< 以賽亞書 44 >

1 但是現在,我的僕人雅各伯!我所揀選的以色列!你聽罷!
And now, give ear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have taken for myself:
2 那造成你,從母胎形成你,且協助你的上主這樣說:「我的僕人雅各伯!我所揀選的耶叔戎,你不要害怕!
The Lord who made you, forming you in your mother's body, the Lord, your helper, says, Have no fear, O Jacob my servant, and you, Jeshurun, whom I have taken for myself.
3 因為我要把水倒在乾地上,使豪雨落在旱陸上;我要把我的神傾住在你的苗裔身上,把我的祝福降在你的子孫身上。
For I will send water on the land needing it, and streams on the dry earth: I will let my spirit come down on your seed, and my blessing on your offspring.
4 他們要生長,有如水邊的青草,又如溪畔的楊柳。
And they will come up like grass in a well-watered field, like water-plants by the streams.
5 這個說:「我是上主的,」那個要起雅各伯的名字,另一個要在手上寫 :「屬於上主,」並要起以色列的名號。
One will say, I am the Lord's; and another will give himself the name, Jacob; another will put a mark on his hand, I am the Lord's, and another will take the name of Israel for himself.
6 上主,以色列的君王,救主,萬軍的上主這樣說:「我是元始,我是終末,在我以外沒有別的神。
The Lord, the King of Israel, even the Lord of armies who has taken up his cause, says, I am the first and the last, and there is no God but me.
7 誰相似我﹖讓他前來伸述,讓他說明,給我拿出證據來!誰能從永遠預言未來的事,請他告訴我們快要發生的事罷!
If there is one like me, let him come forward and say it, let him make it clear and put it in order before me: who has made clear in the past the things to come? let him make clear the future to me.
8 你們不必驚慌,不用害怕!我不是早已告訴過你,早已宣布了嗎﹖你們是我的證人,在我以外還有別的神嗎﹖決沒有別的磐石!我一個也不認識!」
Have no fear, be strong in heart; have I not made it clear to you in the past, and let you see it? and you are my witnesses. Is there any God but me, or a Rock of whom I have no knowledge?
9 製造偶像的人都是虛無,他們所喜愛的,也毫無用處;他們的見證人一無所見,毫無所知,必將蒙受恥辱。
Those who make a pictured image are all of them as nothing, and the things of their desire will be of no profit to them: and their servants see not, and have no knowledge; so they will be put to shame.
10 有誰製造神像或鑄偶像,不想得利呢﹖
Whoever makes a god, makes nothing but a metal image in which there is no profit.
11 看哪!凡作他夥伴的,都要蒙受恥辱,因為製造偶像的,也只是人而已! 讓他們集合起來一同前來罷!他們必要驚慌羞愧!
Truly, all those who make use of secret arts will be put to shame, and their words of power are only words of men: let them all come forward together; they will all be in fear and be put to shame.
12 鐵匠先在炭火上工作,再用鎚子打成偶像,他用大力的手臂工作,當饑餓時,也就沒有力量;沒有水喝,他就疲勞不堪。
The iron-worker is heating the metal in the fire, giving it form with his hammers, and working on it with his strong arm: then for need of food his strength gives way, and for need of water he becomes feeble.
13 木匠伸展繩墨,用筆劃線,後拿刨子刨平,再用圓規測量,做成一個人形,具有人的美麗,好供在廟裏。
The woodworker is measuring out the wood with his line, marking it out with his pencil: after smoothing it with his plane, and making circles on it with his instrument, he gives it the form and glory of a man, so that it may be placed in the house.
14 人先去砍伐一塊香柏,或取一塊榆木,或橡木;或在樹林中選一塊堅固的木料,或自己種植一棵月桂樹,讓雨水使之長大。
He has cedars cut down for himself, he takes an oak and lets it get strong among the trees of the wood; he has an ash-tree planted, and the rain gives it growth.
15 這些木料原是為人作燃料,原可用來取煖,也可燃燒烘烤麵包;人卻用它來作神像去恭敬,或做偶像去叩拜:
Then it will be used to make a fire, so that a man may get warm; he has the oven heated with it and makes bread: he makes a god with it, to which he gives worship: he makes a pictured image out of it, and goes down on his face before it.
16 人把一半木頭投入火中燃燒,在火炭上烤肉吃;待吃飽了烤肉,又取了煖,遂說:「哈哈!我暖和了,也覺得有了火!」
With part of it he makes a fire, and on the fire he gets meat cooked and takes a full meal: he makes himself warm, and says, Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire:
17 遂用剩下的一半作了一個神像,一個偶像,向它叩拜,俯伏懇求說:「求你救我,因為你是我的神!」
And the rest of it he makes into a god, even his pictured image: he goes down on his face before it, giving worship to it, and making prayer to it, saying, Be my saviour; for you are my god.
18 他們不瞭解,也不覺悟,因為他們的眼糊住了,什麼也看不見;他們的心也不知覺悟,
They have no knowledge or wisdom; for he has put a veil over their eyes, so that they may not see; and on their hearts, so that they may not give attention.
19 也不回心想一下,也不會明智通達地說:「一半木頭我已投入火中燒了,並在火炭上烤了麵包,烤了肉吃;我竟將剩下的一半作了一個怪物,向這塊木頭敬拜。」
And no one takes note, no one has enough knowledge or wisdom to say, I have put part of it in the fire, and made bread on it; I have had a meal of the flesh cooked with it: and am I now to make the rest of it into a false god? am I to go down on my face before a bit of wood?
20 他所追求的僅是一把灰;他迷惑的心領他走入歧途,而不能自拔,也不會問說:「我右手所拿的不是虛無嗎﹖」
As for him whose food is the dust of a dead fire, he has been turned from the way by a twisted mind, so that he is unable to keep himself safe by saying, What I have here in my hand is false.
21 雅各伯啊!你要記住這些事!以色列啊!你也應記住,因為你是我的僕人,我造了你,是叫你作我的僕人。以色列啊!我決不會忘了你!
Keep these things in mind, O Jacob; and you Israel, for you are my servant: I have made you; you are my servant; O Israel, I will not let you go out of my memory.
22 我消除了你的罪過,有如煙消;我消除了你的愆尤,有如雲散;歸依我罷!因為我救贖了你。
I have put your evil doings out of my mind like a thick cloud, and your sins like a mist: come back to me; for I have taken up your cause.
23 諸天,歡騰罷!因為上主作了這一切;地下的深淵,歡呼罷!山嶺、森林和其中的樹木,高聲歌唱罷!因為上主拯救了雅各伯,在以色列顯揚了自己。
Make a song, O heavens, for the Lord has done it: give a loud cry, you deep parts of the earth: let your voices be loud in song, you mountains, and you woods with all your trees: for the Lord has taken up the cause of Jacob, and will let his glory be seen in Israel.
24 你的救主,由母胎形成你的上主這樣說:「我是創造萬有的上主,只有我展開了諸天,佈置了大地,誰與我同在﹖
The Lord, who has taken up your cause, and who gave you life in your mother's body, says, I am the Lord who makes all things; stretching out the heavens by myself, and giving the earth its limits; who was with me?
25 是我破壞了占卜者的預兆,使巫士成為愚妄,使智者退後,使他們的知識變為愚蠢,
Who makes the signs of those who give word of the future come to nothing, so that those who have knowledge of secret arts go off their heads; turning the wise men back, and making their knowledge foolish:
26 是我叫我僕人們的話實現,叫我使者們的計謀成功;是我論及耶路撒冷說:「你必要有人居住。」論及猶大各城說:「你們要被重建,我必要重建你們的廢址。」
Who makes the word of his servants certain, and gives effect to the purposes of his representatives; who says of Jerusalem, Her people will come back to her; and of the towns of Judah, I will give orders for their building, and will make her waste places fertile again:
27 是我對深淵說:「你必涸竭,我要使你的河流乾涸。」
Who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will make your rivers dry:
28 是我論及居魯士說:「他是我的牧人,他要履行我的一切計劃,要吩咐重建耶路撒冷,奠基重修聖殿。」
Who says of Cyrus, He will take care of my sheep, and will do all my pleasure: who says of Jerusalem, I will give the word for your building; and of the Temple, Your bases will be put in place.

< 以賽亞書 44 >