Esajas 49

1 Hør mig, I fjerne Strande, lyt til, I Folk i det fjerne! HERREN har fra Moders Liv kaldt mig, fra Moders Skød nævnet mit Navn;

Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken, ye peoples, from far: the LORD hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath He made mention of my name;

2 til et skarpt Sværd gjorde han min Mund og skjulte mig i Skyggen af sin Haand, til en sleben Pil har han gjort mig og gemt mig i sit Kogger,

And He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of His hand hath He hid me; and He hath made me a polished shaft, in His quiver hath He concealed me;

3 sagt til mig: »Du er min Tjener, Israel, ved hvem jeg vinder Ære.«

And He said unto me: 'Thou art My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.'

4 Jeg sagde: »Min Møje er spildt, paa Tomhed og Vind sled jeg mig op — dog er min Ret hos HERREN, min Løn er hos min Gud.«

But I said: 'I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God.'

5 Og nu siger HERREN, som danned mig fra Moders Liv til sin Tjener for at hjemføre Jakob til ham og samle Israel til ham — og i HERRENS Øjne er jeg æret, min Gud er blevet min Styrke —

And now saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, and that Israel be gathered unto Him — for I am honourable in the eyes of the LORD, and my God is become my strength —

6 han siger: »For lidt for dig som min Tjener at rejse Jakobs Stammer og hjemføre Israels frelste! Jeg gør dig til Hedningers Lys, at min Frelse maa naa til Jordens Ende.«

Yea, He saith: 'It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the offspring of Israel; I will also give thee for a light of the nations, that My salvation may be unto the end of the earth.'

7 Saa siger HERREN, Israels Genløser, dets Hellige, til den dybt foragtede, skyet af Folk, Herskernes Træl: Konger skal se det og rejse sig, Fyrster skal kaste sig ned for HERRENS Skyld, den trofaste, Israels Hellige, der udvælger dig.

Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him who is despised of men, to him who is abhorred of nations, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD that is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.

8 Saa siger HERREN: Jeg hører dig i Naadens Stund, jeg hjælper dig paa Frelsens Dag, vogter dig og gør dig til Folkepagt for at rejse Landet igen, udskifte øde Lodder

Thus saith the LORD: In an acceptable time have I answered thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

9 og sige til de bundne: »Gaa ud!« til dem i Mørket: »Kom frem!« Græs skal de finde langs Vejene, Græsgang paa hver nøgen Høj;

Saying to the prisoners: 'Go forth'; to them that are in darkness: 'Show yourselves'; they shall feed in the ways, and in all high hills shall be their pasture;

10 de hungrer og tørster ikke, dem stikker ej Hede og Sol. Thi deres Forbarmer fører dem, leder dem til Kildevæld;

They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for He that hath compassion on them will lead them, even by the springs of water will He guide them.

11 jeg gør alle Bjerge til Vej, og alle Stier skal højnes.

And I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be raised on high.

12 Se, nogle kommer langvejsfra, nogle fra Nord og Vest, nogle fra Sinims Land.

Behold, these shall come from far; and, lo, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim.

13 Jubler, I Himle, fryd dig, du Jord, I Bjerge, bryd ud i Jubel! Thi HERREN trøster sit Folk, forbarmer sig over sine arme.

Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the LORD hath comforted His people, and hath compassion upon His afflicted.

14 Dog siger Zion: »HERREN har svigtet mig, Herren har glemt mig!«

But Zion said: 'The LORD hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me.'

15 Glemmer en Kvinde sit diende Barn, en Moder, hvad hun bar under Hjerte? Ja, selv om de kunde glemme, jeg glemmer ej dig.

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, these may forget, yet will not I forget thee.

16 Se, i mine Hænder har jeg tegnet dig, dine Mure har jeg altid for Øje.

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me.

17 Dine Børn kommer ilende; de, som nedbrød og lagde dig øde, gaar bort.

Thy children make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth from thee.

18 Løft Øjnene, se dig om, de samles, kommer alle til dig. Saa sandt jeg lever, lyder det fra HERREN: Du skal bære dem alle som Smykke, binde dem som Bruden sit Bælte.

Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all as with an ornament, and gird thyself with them, like a bride.

19 Thi dine Tomter og Grusdynger, dit hærgede Land — ja, nu er du Beboerne for trang; de, som aad dig, er borte;

For thy waste and thy desolate places and thy land that hath been destroyed — surely now shalt thou be too strait for the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.

20 end skal du høre dem sige, din Barnløsheds Børn: »Her er for trangt, saa flyt dig, at jeg kan sidde!«

The children of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears: 'The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell.'

21 Da tænker du i dit Hjerte: »Hvo fødte mig dem? Jeg var jo barnløs og gold, landflygtig og bortstødt, hvo fostrede dem? Ene sad jeg tilbage, hvor kommer de fra?«

Then shalt thou say in thy heart: 'Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have been bereaved of my children, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering to and fro? And who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they?'

22 Saa siger den Herre HERREN: Se, jeg løfter min Haand for Folkene, rejser mit Banner for Folkeslag, og de bringer dine Sønner i Favnen, dine Døtre bæres paa Skulder.

Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and set up Mine ensign to the peoples, and they shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

23 Konger bliver Fosterfædre for dig, deres Dronninger skal være dine Ammer. De kaster sig paa Ansigtet for dig, slikker dine Fødders Støv. Du skal kende, at jeg er HERREN; de, som bier paa mig, bliver ikke til Skamme.

And kings shall be thy foster-fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face to the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD, for they shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.

24 Kan Bytte fratages en Helt, kan den stærkes Fanger slippe bort?

Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of the victorious be delivered?

25 Thi saa siger HERREN: Om Fanger end fratages Helten, slipper Bytte end bort fra den stærke, jeg strider mod dem, der strider mod dig, og dine Børn vil jeg frelse.

But thus saith the LORD: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; and I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

26 Dem, der trænger dig, lader jeg æde deres eget Kød, deres Blod skal de drikke som Most; alt Kød skal kende, at jeg, HERREN, er din Frelser, din Genløser Jakobs Vældige.

And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.