以賽亞書 49
1 眾海島啊，當聽我言！ 遠方的眾民哪，留心而聽！ 自我出胎，耶和華就選召我； 自出母腹，他就提我的名。
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.
2 他使我的口如快刀， 將我藏在他手蔭之下； 又使我成為磨亮的箭， 將我藏在他箭袋之中；
[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.
3 對我說：你是我的僕人以色列； 我必因你得榮耀。
He said to me, “You will serve my Israeli [people], and you will cause people to honor me.”
4 我卻說：我勞碌是徒然； 我盡力是虛無虛空。 然而，我當得的理必在耶和華那裏； 我的賞賜必在我上帝那裏。
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].”
5 耶和華從我出胎，造就我作他的僕人， 要使雅各歸向他， 使以色列到他那裏聚集。 原來耶和華看我為尊貴； 我的上帝也成為我的力量。
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.
6 現在他說：你作我的僕人， 使雅各眾支派復興， 使以色列中得保全的歸回尚為小事， 我還要使你作外邦人的光， 叫你施行我的救恩，直到地極。
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.”
7 救贖主－以色列的聖者耶和華 對那被人所藐視、本國所憎惡、 官長所虐待的如此說： 君王要看見就站起， 首領也要下拜； 都因信實的耶和華， 就是揀選你－以色列的聖者。
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.”
8 耶和華如此說： 在悅納的時候，我應允了你； 在拯救的日子，我濟助了你。 我要保護你， 使你作眾民的中保； 復興遍地， 使人承受荒涼之地為業。
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.
9 對那被捆綁的人說：出來吧！ 對那在黑暗的人說：顯露吧！ 他們在路上必得飲食， 在一切淨光的高處必有食物。
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.
10 不飢不渴， 炎熱和烈日必不傷害他們； 因為憐恤他們的必引導他們， 領他們到水泉旁邊。
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.
11 我必使我的眾山成為大道； 我的大路也被修高。
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].
12 看哪，這些從遠方來； 這些從北方、從西方來； 這些從秦國來。
My people will return from far away; some will come from the north, some from the west, some from southern Egypt.”
13 諸天哪，應當歡呼！ 大地啊，應當快樂！ 眾山哪，應當發聲歌唱！ 因為耶和華已經安慰他的百姓， 也要憐恤他困苦之民。
[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.
14 錫安說：耶和華離棄了我； 主忘記了我。
[The people of] Jerusalem say, “Yahweh has abandoned us; he has forgotten about us.”
15 婦人焉能忘記她吃奶的嬰孩， 不憐恤她所生的兒子？ 即或有忘記的， 我卻不忘記你。
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!
16 看哪，我將你銘刻在我掌上； 你的牆垣常在我眼前。
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.
17 你的兒女必急速歸回； 毀壞你的，使你荒廢的，必都離你出去，
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.
18 你舉目向四方觀看； 他們都聚集來到你這裏。 耶和華說：我指着我的永生起誓： 你必要以他們為妝飾佩戴， 以他們為華帶束腰，像新婦一樣。
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!
19 至於你荒廢淒涼之處， 並你被毀壞之地， 現今眾民居住必顯為太窄； 吞滅你的必離你遙遠。
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.
20 你必聽見喪子之後所生的兒女說： 這地方我居住太窄， 求你給我地方居住。
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!’
21 那時你心裏必說：我既喪子獨居， 是被擄的，漂流在外。 誰給我生這些？ 誰將這些養大呢？ 撇下我一人獨居的時候， 這些在哪裏呢？
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?'”
22 主耶和華如此說： 我必向列國舉手， 向萬民豎立大旗； 他們必將你的眾子懷中抱來， 將你的眾女肩上扛來。
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.
23 列王必作你的養父； 王后必作你的乳母。 他們必將臉伏地，向你下拜， 並舔你腳上的塵土。 你便知道我是耶和華； 等候我的必不致羞愧。
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.”
24 勇士搶去的豈能奪回？ 該擄掠的豈能解救嗎？
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.
25 但耶和華如此說： 就是勇士所擄掠的，也可以奪回； 強暴人所搶的，也可以解救。 與你相爭的，我必與他相爭； 我要拯救你的兒女。
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.
26 並且我必使那欺壓你的吃自己的肉， 也要以自己的血喝醉，好像喝甜酒一樣。 凡有血氣的必都知道我－耶和華是你的救主， 是你的救贖主，是雅各的大能者。
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.”
