Esajas 43

1 Men nu, saa siger HERREN, som skabte dig, Jakob, danned dig, Israel: Frygt ikke, jeg genløser dig, jeg kalder dig ved Navn, du er min!

But now, says the Lord your Maker, O Jacob, and your life-giver, O Israel: have no fear, for I have taken up your cause; naming you by your name, I have made you mine.

2 Naar du gaar gennem Vande, er jeg med dig, gennem Strømme, de river dig ikke bort; naar du gaar gennem Ild, skal du ikke svides, Luen brænder dig ikke.

When you go through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not go over you: when you go through the fire, you will not be burned; and the flame will have no power over you.

3 Thi jeg er din Gud, jeg, HERREN, Israels Hellige din Frelser. Jeg giver Ægypten som Løsesum, Ætiopien og Seba i dit Sted,

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your saviour; I have given Egypt as a price for you, Ethiopia and Seba for you.

4 fordi du er dyrebar for mig, har Værd, og jeg elsker dig; jeg giver Mennesker for dig og Folkefærd for din Sjæl.

Because of your value in my eyes, you have been honoured, and loved by me; so I will give men for you, and peoples for your life.

5 Frygt ikke, thi jeg er med dig! Jeg bringer dit Afkom fra Østen, sanker dig sammen fra Vesten,

Have no fear, for I am with you: I will take your seed from the east, and get you together from the west;

6 siger til Norden: »Giv hid!« til Sønden: »Hold ikke tilbage! Bring mine Sønner fra det fjerne, mine Døtre fra Jordens Ende,

I will say to the north, Give them up; and to the south, Do not keep them back; send back my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth;

7 enhver, der er kaldt med mit Navn, hvem jeg skabte, danned og gjorde til min Ære!«

Every one who is named by my name, and whom I have made for my glory, who has been formed and designed by me.

8 Før det blinde Folk frem, der har Øjne, de døve, der dog har Ører!

Send out the blind people who have eyes, and those who have ears, but they are shut.

9 Lad alle Folkene samles, lad Folkefærdene flokkes! Hvo blandt dem kan forkynde sligt eller paavise Ting, de har forudsagt? Lad dem føre Vidner og faa Ret, lad dem høre og sige: »Det er sandt!«

Let all the nations come together, and let the peoples be present: who among them is able to make this clear, and give us word of earlier things? let their witnesses come forward, so that they may be seen to be true, and that they may give ear, and say, It is true.

10 Mine Vidner er I, saa lyder det fra HERREN, min Tjener, hvem jeg har udvalgt, at I maa kende det, tro mig og indse, at jeg er den eneste. Før mig blev en Gud ej dannet, og efter mig kommer der ingen;

You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have taken for myself: so that you may see and have faith in me, and that it may be clear to you that I am he; before me there was no God formed, and there will not be after me.

11 jeg, jeg alene er HERREN, uden mig er der ingen Frelser.

I, even I, am the Lord; and there is no saviour but me.

12 Jeg har forkyndt det og frelser, kundgjort det, ej fremmede hos jer; I er mine Vidner, lyder det fra HERREN. Jeg er fra Evighed Gud,

I gave the word, and made it clear, and there was no strange god among you: for this reason you are my witnesses, says the Lord.

13 den eneste ogsaa i Fremtiden. Ingen frier af min Haand, jeg handler — hvo gør det ugjort?

From time long past I am God, and from this day I am he: there is no one who is able to take you out of my hand: when I undertake a thing, by whom will my purpose be changed?

14 Saa siger HERREN, eders Genløser, Israels Hellige: For eder gør jeg Opbud mod Babel og fjerner deres Fængsels Portslaaer, mens Kaldæerne bindes i Halsjern.

The Lord, who has taken up your cause, the Holy One of Israel, says, Because of you I have sent to Babylon, and made all their seers come south, and the Chaldaeans whose cry is in the ships.

15 Jeg, HERREN, jeg er eders Hellige, Israels Skaber eders Konge.

I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Maker of Israel, your King.

16 Saa siger HERREN, som lagde en Vej i Havet, en Sti i de stride Vande,

This is the word of the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, and a road through the deep waters;

17 førte Vogne og Heste derud, Hær og Kriger tillige; de segned og rejste sig ikke, sluktes, gik ud som en Væge:

Who sends out the war-carriages and the horses, the army with all its force; they have come down, they will not get up again; like a feebly burning light they are put out.

18 Kom ikke det svundne i Hu, tænk ikke paa Fortidens Dage!

Give no thought to the things which are past; let the early times go out of your minds.

19 Thi se, nu skaber jeg nyt, alt spirer det, ser I det ikke? Gennem Ørkenen lægger jeg Vej, Floder i det øde Land;

See, I am doing a new thing; now it is starting; will you not take note of it? I will even make a way in the waste land, and rivers in the dry country.

20 de vilde Dyr skal ære mig, Sjakaler tillige med Strudse. Thi Vand vil jeg give i Ørkenen, Floder i det øde Land, for at læske mit udvalgte Folk.

The beasts of the field will give me honour, the jackals and the ostriches: because I send out waters in the waste land, and rivers in the dry country, to give drink to the people whom I have taken for myself:

21 Det Folk, jeg har dannet mig, skal synge min Pris.

Even the people whom I made to be the witnesses of my praise.

22 Jakob, du kaldte ej paa mig eller trætted dig, Israel, med mig;

But you have made no prayer to me, O Jacob: and you have given no thought to me, O Israel.

23 du bragte mig ej Brændofferlam, du æred mig ikke med Slagtofre; jeg plaged dig ikke for Afgrødeoffer, trætted dig ikke for Røgelse;

You have not made me burned offerings of sheep, or given me honour with your offerings of beasts; I did not make you servants to give me an offering, and I did not make you tired with requests for perfumes.

24 du købte mig ej Kalmus for Sølv eller kvæged mig med Slagtofres Fedt. Nej, du plaged mig med dine Synder, trætted mig med din Brøde.

You have not got me sweet-smelling plants with your money, or given me pleasure with the fat of your offerings: but you have made me a servant to your sins, and you have made me tired with your evil doings.

25 Din Misgerning sletter jeg ud, jeg, jeg, for min egen Skyld, kommer ej dine Synder i Hu.

I, even I, am he who takes away your sins; and I will no longer keep your evil doings in mind.

26 Mind mig, lad vor Sag gaa til Doms, regn op, saa du kan faa Ret!

Put me in mind of this; let us take up the cause between us: put forward your cause, so that you may be seen to be in the right.

27 Allerede din Stamfader synded, dine Talsmænd forbrød sig imod mig,

Your first father was a sinner, and your guides have gone against my word.

28 saa jeg vanæred hellige Fyrster, gav Jakob hen til Band og Israel hen til Spot.

Your chiefs have made my holy place unclean, so I have made Jacob a curse, and Israel a thing of shame.