Esajas 44
1 Men hør nu, Jakob, min Tjener, Israel, hvem jeg har udvalgt:
“And now, hear, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have fixed on—
2 Saa siger HERREN, som skabte dig og fra Moders Liv danned dig, din Hjælper: Frygt ikke, min Tjener Jakob, Jesjurun, hvem jeg har udvalgt!
Thus said YHWH, your Maker, and your Former, From the womb He helps you: Do not fear, My servant Jacob, And Yeshurun, whom I have fixed on.
3 Thi jeg udgyder Vand paa det tørstende, Strømme paa det tørre Land, udgyder min Aand paa din Æt, min Velsignelse over dit Afkom;
For I pour waters on a thirsty one, And floods on a dry land, I pour My Spirit on your seed, And My blessing on your offspring.
4 de skal spire som Græs mellem Vande, som Pile ved Bækkenes Løb.
And they have sprung up as among grass, As willows by conduits of water.
5 En skal sige: »Jeg er HERRENS«, en kalde sig med Jakobs Navn, en skrive i sin Haand: »For HERREN!« og tage sig Israels Navn.
This [one] says, For I [am] YHWH’s, And this calls [himself] by the name of Jacob, And this [one] writes [with] his hand, For YHWH, And surnames himself by the name of Israel.”
6 Saa siger HERREN, Israels Konge, dets Genløser, Hærskarers HERRE: Jeg er den første og den sidste, uden mig er der ingen Gud.
Thus said YHWH, King of Israel, And his Redeemer, YHWH of Hosts: “I [am] the first, and I [am] the last, And besides Me there is no God.
7 Hvo der er min Lige, træde frem, forkynde og godtgøre for mig: Hvo kundgjorde fra Urtid det kommende? De forkynde os, hvad der skal ske!
And who [is] as I, call and declare it, And arrange it for Me, Since My placing the people of antiquity, And things that are coming, And those that come, they declare to them.
8 Ræddes og ængstes ikke! Har ej længst jeg kundgjort og sagt det? I er mine Vidner: Er der Gud uden mig, er der vel anden Klippe? Jeg ved ikke nogen.
Do not fear, nor be afraid, Have I not caused you to hear from that time, and declared? And you [are] My witnesses, Is there a God besides Me? Indeed, there is none, I have not known another Rock.”
9 De, der laver Gudebilleder, er alle intet, og deres kære Guder gavner intet; deres Vidner ser intet og kender intet, at de maa blive til Skamme.
Framers of a carved image, all of them [are] emptiness, And their desirable things do not profit, And they [are] their own witnesses, They do not see, nor know, that they may be ashamed.
10 Naar nogen laver en Gud og støber et Billede, er det ingen Gavn til;
Who has formed a god, And poured out a molten image—not profitable?
11 se, alle dets Tilbedere bliver til Skamme; Mestrene er jo kun Mennesker — lad dem samles til Hobe og træde frem, de skal alle som een forfærdes og blive til Skamme.
Behold, all his companions are ashamed, As for artisans—they [are] of men, All of them gather together, they stand up, They fear, they are ashamed together.
12 En smeder Jern til en Økse og arbejder ved Kulild, tildanner den med Hamre og gør den færdig med sin stærke Arm; faar han ikke Mad, afkræftes han, og faar han ikke Vand at drikke, bliver han træt.
He has worked iron [with] an axe, And has worked with coals, And forms it with hammers, And works it by his powerful arm, Indeed, he is hungry, and there is no power, He does not drink water, and he is wearied.
13 Saa fælder han Træer, udspænder Maalesnoren, tegner Billedet med Gravstikken, skærer det ud med Kniven og sætter det af med Cirkelen; han laver det efter en Mands Skikkelse, efter menneskelig Skønhed, til at staa i et Hus.
He has worked [with] wood, He has stretched out a rule, He marks it out with a line, He makes it with carving tools, And he marks it out with a compass, And makes it according to the form of a man, According to the beauty of a man, To remain in the house.
14 Han fældede sig Cedre, tog Elm og Eg og arbejdede af al sin Kraft paa Skovens Træer, som Gud havde plantet og Regnen givet Vækst.
Cutting down cedars for himself, He also takes a cypress, and an oak, And he strengthens [it] for himself Among the trees of a forest, He has planted an ash, and the shower nourishes [it].
15 Det tjener et Menneske til Brændsel, han tager det og varmer sig derved; han sætter Ild i det og bager Brød — og desuden laver han en Gud deraf og tilbeder den, han gør et Gudebillede deraf og knæler for det.
And it has been for man to burn, And he takes of them, and becomes warm, Indeed, he kindles [it], and has baked bread, Indeed, he makes a god, and bows himself, He has made it a carved image, And he falls down to it.
16 Halvdelen brænder han i Ilden, og over Gløderne steger han Kød; han spiser Stegen og mættes; og han varmer sig derved og siger: »Ah, jeg bliver varm, jeg mærker Ilden« —
Half of it he has burned in the fire, By [this] half of it he eats flesh, He roasts a roasting and is satisfied, Indeed, he is warm and says: “Aha, I have become warm, I have enjoyed the light.”
17 og af Resten laver han en Gud, et Billede; han knæler for det, kaster sig ned og beder til det og siger: »Frels mig, thi du er min Gud!«
And he has made its remnant for a god—For his carved image, He falls down to it, and worships, And prays to it, and he says, “Deliver me, for you [are] my god.”
18 De skønner ikke, de fatter ikke, thi deres Øjne er lukket, saa de ikke ser, og deres Hjerter, saa de ikke skønner.
They have not known, nor do they understand, For He has coated their eyes from seeing, Their heart from acting wisely.
19 De tænker ikke over det, de har ikke Indsigt og Forstand til at sige sig selv: »Halvdelen brændte jeg i Baalet, over Gløderne bagte jeg Brød, stegte Kød og spiste; skulde jeg da af Resten gøre en Vederstyggelighed? Skulde jeg knæle for en Træklods?«
And none turn [it] back to his heart, Nor has knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire, Indeed, I have also baked bread over its coals, I roast flesh and I eat, And I make its remnant for an abomination, I fall down to the stock of a tree.”
20 Den, som tillægger Aske Værd, ham har et vildfarende Hjerte daaret; han redder ikke sin Sjæl, saa han siger: »Er det ikke en Løgn, jeg har i min højre Haand?«
Feeding on ashes, the heart is deceived, It has turned him aside, And he does not deliver his soul, nor says: “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
21 Jakob, kom dette i Hu, Israel, thi du er min Tjener! Jeg skabte dig, du er min Tjener, ej skal du glemmes, Israel;
“Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, For you [are] My servant, I formed you, you [are] a servant to Me, O Israel, you do not forget Me.
22 jeg sletted som Taage din Misgerning og som en Sky dine Synder. Vend om til mig, thi jeg genløser dig!
I have blotted out, as [by] a thick cloud, Your transgressions, And as [by] a cloud, your sins, Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”
23 Jubler, I Himle, thi HERREN greb ind, fryd jer, I Jordens Dybder, bryd ud i Jubel, I Bjerge, Skoven og alle dens Træer, thi HERREN genløser Jakob og herliggør sig ved Israel.
Sing, O heavens, for YHWH has worked, Shout, O lower parts of earth, Break forth, O mountains, with singing, Forest, and every tree in it, For YHWH has redeemed Jacob, And He beautifies Himself in Israel.
24 Saa siger HERREN, din Genløser, som danned dig fra Moders Liv: Jeg er HERREN, som skabte alt, som ene udspændte Himlen, udbredte Jorden, hvo hjalp mig?
Thus said YHWH, your Redeemer, And your Framer from the womb: “I [am] YHWH, doing all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, Spreading out the earth—who [is] with Me?
25 som tilintetgør Løgnernes Tegn og gør Spaamænd til Daarer, som tvinger de vise tilbage, beskæmmer deres Lærdom,
Making void the tokens of devisers, And makes diviners mad, Turning the wise backward, And makes their knowledge foolish.
26 stadfæster sine Tjeneres Ord, fuldbyrder sine Sendebuds Raad. Jeg siger om Jerusalem: »Det skal bebos!« om Judas Byer: »De skal bygges!« Ruinerne rejser jeg atter!
Confirming the word of His servant, He perfects the counsel of His messengers, Who is saying of Jerusalem, She is inhabited, And of cities of Judah, They will be built, and her ruins I raise up,
27 Jeg siger til Dybet: »Bliv tørt, dine Floder gør jeg tørre!«
Who is saying to the deep, Be dry, and your rivers I cause to dry up,
28 Jeg siger om Kyros: »Min Hyrde, som fuldbyrder al min Vilje!« Jeg siger om Jerusalem: »Det skal bygges!« om Templet: »Det skal grundes!«
Who is saying of Cyrus, My shepherd, And he perfects all My delight, So as to say of Jerusalem, You are built, And of the temple, You are founded.”
