Isaiah 41
1 Listen to me in silence, you people who live in lands beyond the sea. Let the nations regain their strength. Then let them come and speak, and let us join together for judgment.
群島啊！請肅靜聽我！讓萬民前來！讓他們前來開口說話；讓我們一起互相辯論！
2 Who has encouraged this one from the east who is called into God's service to do what is right? He gives him nations, and helps him trample kings underfoot. He makes them like dust with his sword, and turns them into chaff with his bow, blown before him on the wind.
是誰由東方喚醒了那人，使他步步遇到勝利﹖是誰將眾民交付給他，又使列王臣服於他呢﹖他的刀劍使他們化為灰塵，他的弓箭分散他們有如草芥。
3 He chases them down, and goes on unharmed, not following the usual routes.
他追擊他們時，平安地經過；他的腳好像沒有踏著道路一樣。
4 Who has achieved and done this, calling into existence each generation from the beginning of time? I, the Lord, the first and the last, I am the one.
是誰從原始安排了歷代的事而予以實行成就呢﹖我，上主，是元始，與最末者同在的也是我。
5 The islands watch in fear, the distant lands tremble. They get together and consult.
群島一見即害怕起來，地極為之震動，遂都聚集前來；
6 They all help each other, encouraging one another to “Be strong!”
彼此相助，並對自己的同伴說：「勇敢些！」
7 The craftsman encourages the goldsmith; the one who beats out the metal with a hammer encourages the one hitting the anvil, saying the soldering is good. They nail the idol down so it won't fall over.
工匠鼓勵金匠，掄大鎚的鼓勵使小錘的，誇讚鉛工說：「鉛的好！」遂用釘子釘住，使偶像不致動搖。
8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, the ones I have chosen, descendants of my friend Abraham,
但是你，我的僕人以色列，我所揀選的雅各伯，我的好友亞巴郎的苗裔，
9 I brought you back from distant lands, I called you back from faraway places, telling you, “You are my servants.” I have chosen you, and I have not abandoned you.
你是我由地極領來的，是我從遠方召來的，我曾向你說過：「你是我的僕人，我揀選了你，我決不放棄你。」
10 Don't be afraid, for I am with you! Don't be frightened for I, your God, will make you strong, and I will certainly help you. I will support you with my strong hand, acting for what is right.
你不要害怕，因為我與你在一起；你不要驚惶，因為我是你的天主；我必堅固你，協助你，用我勝利的右手扶持你。
11 See—everyone who is angry with you will be ashamed and disgraced. Those who fight against you will end up as nothing and die.
凡向你洩怒的，必蒙羞受辱；凡同你爭辯的，必要滅亡，化為烏有。
12 Even though you look for your enemies, you won't find them. Those who attack you will become absolutely nothing.
凡與你爭吵的人，你找他們，也找不到。凡與你交戰的人，必化為烏有，歸於虛無，
13 For I the Lord will grab you by the hand and tell you, “Don't be afraid! I myself will help you.
因為是我，上主，你的天主，提攜著你的右手，向你說過：「不要害怕，有我協助你。」
14 Don't be frightened, Jacob, you little worm, you people of Israel, for I will help you,” declared the Lord your Savior, the Holy One of Israel.
雅各伯蟲豸啊！以色列蛆蟲啊！不要害怕，我必協助你－－上主的斷語－－你的救主是以色列的聖者。
15 Look! I will make you into a new and sharp threshing device, with many pointed teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush the hills, turning them into chaff.
看啊，我使你成為一架鋒利多齒的新打禾機，叫你壓搾高山，壓得粉碎，使丘陵變為碎末。
16 You will throw them into the air, the wind will carry them away, and a storm will scatter them. Then you will be happy in the Lord, and boast about the Holy One of Israel.
你要簸揚它們，風必將它們捲去，暴風必吹散它們；然而你要因上主而喜樂，因以色列的聖者而誇耀。
17 The poor and needy search for water, but don't find any—their tongues are dry with thirst. I, the Lord, will respond to them; I, the God of Israel, won't abandon them.
貧困和窮苦的人，若找水而無所獲，他們的舌頭渴得焦燥，我上主必俯允他們，我，以色列的天主必不棄捨他們。
18 I will open up rivers in the desolate highlands and springs in the valleys. I will make pools in the wilderness and springs in the desert.
我要在禿山上開闢河流，在空谷中噴出泉源；我要使沙漠變為池沼，使乾地化為噴泉。
19 I will plant cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees in the desert. I will place evergreens in the desert, firs and box trees together.
我要在沙漠中種植香柏木、皂莢、桃金娘和橄欖樹；在荒野中要把柏樹、榆樹和雲杉樹一起栽植起來；
20 In this way everyone can see and know, they can think about it and draw the conclusion that the it is the Lord who has done this, that the Holy One of Israel made it happen.
為使人們看見，知道，同時因深思而瞭解：這是上主的手所做的，是以色列的聖者所創造的。
21 “Now you submit your case,” says the Lord. “Present your evidence,” says the King of Jacob.
拿出你的理由來，上主說：呈上你的證據來，雅各伯的君王說。
22 “Let them come and tell us what's about to happen. Let them explain the things of the past, so that we can think about them and discover the final outcome. Or they can tell us about the future.
讓他們前來，告訴我們將要發生什麼事；讓他們告訴我們，那以往的事有什麼意義，好叫我們記在心中；或者讓我們聽聽那要來的事罷，好叫我們知道那事的結果。
23 Predict what's coming so we can know for sure that you are gods. At least do something, good or bad, to impress us when we see it.
請你們說說那以後要來的事，好叫我們知道你們是神；無論好壞請你們做一下，好叫我們都驚奇害怕。
24 But look at you! You're nothing, and you can't do anything! Anyone who chooses you is disgusting!
看哪！你們竟是烏有，你們的工作也是虛無；那選擇你們的實在可憎。
25 I have encouraged the one who comes from the north. He is from the east, and will respect me. He will tread on rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter treading on clay.
我由北方喚起了一個人，他就來了；我由日出之地呼喚了他的名字，他將蹂躪王侯有如泥濘，又如陶工踐踏黏土。
26 Who announced this beforehand so that we could know about it? Who let us know in the past, so that now we could say: ‘He was right’? None of you announced it, none of you predicted it, and nobody heard you say a word!
誰首先說過這事，好叫我們知道，在事前說過，而叫我們說「對啦﹖」實在沒有一個預言過，沒有一個講過，也沒有一個聽見過你們說話。
27 I was the first to announce to Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ I was the one who brought to Jerusalem the good news.
只有我是第一位給熙雍報告過這事，給耶路撒冷遣發了一位報告喜訊的。
28 I look at these idols, and find there is no one who can say anything. None of them can give advice; when I ask them something, they can't even answer.
我環視四周，了無一人；他們中沒有一個可做謀士，向他詢問，可回答一句的。
29 Look at them! They're all evil, deceptive things. They can't do anything! They're just idols full of hot air!”
看哪，他們都是烏有，他們的工作是虛無，他們的鑄像是空氣，是空氣。
