إشَعْياء 49

١ 1 أنْصِتِي إِلَيَّ أَيَّتُهَا الْجَزَائِرُ، وَأَصْغُوا يَا شُعُوبَ الْبِلادِ الْبَعِيدَةِ: قَدْ دَعَانِي الرَّبُّ وَأَنَا مَازِلْتُ جَنِيناً، وَذَكَرَ اسْمِي وَأَنَا مَابَرِحْتُ فِي رَحِمِ أُمِّي.

All you people who live on islands [in the ocean] and in other distant areas, pay attention [DOU] to what I will say! Yahweh called/chose me before I was born; he chose/appointed me when I was still in my mother’s womb.

٢ 2 جَعَلَ فَمِي كَسَيْفٍ قَاطِعٍ، وَوَارَانِي فِي ظِلِّ يَدَيْهِ؛ صَنَعَ مِنِّي سَهْماً مَسْنُوناً وَأَخْفَانِي فِي جُعْبَتِهِ،

[When I grew up], he caused my messages to be like [SIM] a sharp sword. He has protected me with his hand [SYN]. [He protects me] [MET] like someone protects sharp arrows in a quiver.

٣ 3 وَقَالَ لِي: «أَنْتَ عَبْدِي إِسْرَائِيلُ الَّذِي بِهِ أَتَمَجَّدُ»

He said to me, “You will serve my Israeli [people], and you will cause people to honor me.”

٤ 4 وَلَكِنَّنِي أَجَبْتُ: «لَقَدْ تَعِبْتُ بَاطِلاً. وَأَفْنَيْتُ قُوَّتِي سُدىً وَعَبَثاً. غَيْرَ أَنَّ حَقِّي مَحْفُوظٌ عِنْدَ الرَّبِّ، وَمَكَافَأَتِي عِنْدَ إِلَهِي».

I replied, “My work has been useless; I have used my strength, but I have accomplished nothing worthwhile; everything that I have done has been (in vain/useless). However, Yahweh can honor me as he pleases; my God is the one who will reward me [as I deserve].”

٥ 5 وَالآنَ قَالَ لِيَ الرَّبُّ الَّذِي كَوَّنَنِي فِي رَحِمِ أُمِّي لأَكُونَ لَهُ خَادِماً، حَتَّى أَرُدَّ ذُرِّيَّةَ يَعْقُوبَ إِلَيْهِ، فَيَجْتَمِعَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ حَوْلَهُ، فَأَتَمَجَّدَ فِي عَيْنَيِ الرَّبِّ وَيَكُونَ إِلَهِي قُوَّتِي:

Yahweh formed me when I was in [my mother’s] womb in order that I would serve him; he appointed me to bring [the people of] Israel back to himself [DOU]. Yahweh has honored me, and he is the one who has caused me to be strong.

٦ 6 لَكَمْ هُوَ يَسِيرٌ أَنْ تَكُونَ لِي عَبْداً لِتَسْتَنْهِضَ أَسْبَاطَ يَعْقُوبَ، وَتَرُدَّ مَنْ نَجَّيْتُ مِنَ إِسْرَائِيلَ، لِذَلِكَ سَأَجْعَلُكَ نُوراً لِلأُمَمِ لِتَكُونَ خَلاصِي إِلَى أَقْصَى الأَرْضِ.

He says to me, “It is not enough for you to serve me by bringing the descendants of Jacob back to worship me again [DOU]; I also want you to be like [MET] a light for the non-Jews; I want you to take my [my message] about how to be saved to [people] all over the world.”

٧ 7 وَهَذَا مَا يَقُولُهُ الرَّبُّ فَادِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَقُدُّوسُهُ لِمَنْ صَارَ مُحْتَقَراً وَمَرْذُولاً لَدَى الأُمَمِ وَعَبْداً لِلْمُتَسَلِّطِينَ: يَرَاكَ الْمُلُوكُ وَيَنْهَضُونَ، وَيَسْجُدُ لَكَ الرُّؤَسَاءُ مِنْ أَجْلِ الرَّبِّ الأَمِينِ، قُدُّوسِ إِسْرَائِيلَ الَّذِي اصْطَفَاكَ.

Yahweh, the one who saves us, the Holy God of us Israeli [people], says to the one who was despised and rejected by the [people of many] nations, the one who is the slave of rulers, “[Some day] kings will stand up to respect you when they see you, and princes will bow down before you because [you serve] me, Yahweh, the one who faithfully [does what I promise]. I am the Holy God to whom you Israelis belong, the one who has chosen you.”

٨ 8 وَهَذَا مَا يَقُولُهُ الرَّبُّ: «اسْتَجَبْتُكَ فِي وَقْتِ رِضًى، وَفِي يَوْمِ خَلاصِي أَعَنْتُكَ فَأَحْفَظُكَ وَأُعْطِيكَ عَهْداً لِلشَّعْبِ لَتَسْتَرِدَّ الأَرْضَ وَتُوَرِّثَ الأَمْلاكَ الَّتِي دَاهَمَهَا الدَّمَارُ،

This is also what Yahweh says: “At a time when it pleases me, I will answer your prayers. On the day when you will be rescued [from your oppressors], I will help you. I will protect you and enable you to establish an agreement with other nations. And by what you do, I will re-establish your nation of Israel and allow you to live/settle again in your land that was abandoned.

٩ 9 لِتَقُولَ لِلأَسْرَى:’اخْرُجُوا‘وَلِلَّذِينَ فِي الظُّلْمَةِ’اظْهَرُوا‘فَيَرْعَوْنَ فِي الطُّرُقَاتِ وَتُصْبِحُ الرَّوَابِي الْجَرْدَاءُ مَرَاعِيَ لَهُمْ.

I will say to those who were captured [and (exiled/taken to Babylonia)], ‘Leave [Babylonia] and return to your own country!’ And I will say to those who are in dark prisons, ‘Come out into the light!’ When that happens, they will again be like [MET] sheep that eat grass in green pastures, on hills where [previously] there was no grass.

١٠ 10 لَا يَجُوعُونَ وَلا يَعْطَشُونَ، وَلا يُعْيِيهُمْ لَهِيبُ الصَّحْرَاءِ وَلا لَفْحُ الشَّمْسِ، لأَنَّ رَاحِمَهُمْ يَهْدِيهِمْ وَيَقُودُهُمْ إِلَى يَنَابِيعِ الْمِيَاهِ.

They will not be hungry or thirsty [any more]; the hot sun will not beat upon them again [DOU]. I, Yahweh, will act mercifully toward them and lead them; I will lead them to where there are springs of cool water.

١١ 11 وَأَجْعَلُ كُلَّ جِبَالِي سَبِيلاً، وَطُرُقِي تَرْتَفِعُ.

And I will cause the mountains to become [as though they were] level roads, and I will prepare good highways [for my people to travel on, to return to Jerusalem].

١٢ 12 انْظُرُوا، هَا هُمْ يُقْبِلُونَ مِنْ دِيَارٍ بَعِيدَةٍ، هَؤُلاءِ مِنَ الشِّمَالِ وَالْغَرْبِ، وَهَؤُلاءِ مِنْ أَرْضِ سِينِيمَ».

My people will return from far away; some will come from the north, some from the west, some from southern Egypt.”

١٣ 13 فَاهْتِفِي فَرَحاً أَيَّتُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ، وَابْتَهِجِي أَيَّتُهَا الأَرْضُ، وَأَشِيدِي بِالتَّرْنِيمِ أَيَّتُهَا الْجِبَالُ، لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ عَزَّى شَعْبَهُ وَرَأَفَ بِبَائِسِيهِ.

[Because of what Yahweh has promised to do], everything should shout joyfully— the sky and the earth and the mountains should sing, because Yahweh comforts his people, and he will pity those who are suffering.

١٤ 14 لَكِنَّ أَهْلَ صِهْيَوْنَ قَالُوا: «لَقَدْ أَهْمَلَنَا الرَّبُّ وَنَسِيَنَا».

[The people of] Jerusalem say, “Yahweh has abandoned us; he has forgotten about us.”

١٥ 15 «هَلْ تَنْسَى الْمَرْأَةُ رَضِيعَهَا وَلا تَرْحَمُ ابْنَ أَحْشَائِهَا؟ حَتَّى هَؤُلاءِ يَنْسَيْنَ، أَمَّا أَنَا فَلا أَنْسَاكُمْ.

But [Yahweh replies], “That is not true! (Can a woman forget the infant that she is nursing?/A woman certainly cannot forget the infant that she is nursing!) [RHQ] (Can she stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth?/She certainly cannot stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth!) [RHQ] But even if a woman would do that, I will not forget you!

١٦ 16 انْظُرُوا هَا أَنَا قَدْ نَقَشْتُكِ يَا صِهْيَوْنُ عَلَى كَفِّي، وَأَسْوَارُكِ لَا تَبْرَحُ مِنْ أَمَامِي.

Note that I have written your [names] on the palms of my hands; in my mind I can always see the walls of your city.

١٧ 17 أَسْرَعَ إِلَيْكِ أَوْلادُكِ بَنَّاؤُوكِ، وَفَارَقَكِ هَادِمُوكِ وَمُخَرِّبُوكِ.

Soon your children will be returning there (OR, Those who rebuild your city will work more quickly than those who destroyed it), and all those who destroyed your city will leave.

١٨ 18 ارْفَعِي عَيْنَيْكِ وَتَلَفَّتِي حَوْلَكِ وَانْظُرِي، فَقَدِ اجْتَمَعَ أَبْنَاؤُكِ وَتَوَافَدُوا إِلَيْكِ. حَيٌّ أَنَا»، يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ، «فَإِنَّكِ سَتَتَزَيَّنِينَ بِهِمْ كَالْحُلِيِّ وَتَتَقَلَّدِينَهُمْ كَعَرُوسٍ

You will look around and see all of your children coming back to you. As surely as I live, they will be around you [for you to show to people] like [SIM] a bride shows her wedding ornaments!

١٩ 19 وَتَعِجُّ أَرْضُكِ الْخَرِبَةُ وَدِيَارُكِ الْمُتَهَدِّمَةُ، وَمَنَاطِقُكِ الْمُدَمَّرَةُ بِالسُّكَّانِ حَتَّى تَضِيقَ بِهِمْ، وَيَبْتَعِدَ عَنْكِ مُبْتَلِعُوكِ.

Your land has been ruined and caused to become desolate/abandoned [DOU], but [some day] it will be filled with people, and those who conquered you will be far away.

٢٠ 20 وَيَقُولُ أَيْضاً فِي مَسَامِعِكِ بَنُوكِ الْمَوْلُودُونَ فِي أَثْنَاءِ ثُكْلِكِ:’إِنَّ الْمَكَانَ أَضْيَقُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسَعَنَا، فَأَفْسِحِي لَنَا حَتَّى نَسْكُنَ.‘

The children who were born while you were (exiled/in Babylonia) [MET] will return [to Jerusalem] and say, ‘This city is too small for us; We need more space to live in!’

٢١ 21 فَتَسْأَلِينَ نَفْسَكِ:’مَنْ أَنْجَبَ لِي هَؤُلاءِ وَأَنَا ثَكْلَى وَعَاقِرٌ، مَنْفِيَّةٌ وَمَنْبُوذَةٌ؟ مَنْ رَبَّى لِي هَؤُلاءِ؟ فَقَدْ تُرِكْتُ وَحْدِي، أَمَّا هَؤُلاءِ فَمِنْ أَيْنَ جَاءُوا؟‘»

Then you will think to yourselves [MTY], ‘It is amazing that we have [RHQ] all these children! Most of our children were dead, and the rest were exiled. We were left here alone; so we do not know [RHQ] where all these children have come from! Who raised them?'”

٢٢ 22 وَهَذَا مَا يَقُولُهُ السَّيِّدُ الرَّبُّ: «هَا أَنَا أَرْفَعُ يَدِي إِلَى الأُمَمِ وَأَنْصِبُ رَايَتِي إِلَى الشُّعُوبِ، فَيَحْمِلُونَ أَبْنَاءَكِ فِي أَحْضَانِهِمْ وَبَنَاتِكِ عَلَى أَكْتَافِهِمْ.

This is what Yahweh our God says: “Watch! [It is as though] I will lift up my hand to signal to those who are not Israelis. And they will carry your little sons and daughters on their shoulders and bring them back to you.

٢٣ 23 يَكُونُ لَكِ الْمُلُوكُ آبَاءَ مُرَبِّينَ، وَمَلِكَاتُهُمْ مُرْضِعَاتٍ، يَنْحَنُونَ أَمَامَكِ بِوُجُوهٍ مُطْرِقَةٍ إِلَى الأَرْضِ، وَيَلْحَسُونَ تُرَابَ قَدَمَيْكِ. عِنْدَئِذٍ تُدْرِكِينَ أَنَّنِي أَنَا الرَّبُّ، وَكُلُّ مَنْ يَتَّكِلُ عَلَيَّ لَا يَخْزَى».

Kings will serve you and will tutor/teach your children, and their queens will take care of your young children. They will prostrate themselves in front of you and [humble themselves by] licking the dust off your feet. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do]; and those who trust in me will never be disappointed.”

٢٤ 24 هَلْ تُسْلَبُ الْغَنِيمَةُ مِنَ الْمُحَارِبِ الْجَبَّارِ؟ أَوْ يُفْلِتُ الأَسْرَى مِنْ قَبْضَةِ الْغَالِبِ؟

There is no one [RHQ] who can snatch valuable things from a soldier who has captured those things [in a war]; there is no one [RHQ] who can force a (tyrant/cruel man) to free the people whom he has captured.

٢٥ 25 «نَعَمْ سَبْيُ الْجَبَّارِ يُسْلَبُ مِنْهُ، وَتُسْتَرَدُّ الْغَنِيمَةُ مِنَ الْغَالِبِ، لأَنَّنِي أُخَاصِمُ مُخَاصِمِيكِ وَأُنْقِذُ أَبْنَاءَكِ،

But Yahweh says this: “[Some day], those who have been captured will be freed, and the valuable things that (tyrants/cruel men) have snatched from others will be returned, because I will fight against those who fight against you, and I will rescue your children.

٢٦ 26 وَأَجْعَلُ مُضْطَهِدِيكِ يَلْتَهِمُونَ لُحُومَ أَجْسَادِهِمْ، وَيَسْكَرُونَ بِدَمِهِمْ كَمَنْ يَشْرَبُ خَمْراً. عِنْدَئِذٍ يُدْرِكُ كُلُّ ذِي جَسَدٍ أَنَّنِي أَنَا الرَّبُّ مُخَلِّصُكِ وَفَادِيكِ إِلَهُ يَعْقُوبَ الْقَدِيرُ».

And I will cause your enemies to destroy themselves [MET] instead of murdering others. When that happens, everyone [in the world] will know that I, Yahweh, am the one who saves you, the one who rescues you from your enemies; everyone will know that I am the mighty God to whom [you descendants of] [MTY] Jacob belong.”