< 以賽亞書 44 >
1 我的僕人雅各, 我所揀選的以色列啊, 現在你當聽。
But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, the one I've chosen.
2 造作你,又從你出胎造就你, 並要幫助你的耶和華如此說: 我的僕人雅各, 我所揀選的耶書崙哪, 不要害怕!
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 因為我要將水澆灌口渴的人, 將河澆灌乾旱之地。 我要將我的靈澆灌你的後裔, 將我的福澆灌你的子孫。
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.
They will grow up among the grass, like willows beside streams.
5 這個要說:我是屬耶和華的; 那個要以雅各的名自稱; 又一個要親手寫:歸耶和華的, 並自稱為以色列。
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 耶和華-以色列的君, 以色列的救贖主-萬軍之耶和華如此說: 我是首先的,我是末後的; 除我以外再沒有真神。
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 自從我設立古時的民, 誰能像我宣告,並且指明,又為自己陳說呢? 讓他將未來的事和必成的事說明。
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 你們不要恐懼,也不要害怕。 我豈不是從上古就說明指示你們嗎? 並且你們是我的見證! 除我以外,豈有真神嗎? 誠然沒有磐石,我不知道一個!
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 製造雕刻偶像的盡都虛空;他們所喜悅的都無益處;他們的見證無所看見,無所知曉,他們便覺羞愧。
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.
Who makes a god, who molds an idol that's no use to them?
11 看哪,他的同伴都必羞愧。工匠也不過是人,任他們聚會,任他們站立,都必懼怕,一同羞愧。
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 鐵匠把鐵在火炭中燒熱,用鎚打鐵器,用他有力的膀臂錘成;他飢餓而無力,不喝水而發倦。
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 木匠拉線,用筆劃出樣子,用鉋子鉋成形狀,用圓尺劃了模樣,仿照人的體態,做成人形,好住在房屋中。
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 他砍伐香柏樹,又取柞樹和橡樹,在樹林中選定了一棵。他栽種松樹,得雨長養。
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 這樹,人可用以燒火;他自己取些烤火,又燒着烤餅,而且做神像跪拜,做雕刻的偶像向它叩拜。
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 他把一分燒在火中,把一分烤肉吃飽。自己烤火說:「啊哈,我暖和了,我見火了。」
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 他用剩下的做了一神,就是雕刻的偶像。他向這偶像俯伏叩拜,禱告它說:「求你拯救我,因你是我的神。」
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 他們不知道,也不思想;因為耶和華閉住他們的眼,不能看見,塞住他們的心,不能明白。
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 誰心裏也不醒悟,也沒有知識,沒有聰明,能說:「我曾拿一分在火中燒了,在炭火上烤過餅;我也烤過肉吃。這剩下的,我豈要做可憎的物嗎?我豈可向木墩子叩拜呢?」
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 他以灰為食,心中昏迷,使他偏邪,他不能自救,也不能說:「我右手中豈不是有虛謊嗎?」
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 雅各,以色列啊, 你是我的僕人,要記念這些事。 以色列啊,你是我的僕人, 我造就你必不忘記你。
“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 我塗抹了你的過犯,像厚雲消散; 我塗抹了你的罪惡,如薄雲滅沒。 你當歸向我,因我救贖了你。
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 諸天哪,應當歌唱, 因為耶和華做成這事。 地的深處啊,應當歡呼; 眾山應當發聲歌唱; 樹林和其中所有的樹都當如此! 因為耶和華救贖了雅各, 並要因以色列榮耀自己。
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 從你出胎,造就你的救贖主-耶和華如此說: 我-耶和華是創造萬物的, 是獨自鋪張諸天、鋪開大地的。 誰與我同在呢?
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 使說假話的兆頭失效, 使占卜的癲狂, 使智慧人退後, 使他的知識變為愚拙;
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 使我僕人的話語立定, 我使者的謀算成就。 論到耶路撒冷說:必有人居住; 論到猶大的城邑說:必被建造, 其中的荒場我也必興起。
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 對深淵說:你乾了吧! 我也要使你的江河乾涸。
When I order deep waters, ‘Dry up!’ I will make sure the rivers dry up!
28 論塞魯士說:他是我的牧人, 必成就我所喜悅的, 必下令建造耶路撒冷, 發命立穩聖殿的根基。
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.’”