Esajas 41
1 Hør mig i Tavshed, I fjerne Strande, lad Folkene hente ny Kraft, komme hid og tage til Orde, lad os sammen gå frem for Retten!
Keep silence before me, O islands; and let nations acquire new strength: let them approach, then let them speak, together let us come near to judgment.
2 Hvo vakte i Østen ham, hvis Fod går fra Sejr til Sejr, hvo giver Folk i hans Vold og gør ham til Kongers Hersker? Han gør deres Sværd til Støv, deres Buer til flagrende Strå,
Who waked up from the east the man whom righteousness met in his steps? he giveth up nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings; that his sword may render them as the dust, as driven stubble, his bow.
3 forfølger dem, går uskadt frem ad en Vej, hans Fod ej har trådt.
He pursueth them, passeth along in safety, by a path which his feet have not gone over before.
4 Hvo gjorde og virkede det? Han, som længst kaldte Slægterne frem, jeg, HERREN, som er den første og end hos de sidste den samme.
Who hath wrought and done it? he who called the generations from the beginning; I the Lord, [who am] the first, and with the latest I am the same.
5 Fjerne Strande så det med Gru, den vide Jord følte Rædsel, de nærmede sig og kom.
The isles saw it, and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near, and come.
6 Den ene hjælper den anden og siger: "Broder, fat Mod!"
They help one another; and each one saith to his brother, Be strong!
7 Mesteren opmuntrer Guldsmeden, Glatteren ham, der hamrer; Lodningen tager han god og sømmer det fast, så det står.
So the smith encouraged the melter, he that smootheth with the hammer him that striketh on the anvil; saying of the solder, It is good; and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
8 Men Israel, du min Tjener, Jakob, hvem jeg har udvalgt, - Ætling af Abraham, min Ven -
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend;
9 hvem jeg tog fra Jordens Grænser og kaldte fra dens fjerneste Kroge, til hvem jeg sagde: "Du min Tjener, som jeg valgte og ikke vraged":
Thou, whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the midst of its chiefs, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
10 Frygt ikke, thi jeg er med dig, vær ej rådvild, thi jeg er din Gud! Med min Retfærds højre styrker, ja hjælper, ja støtter jeg dig.
Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I strengthen thee, yea, I help thee, yea, I uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
11 Se, Skam og Skændsel får alle, som er dig fjendske, til intet bliver de, der trætter med dig, de forgår.
Behold, ashamed and confounded shall be all that were incensed against thee; they shall be as naught and perish—the men that strive with thee.
12 Du søger, men finder ej dem, der kives med dig, til intet, til Luft bliver de, der strides med dig.
Thou wilt seek them, and shalt not find them, the men that contend with thee; they shall be as naught and as nothing, the men that make war against thee.
13 Thi jeg, som er HERREN din Gud, jeg griber din Hånd, siger til dig: Frygt kun ikke, jeg er din Hjælper.
For I the Lord thy God lay hold of thy right hand; [I am he] who saith unto thee, Fear not, I help thee.
14 Frygt ikke, Jakob, du Orm, Israel, du Kryb! Jeg hjælper dig, lyder det fra HERREN, din Genløser er Israels Hellige.
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, ye few men of Israel: I myself help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15 Se, jeg gør dig til Tærskeslæde, en ny med mange Tænder; du skal tærske og knuste Bjerge, og Høje skal du gøre til Avner;
Behold, I have rendered thee a threshing instrument, sharp, new, having many teeth: thou shalt thresh mountains, and beat them small, and shalt render the hills as chaff.
16 du kaster dem, Vinden tager dem, Stormen hvirvler dem bort. Men du skal juble i HERREN, rose dig af Israels Hellige.
Thou shalt scatter them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the storm shall disperse them; but thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, in the Holy One of Israel shalt thou glorify thyself.
17 Forgæves søger de arme og fattige Vand, deres Tunge brænder af Tørst; jeg, HERREN, vil bønhøre dem, dem svigter ej Israels Gud.
The poor and the needy seek water, and there is none; their tongue is dried up with thirst: I the Lord will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
18 Fra nøgne Høje sender jeg Floder og Kilder midt i Dale; Ørkenen gør jeg til Vanddrag, det tørre Land til Væld.
I will open on naked mountain-peaks rivers, and in the midst of valleys fountains; I will change the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into springs of water.
19 I Ørkenen giver jeg Cedre, Akacier, Myrter, Oliven; i Ødemark sætter jeg Cypresser tillige med Elm og Gran,
I will place in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine and the box-tree together;
20 at de må se og kende, mærke sig det og indse, at HERRENs Hånd har gjort det, Israels Hellige skabt det.
In order that they may see, and know and take [it to heart], and comprehend together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
21 Fremlæg eders Sag, siger HERREN, kom med Bevis! siger Jakobs Konge.
Produce your cause, saith the Lord: bring forward your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
22 De træde nu frem og forkynde os, hvad der herefter skal ske. Sig frem, hvad I har forudsagt, at vi kan granske derover og se, hvad Udfald det fik; eller kundgør os, hvad der kommer!
Let them bring them forward and tell us what shall happen: the former things—what are they?—tell us, that we may take it to heart, and know the result of them; or let us hear the things that are to come.
23 Forkynd, hvad der siden vil ske, at vi kan se, I er Guder! Gør noget, godt eller ondt, så måler vi os med hinanden!
Tell the events that are to happen hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be astonished, and see it together.
24 Se, I er intet, eders Gerning Luft, vederstyggelig, hvo eder vælger.
Behold, ye are less than nothing, and your work less than a breath: [he that is] an abomination [alone] chooseth you.
25 Jeg vakte ham fra Norden, og han kom, jeg kaldte ham fra Solens Opgang. Han nedtramper Fyrster som Dynd, som en Pottemager ælter sit Ler.
I have waked up one from the north, and he cometh; from the rising of the sun one who will call on my name: and he shall [over-]come princes as mortar, and as the potter treadeth down the clay.
26 Hvo forkyndte det før, så vi vidste det, forud, så vi sagde: "Han fik Ret!" Nej, ingen har forkyndt eller sagt det, ingen har hørt eders Ord.
Who hath told it from the beginning, that we may know it? and aforetimes, that we may say, “it is right?” but indeed there is none that telleth, indeed there is none that letteth us hear, indeed there is none that heareth your words.
27 Først jeg har forkyndt det for Zion, sendt Jerusalem Glædesbud.
The first [was I to say] to Zion, Behold, there they are; and to Jerusalem will I give one that bringeth good tidings.
28 Jeg ser mig om der er ingen, ingen af dem ved Råd, så de svarer mig på mit Spørgsmål.
And I ever look, and there is no man; and among these there is no counsellor, that they could answer a word.
29 Se, alle er de intet, deres Værker Luft, deres Billeder Vind og Tomhed.
Behold, they all are naught; their works are nothing: wind and vanity are their molten images.
