Isaiæ 44
1 et nunc audi Iacob serve meus et Israhel quem elegi
But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, the one I've chosen.
2 haec dicit Dominus faciens et formans te ab utero auxiliator tuus noli timere serve meus Iacob et Rectissime quem elegi
This is what the Lord says, the one who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Don't be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, the one I've 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'm going to pour out water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground. I'm going to pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.
4 et germinabunt inter herbas quasi salices iuxta praeterfluentes aquas
They will grow up among the grass, like willows beside streams.
5 iste dicet Domini ego sum et ille vocabit in nomine Iacob et hic scribet manu sua Domino et in nomine Israhel adsimilabitur
One of them will say, “I belong to the Lord,” while another will call himself by the name Jacob, and yet another will write on his hand, “Belonging to the Lord,” and will name himself Israel.
6 haec dicit Dominus rex Israhel et redemptor eius Dominus exercituum ego primus et ego novissimus et absque me non est deus
This is what the Lord says, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me.
7 quis similis mei vocet et adnuntiet et ordinem exponat mihi ex quo constitui populum antiquum ventura et quae futura sunt adnuntient eis
Who is like me? Let them announce it, make a declaration, and demonstrate it before me. For I was the one who long ago established a people and predicted its future. Let them predict what's going to happen.
8 nolite timere neque conturbemini ex tunc audire te feci et adnuntiavi vos estis testes mei numquid est deus absque me et formator quem ego non noverim
Don't tremble, don't be afraid! Didn't I tell you long ago what I was going to do? Didn't I explain it? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? There is no other Rock—I don't know any!
9 plastae idoli omnes nihil sunt et amantissima eorum non proderunt eis ipsi sunt testes eorum quia non vident neque intellegunt ut confundantur
All those who make idols are stupid; these things they love so much don't bring them any benefit. Those people who believe in idols can't see this, and they don't know anything, making them look foolish.
10 quis formavit deum et sculptile conflavit ad nihil utile
Who makes a god, who molds an idol that's no use to them?
11 ecce omnes participes eius confundentur fabri enim sunt ex hominibus convenient omnes stabunt et pavebunt et confundentur simul
Everyone who makes idols should be ashamed of themselves. Idol-makers are just human beings! Bring them all together and have them stand up, trembling in shame.
12 faber ferrarius lima operatus est in prunis et in malleis formavit illud et operatus est in brachio fortitudinis suae esuriet et deficiet non bibet aquam et lassescet
The blacksmith makes an iron tool for woodcarving. Working over hot coals, he hammers it into shape as hard as he can. He gets hungry and loses his strength, and because he doesn't drink he grows weak.
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 woodworker measures out a piece of wood, and draws an image on it. He carves it with a chisel and uses a compass to make an outline. He creates an idol that looks like a person, someone beautiful, to be put in a shrine.
14 succidit cedros tulit ilicem et quercum quae steterat inter ligna saltus plantavit pinum quam pluvia nutrivit
He chops down cedars, or takes a cypress or an oak. He lets them grow strong in the forest. He plants a fir tree, and the rain makes 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
Some wood he burns, to keep him warm and to bake his bread. Then he uses some of the same wood to make a god to worship, an idol he bows down to!
16 medium eius conbusit igni et de medio eius carnes comedit coxit pulmentum et saturatus est et calefactus est et dixit va calefactus sum vidi focum
So he burns part of the wood to roast his meat to eat, and to warm him up, and says, “Ah! Look at that fire that keeps me warm!”
17 reliquum autem eius deum fecit sculptile sibi curvatur ante illud et adorat illud et obsecrat dicens libera me quia deus meus es tu
Then he uses the rest of the wood to make himself a god, an idol he bows down to in worship and prays to, saying, “Save me, for you are my god!”
18 nescierunt neque intellexerunt lutati enim sunt ne videant oculi eorum et ne intellegant corde suo
How ignorant they are, how dumb! Their eyes have been plastered over so they can't see, their minds closed so they don't have insight.
19 non recogitant in mente sua neque cognoscunt neque sentiunt ut dicant medietatem eius conbusi igne et coxi super carbones eius panes coxi carnes et comedi et de reliquo eius idolum faciam ante truncum ligni procidam
They can't think things over, they don't have the wisdom or the understanding to say, “Some of the wood I burned in the fire—I used it to bake my bread and roast my meat to eat. The rest of it I used to make a disgusting idol, and I bow down in worship to a block of wood.”
20 pars eius cinis est cor insipiens adoravit illud et non liberabit animam suam neque dicet forte mendacium est in dextera mea
He is feeding on ashes, seduced by the deceptive thinking of his mind. He can't save himself, and he doesn't even ask, “Isn't this idol I'm holding just a lie?”
21 memento horum Iacob et Israhel quoniam servus meus es tu formavi te servus meus es tu Israhel non oblivisceris mei
“Remember all this, Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant. I made you, Israel, you are my servant. I won't forget you.
22 delevi ut nubem iniquitates tuas et quasi nebulam peccata tua revertere ad me quoniam redemi te
I have wiped away your acts of rebellion as if they were like a cloud, your sins as if they were like the mist. Come back to me, for I have set you free.”
23 laudate caeli quoniam fecit Dominus iubilate extrema terrae resonate montes laudationem saltus et omne lignum eius quoniam redemit Dominus Iacob et Israhel gloriabitur
Sing in celebration, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; cry out loud, you depths of the earth. Shout with joy, you mountains, you forests and every tree. For the Lord has set Jacob free, and his glory is shown in Israel!
24 haec dicit Dominus redemptor tuus et formator tuus ex utero ego sum Dominus faciens omnia extendens caelos solus stabiliens terram et nullus mecum
This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer, who shaped you in the womb: “I am the Lord, the Creator of everything. I alone made the heavens, and I myself formed the earth.
25 irrita faciens signa divinorum et ariolos in furorem vertens convertens sapientes retrorsum et scientiam eorum stultam faciens
I am the one who proves the signs of false prophets are wrong. I am the one who makes fools of fortune-tellers. I turn the wisdom of the wise upside-down, and make their knowledge ridiculous.
26 suscitans verbum servi sui et consilium nuntiorum suorum conplens qui dico Hierusalem habitaberis et civitatibus Iuda aedificabimini et deserta eius suscitabo
But I confirm the messages given by my servants, and fulfill what my messengers say. They state, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited again, the towns of Judah will be rebuilt, your ruins will be repaired.’
27 qui dico profundo desolare et flumina tua arefaciam
When I order deep waters, ‘Dry up!’ I will make sure the rivers dry up!
28 qui dico Cyro pastor meus es et omnem voluntatem meam conplebis qui dico Hierusalem aedificaberis et templo fundaberis
When I say to Cyrus, ‘You are my shepherd,’ he will carry out everything I wish. He will give the order, ‘Jerusalem shall be rebuilt,’ and he will say, ‘the Temple shall be restored.’”
