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 to me, you islands; and attend, you Gentiles; after a long time it shall come to pass, says the Lord: from my mother's womb he has called 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 has made my mouth as a sharp sword, and he has hid me under the shadow of his hand; he has made me as a choice shaft, and he has hid me in his quiver;

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

and said to me, You are my servant, O Israel, and in you 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.«

Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have given my strength for vanity and for nothing: therefore is my judgment with the Lord, and my labor before 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, thus says the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his own servant, to gather Jacob to him and Israel. I shall be gathered and glorified before the Lord, and my God shall be 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.«

And he said to me, [It is] a great thing for you to be called my servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob, and to recover the dispersion of Israel: behold, I have given you for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to 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 says the Lord that delivered you, the God of Israel, Sanctify him that despises his life, him that is abhorred by the nations that are the servants of princes: kings shall behold him, and princes shall arise, and shall worship him, for the Lord's sake: for the Holy One of Israel is faithful, and I have chosen you.

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 says the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day of salvation have I succored you: and I have formed you, and given you for a covenant of the nations, to establish the earth, and to cause to inherit the desert 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 them that are in bonds, Go forth; and [bidding] them that are in darkness show themselves. They shall be fed in all the ways, and in all the paths [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, neither shall they thirst; neither shall the heat nor the sun strike them; but he that has mercy on them shall comfort [them], and by fountains of waters shall he lead them.

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

And I will make every mountain a way, and every path a pasture to them.

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

Behold, these shall come from far: [and] these from the north and the west, and others from the land of the Persians.

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

Rejoice, you heavens; and let the earth be glad: let the mountains break forth [with] joy; for the Lard has had mercy on his people, and has comforted the lowly ones of his people.

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

But Sion said, The Lord has forsaken me, and, The Lord has 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.

Will a woman forget her child, so as not to have compassion upon the offspring of her womb? but if a woman should even forget these, yet I will not forget you, says the Lord.

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

Behold, I have painted your walls on my hands, and you are continually before me.

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

And you shall soon be built by those by whom you were destroyed, and they that made you desolate shall go forth of you.

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 your eyes round about, and look on them all; behold, they are gathered together, and are come to you. [As] I live, says the Lord, you shall clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and put them on as a bride her attire.

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

For your desert and marred and ruined [places] shall now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that devoured you shall be removed far from you.

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

For your sons whom you have lost shall say in your ears, The place [is too] narrow for me: make room for 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?«

And you shall say in your heart, Who has begotten me these? whereas I [was] childless, and a widow; but who has brought up these for me? and I was left alone; but whence came these to me?

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 says the Lord, [even] the Lord, Behold, I lift up mine hand to the nations, and I will lift up my signal to the islands: and they shall bring your sons in [their] bosom, and shall bear your daughters on [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 your nursing fathers, and their princesses your nurses, they shall bow down to you on the face of the earth, and shall lick the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the Lord, and they that wait on me shall not be ashamed.

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

Will any one take spoils from a giant? and if one should take [a man] captive unjustly, shall he 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.

For thus says the Lord, If one should take a giant captive, he shall take spoils, and he who takes [them] from a mighty [man] shall be delivered: for I will plead your cause, and I will deliver your 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 they that afflicted you shall eat their own flesh; and they shall drink their own blood as new wine, and shall be drunken: and all flesh shall perceive that I am the Lord that delivers you, and that upholds the strength of Jacob.