Isaiæ 44
1 Et nunc audi, Jacob, serve meus, et Israël, quem elegi.
But now hear, Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 Hæc dicit Dominus faciens et formans te, ab utero auxiliator tuus: Noli timere, serve meus Jacob, et rectissime, quem elegi.
Thus says the Lord God that made you, and he that formed you from the womb; You shall yet be helped: fear not, my servant Jacob; and beloved Israel, whom I have chosen.
3 Effundam enim aquas super sitientem, et fluenta super aridam; effundam spiritum meum super semen tuum, et benedictionem meam super stirpem tuam:
For I will give water to the thirsty that walk in a dry land: I will put my Spirit upon your seed, and my blessings upon your children:
4 et germinabunt inter herbas, quasi salices juxta præterfluentes aquas.
and they shall spring up as grass between brooks, and as willows on [the banks of] running water.
5 Iste dicet: Domini ego sum; et ille vocabit in nomine Jacob; et hic scribet manu sua: Domino, et in nomine Israël assimilabitur.
One shall say, I am God's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall write with his hand, I am God's, and shall call himself by the name of Israel.
6 Hæc dicit Dominus, rex Israël, et redemptor ejus, Dominus exercituum: Ego primus, et ego novissimus, et absque me non est deus.
Thus says God the King of Israel, and the God of hosts that delivered him; I am the first, and I am hereafter: beside me there is no God.
7 Quis similis mei? vocet, et annuntiet: et ordinem exponat mihi, ex quo constitui populum antiquum; ventura et quæ futura sunt annuntient eis.
Who is like me? let him stand, and call, and declare, and prepare for me from the time that I made man for ever; and let them tell you the things that are coming before they arrive.
8 Nolite timere, neque conturbemini: ex tunc audire te feci, et annuntiavi; vos estis testes mei. Numquid est Deus absque me, et formator quem ego non noverim?
Hide not yourselves, nor go astray: have you not heard from the beginning, and [have not] I told you? you are witnesses if there is a God beside me.
9 Plastæ idoli omnes nihil sunt, et amantissima eorum non proderunt eis. Ipsi sunt testes eorum, quia non vident, neque intelligunt, ut confundantur.
But they that framed [false gods] did not then listen; and they that graved [images] are all vain, performing their own desires, which shall not profit them, but they shall be ashamed
10 Quis formavit deum, et sculptile conflavit ad nihil utile?
that form a god, and all that grave worthless things:
11 Ecce omnes participes ejus confundentur, fabri enim sunt ex hominibus; convenient omnes, stabunt et pavebunt, et confundentur simul.
and all by whom they were made are withered: yes, let all the deaf be gathered from [amongst] men, and let them stand together; and let them be ashamed and confounded together:
12 Faber ferrarius lima operatus est, in prunis et in malleis formavit illud, et operatus est in brachio fortitudinis suæ; esuriet et deficiet, non bibet aquam et lassescet.
For the artificer sharpens the iron; he fashions [the idol] with an axe, and fixes it with an awl, and fashions it with the strength of his arm: and he will be hungry and weak, and will drink no water.
13 Artifex lignarius extendit normam, formavit illud in runcina, fecit illud in angularibus, et in circino tornavit illud, et fecit imaginem viri quasi speciosum hominem habitantem in domo;
The artificer having chosen a piece of wood, marks it out with a rule, and fits it with glue, and makes it as the form of a man, and as the beauty of a man, to set it up in the house.
14 succidit cedros, tulit ilicem, et quercum, quæ steterat inter ligna saltus; plantavit pinum, quam pluvia nutrivit:
He cuts wood out of the forest, which the Lord planted, [even] a pine tree, and the rain made it grow,
15 et facta est hominibus in focum; sumpsit ex eis, et calefactus est; et succendit et coxit panes; de reliquo autem operatus est deum et adoravit; fecit sculptile, et curvatus est ante illud.
that it might be for men to burn: and having taken part of it he warms himself; yes, they burn part of it, and bake loaves thereon; and [of] the rest they make for themselves gods, and they worship them.
16 Medium ejus combussit igni, et de medio ejus carnes comedit; coxit pulmentum, et saturatus est, et calefactus est, et dixit: Vah! calefactus sum, vidi focum;
Half thereof he burns in the fire, and with half of it he bakes loaves on the coals; and having roasted flesh on it he eats, and is satisfied, and having warmed himself he says, I am comfortable, for I have warmed myself, and have seen the fire.
17 reliquum autem ejus deum fecit et sculptile sibi; curvatur ante illud, et adorat illud, et obsecrat, dicens: Libera me, quia deus meus es tu!
And the rest he makes a graven god, and worships, and prays, saying, Deliver me; for you are my God.
18 Nescierunt, neque intellexerunt; obliti enim sunt ne videant oculi eorum, et ne intelligant corde suo.
They have no understanding to perceive; for they have been blinded so that they should not see with their eyes, nor perceive with their heart.
19 Non recogitant in mente sua, neque cognoscunt, neque sentiunt, ut dicant: Medietatem ejus combussi igni, et coxi super carbones ejus panes; coxi carnes et comedi, et de reliquo ejus idolum faciam? ante truncum ligni procidam?
And one has not considered in his mind, nor known in his understanding, that he has burnt up half of it in the fire, and baked loaves on the coals thereof and has roasted and eaten flesh, and of the rest of it he has made an abomination, and they worship it.
20 Pars ejus cinis est; cor insipiens adoravit illud, et non liberabit animam suam: neque dicet: Forte mendacium est in dextera mea.
Know you that their heart is ashes, and they err, and no one is able to deliver his soul: see, you will not say, [There is a] lie in my right hand.
21 Memento horum Jacob, et Israël, quoniam servus meus es tu. Formavi te; servus meus es tu, Israël, ne obliviscaris mei.
Remember these things, O Jacob and Israel; for you are my servant; I have formed you [to be] my servant: and do you, Israel, not forget me.
22 Delevi ut nubem iniquitates tuas, et quasi nebulam peccata tua: revertere ad me, quoniam redemi te.
For behold, I have blotted out as a cloud your transgressions, and your sin as darkness: turn to me, and I will redeem you.
23 Laudate, cæli, quoniam misericordiam fecit Dominus; jubilate, extrema terræ; resonate, montes, laudationem, saltus et omne lignum ejus, quoniam redemit Dominus Jacob, et Israël gloriabitur.
Rejoice, you heavens; for God has had mercy upon Israel: sound the trumpet, you foundations of the earth: you mountains, shout [with] joy, you hills, and all the trees therein: for God has redeemed Jacob, and Israel shall be glorified.
24 Hæc dicit Dominus, redemptor tuus, et formator tuus ex utero: Ego sum Dominus, faciens omnia, extendens cælos solus, stabiliens terram, et nullus mecum;
Thus says the Lord that redeems you, and who formed you from the womb, I am the Lord that performs all things: I stretched out the heaven alone, and established the earth.
25 irrita faciens signa divinorum, et ariolos in furorem vertens; convertens sapientes retrorsum, et scientiam eorum stultam faciens;
Who else will frustrate the tokens of those that have divining spirits, and prophecies from the heart of [man]? turning the wise back, and making their counsel foolishness;
26 suscitans verbum servi sui, et consilium nuntiorum suorum complens; qui dico Jerusalem: Habitaberis, et civitatibus Juda: Ædificabimini, et deserta ejus suscitabo;
and confirming the word of his servant, and verifying the counsel of his messengers: who says to Jerusalem, You shall be inhabited; and to the cities of Idumea, You shall be built, and her desert places shall spring forth.
27 qui dico profundo: Desolare, et flumina tua arefaciam;
Who says to the deep, You shall be dried up, and I will dry up the rivers.
28 qui dico Cyro: Pastor meus es, et omnem voluntatem meam complebis; qui dico Jerusalem: Ædificaberis, et templo: Fundaberis.
Who bids Cyrus be wise, and he shall perform all my will: who says to Jerusalem, You shall be built, and I will lay the foundation of my holy house.
