Esajas 41
1 Hør mig i Tavshed, I fjerne Strande, lad Folkene hente ny Kraft, komme hid og tage til Orde, lad os sammen gaa frem for Retten!
“Listen before me in silence, you coastlands; let the nations renew their strength; let them come near and speak; let us come near together to argue a dispute.
2 Hvo vakte i Østen ham, hvis Fod gaar fra Sejr til Sejr, hvo giver Folk i hans Vold og gør ham til Kongers Hersker? Han gør deres Sværd til Støv, deres Buer til flagrende Straa,
Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? He hands nations over to him and helps him subdue kings. He turns them to dust with his sword, like windblown stubble with his bow.
3 forfølger dem, gaar uskadt frem ad en Vej, hans Fod ej har traadt.
He pursues them and passes by safely, by a swift path that his feet scarcely touch.
4 Hvo gjorde og virkede det? Han, som længst kaldte Slægterne frem, jeg, HERREN, som er den første og end hos de sidste den samme.
Who has performed and accomplished these deeds? Who has summoned the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, the first, and with the last ones, I am he.
5 Fjerne Strande saa det med Gru, den vide Jord følte Rædsel, de nærmede sig og kom.
The isles have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they approach and come.
6 Den ene hjælper den anden og siger: »Broder, fat Mod!«
Everyone helps his neighbor, and every one says to one another, 'Be encouraged.'
7 Mesteren opmuntrer Guldsmeden, Glatteren ham, der hamrer; Lodningen tager han god og sømmer det fast, saa det staar.
So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith, and he who works with the hammer encourages him who works with an anvil, saying of the welding, 'It is good.' They fasten it with nails so it will not topple over.
8 Men Israel, du min Tjener, Jakob, hvem jeg har udvalgt, — Ætling af Abraham, min Ven —
But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend,
9 hvem jeg tog fra Jordens Grænser og kaldte fra dens fjerneste Kroge, til hvem jeg sagde: »Du min Tjener, som jeg valgte og ikke vraged«:
you whom I am bringing back from the ends of the earth, and whom I called from the far away places, and to whom I said, 'You are my servant;' I have chosen you and not rejected you.
10 Frygt ikke, thi jeg er med dig, vær ej raadvild, thi jeg er din Gud! Med min Retfærds højre styrker, ja hjælper, ja støtter jeg dig.
Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be anxious, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, and I will help you, and I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
11 Se, Skam og Skændsel faar alle, som er dig fjendske, til intet bliver de, der trætter med dig, de forgaar.
See, they will be ashamed and disgraced, all who have been angry with you; they will be as nothing and will perish, those who oppose you.
12 Du søger, men finder ej dem, der kives med dig, til intet, til Luft bliver de, der strides med dig.
You will seek and will not find those who contended with you; those who warred against you will be like nothing, absolutely nothing.
13 Thi jeg, som er HERREN din Gud, jeg griber din Haand, siger til dig: Frygt kun ikke, jeg er din Hjælper.
For I, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Do not fear; I am helping you.'
14 Frygt ikke, Jakob, du Orm, Israel, du Kryb! Jeg hjælper dig, lyder det fra HERREN, din Genløser er Israels Hellige.
Do not fear, Jacob you worm, and you men of Israel; I will help you—this is Yahweh's declaration, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15 Se, jeg gør dig til Tærskeslæde, en ny med mange Tænder; du skal tærske og knuse Bjerge, og Høje skal du gøre til Avner;
Look, I am making you like a sharp threshing sledge, new and two-edged; you will thresh the mountains and crush them; you will make the hills like chaff.
16 du kaster dem, Vinden tager dem, Stormen hvirvler dem bort. Men du skal juble i HERREN, rose dig af Israels Hellige.
You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away; the wind will scatter them. You will rejoice in Yahweh, you will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
17 Forgæves søger de arme og fattige Vand, deres Tunge brænder af Tørst; jeg, HERREN, vil bønhøre dem, dem svigter ej Israels Gud.
The oppressed and needy look for water, but there is none, and their tongues are parched for thirst; I, Yahweh, will respond to their prayers; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18 Fra nøgne Høje sender jeg Floder og Kilder midt i Dale; Ørkenen gør jeg til Vanddrag, det tørre Land til Væld.
I will make streams to flow down the slopes, and springs in the middle of the valleys; I will make the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into springs of water.
19 I Ørkenen giver jeg Cedre, Akacier, Myrter, Oliven; i Ødemark sætter jeg Cypresser tillige med Elm og Gran,
In the wilderness I will set the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the olive tree. I will set the cypress in the desert plain, with the pines and the cypress box trees.
20 at de maa se og kende, mærke sig det og indse, at HERRENS Haand har gjort det, Israels Hellige skabt det.
I will do this so that the people may see, recognize, and understand together, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21 Fremlæg eders Sag, siger HERREN, kom med Bevis! siger Jakobs Konge.
“Present your case,” says Yahweh, “present your best arguments for your idols,” says the King of Jacob.
22 De træde nu frem og forkynde os, hvad der herefter skal ske. Sig frem, hvad I har forudsagt, at vi kan granske derover og se, hvad Udfald det fik; eller kundgør os, hvad der kommer!
Let them bring us their own arguments; have them come forward and declare to us what will happen, so we may know these things well. Have them tell us of earlier predictive declarations, so we can reflect on them and know how they were fulfilled.
23 Forkynd, hvad der siden vil ske, at vi kan se, I er Guder! Gør noget, godt eller ondt, saa maaler vi os med hinanden!
Tell things about the future, that we may know if you are gods; do something good or evil, that we may be frightened and impressed.
24 Se, I er intet, eders Gerning Luft, vederstyggelig, hvo eder vælger.
See, you idols are nothing and your deeds are nothing; the one who chooses you is detestable.
25 Jeg vakte ham fra Norden, og han kom, jeg kaldte ham fra Solens Opgang. Han nedtramper Fyrster som Dynd, som en Pottemager ælter sit Ler.
I have raised up one from the north, and he comes; from the sun's rising I summon him who calls on my name, and he will trample the rulers like mud, like a potter who is treading on the clay.
26 Hvo forkyndte det før, saa vi vidste det, forud, saa vi sagde: »Han fik Ret!« Nej, ingen har forkyndt eller sagt det, ingen har hørt eders Ord.
Who announced this from the beginning, that we might know? Before this time, that we may say, “He is right”? Indeed none of them decreed it, yes, none heard you say anything.
27 Først jeg har forkyndt det for Zion, sendt Jerusalem Glædesbud.
I first said to Zion, “Look here they are;” I sent a herald to Jerusalem.
28 Jeg ser mig om — der er ingen, ingen af dem ved Raad, saa de svarer mig paa mit Spørgsmaal.
When I look, there is no one, not one among them who can give good advice, who, when I ask, can answer a word.
29 Se, alle er de intet, deres Værker Luft, deres Billeder Vind og Tomhed.
Look, all of them are nothing, and their deeds are nothing; their cast metal figures are wind and emptiness.
