λυτρώσομαί σε
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.
23 εὐφράνθητε οὐρανοί ὅτι ἠλέησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν Ισραηλ σαλπίσατε θεμέλια τῆς γῆς βοήσατε ὄρη εὐφροσύνην οἱ βουνοὶ καὶ πάντα τὰ ξύλα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς ὅτι ἐλυτρώσατο ὁ θεὸς τὸν Ιακωβ καὶ Ισραηλ δοξασθήσεται
Sing, you heavens, for Yahweh has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth! Break out into singing, you mountains, O forest, all of your trees, for Yahweh has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.
24 οὕτως λέγει κύριος ὁ λυτρούμενός σε καὶ ὁ πλάσσων σε ἐκ κοιλίας ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ συντελῶν πάντα ἐξέτεινα τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνος καὶ ἐστερέωσα τὴν γῆν τίς ἕτερος
Yahweh, your Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb says: “I am Yahweh, who makes all things; who alone stretches out the heavens; who spreads out the earth by myself;
25 διασκεδάσει σημεῖα ἐγγαστριμύθων καὶ μαντείας ἀπὸ καρδίας ἀποστρέφων φρονίμους εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ τὴν βουλὴν αὐτῶν μωρεύων
who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;
26 καὶ ἱστῶν ῥήματα παιδὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν βουλὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ ἀληθεύων ὁ λέγων Ιερουσαλημ κατοικηθήσῃ καὶ ταῖς πόλεσιν τῆς Ιουδαίας οἰκοδομηθήσεσθε καὶ τὰ ἔρημα αὐτῆς ἀνατελεῖ
who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited;’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be built,’ and ‘I will raise up its waste places;’
27 ὁ λέγων τῇ ἀβύσσῳ ἐρημωθήσῃ καὶ τοὺς ποταμούς σου ξηρανῶ
who says to the deep, ‘Be dry,’ and ‘I will dry up your rivers,’
28 ὁ λέγων Κύρῳ φρονεῖν καὶ πάντα τὰ θελήματά μου ποιήσει ὁ λέγων Ιερουσαλημ οἰκοδομηθήσῃ καὶ τὸν οἶκον τὸν ἅγιόν μου θεμελιώσω
who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure,’ even saying of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built;’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”
