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, ye distant lands! Attend, ye nations from afar! Jehovah called me at my birth; In my very childhood he called me by 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,

He made my mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of his hand did he hide me. He made me a polished shaft; In his quiver did he hide me.

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

He said to 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.«

Then I said, I have labored in vain; For naught, for vanity, have I spent my strength; Yet my cause is with Jehovah, And my reward 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 thus saith Jehovah, Who formed me from my birth to be his servant To bring Jacob to him again, And that Israel might be gathered to him, —For I am honored in the eyes of Jehovah, And my God is 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.«

He said, It is a small tiling that thou shouldst be my servant, To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved of Israel; I will also make thee the light of the nations, That my salvation may reach the ends 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 Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, To him that is despised by men, abhorred by the people, To the servant of tyrants; Kings shall see, and stand up, Princes, and they shall pay homage, On account of Jehovah, who is faithful, 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 Jehovah; In the time of favor will I hear thee; In the day of deliverance will I help thee; I will preserve thee, and make thee a mediator for the people, To restore the land, to distribute the desolated inheritances;

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;

To say to the prisoners, Go forth! To them that are in darkness, Come to the light! They shall feed in the ways, And on all high places 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 smite them; For he that hath compassion on them shall lead them; To springs of water shall he guide them.

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

And I will make all my mountains a highway; And my roads shall be prepared.

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

Behold! these shall come from far; And behold! 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 ye heavens, and rejoice, O earth! Break forth into singing, ye mountains! For Jehovah comforteth his people, And hath compassion on his afflicted ones.

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

Zion saith, “Jehovah hath forsaken me; 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, So as not to have compassion on the son of her womb? Yet, should they forget, I will never forget thee!

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

Behold, I have graven thee on the palms of my hands; Thy walls are ever before my eyes.

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

Thy children shall make haste; They that destroyed and laid thee waste shall depart 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 around, and see! They all assemble themselves, and come to thee. As I live, saith Jehovah, Thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with a rich dress; Thou shalt bind them on thee, as a bride her jewels.

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 desolate places, and thy land laid in ruins, Shall now be too narrow for the inhabitants; And they that devoured thee 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!«

Thou, that hast been childless, shalt yet hear thy sons exclaim: “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 thou shalt say in thy heart, Who hath begotten me these? I surely was childless and unfruitful, An exile, and an outcast; who then hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, then, 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 Jehovah: I will lift up my hand to the nations, And set up my standard to the kingdoms; They shall bring thy sons in their arms, And thy daughters 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 nursing fathers, And queens thy nursing mothers; Upon their faces shall they bow down before thee, And lick the dust of thy feet. Thus shalt thou know that I am Jehovah; And they who trust in me shall not be put to shame.

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

Shall the prey be taken away from the mighty? Or shall the spoil of the terrible be rescued?

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.

Yea, thus saith Jehovah, The prey shall be taken away from the mighty, And the spoil of the terrible shall be rescued; For with him that contendeth with thee will I contend, 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 cause thine oppressors to eat their own flesh; With their own blood shall they be drunk, as with new wine; And all flesh shall know that I Jehovah am thy saviour; That thy redeemer is the Mighty One of Jacob.