< Isaiah 49 >

1 Hearken, O isles, unto me; and listen, ye people, from afar: The Lord hath called me from my birth; from my mother's womb hath he made mention of my name.
Audite insulæ, et attendite populi de longe: Dominus ab utero vocavit me, de ventre matris meæ recordatus est nominis mei.
2 And he hath rendered my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hidden me: and he hath rendered me as a polished arrow; in his quiver hath he concealed me;
Et posuit os meum quasi gladium acutum: in umbra manus suæ protexit me, et posuit me sicut sagittam electam: in pharetra sua abscondit me.
3 And said unto me, My servant art thou, O Israel, thou on whom I will be glorified.
Et dixit mihi: Servus meus es tu Israel, quia in te gloriabor.
4 But I had indeed said, For no purpose have I labored, for naught and vanity have I spent my strength; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and the recompense of my work with my God.
Et ego dixi: In vacuum laboravi, sine causa, et vane fortitudinem meam consumpsi: ergo iudicium meum cum Domino, et opus meum cum Deo meo.
5 And now hath said the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, that Israel may be gathered unto him, that I should be honored in the eyes of the Lord, while my God was my strength, —
Et nunc dicit Dominus, formans me ex utero servum sibi, ut reducam Iacob ad eum, et Israel non congregabitur: et glorificatus sum in oculis Domini, et Deus meus factus est fortitudo mea.
6 And he said, It is too light a thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved of Israel! but I will [also] appoint thee for a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach as far as the end of the earth.
Et dixit: Parum est ut sis mihi servus ad suscitandas tribus Iacob, et fæces Israel convertendas: Ecce dedi te in lucem Gentium, ut sis salus mea usque ad extremum terræ.
7 Thus hath said the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him who is despised by men, to him who is abhorred by nations, to the servant of rulers, Kings shall see it and rise up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, for the sake of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who hath made choice of thee.
Hæc dicit Dominus redemptor Israel, sanctus eius, ad contemptibilem animam, ad abominatam gentem, ad servum dominorum: Reges videbunt, et consurgent principes, et adorabunt propter Dominum, quia fidelis est, et sanctum Israel qui elegit te.
8 Thus hath said the Lord, In the time of favor have I answered thee, and on the day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and I will appoint thee as a people of my covenant to raise up the land, to divide out desolate heritages;
Hæc dicit Dominus: In tempore placito exaudivi te, et in die salutis auxiliatus sum tui: et servavi te, et dedi te in fœdus populi, ut suscitares terram, et possideres hereditates dissipatas:
9 When I say to the prisoners, Go forth; to those that are in darkness, Show yourselves. On the roads shall they feed, and on all mountain-peaks shall be their pasture.
ut diceres his, qui vincti sunt: Exite: et his, qui in tenebris: Revelamini. Super vias pascentur, et in omnibus planis pascua eorum.
10 They shall not be hungry nor thirsty, and neither heat nor sun shall smite them; for he that hath mercy on them will lead them, and by springs of water will he guide them.
Non esurient, neque sitient, et non percutiet eos æstus et sol: quia miserator eorum reget eos, et ad fontes aquarum potabit eos.
11 And I will change all my mountains into a road, and my highways shall be lifted up.
Et ponam omnes montes meos in viam, et semitæ meæ exaltabuntur.
12 Behold, these shall come from afar; and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
Ecce isti de longe venient, et ecce illi ab Aquilone et mari, et isti de terra australi.
13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth, O mountains, into song; for the Lord hath comforted his people, and upon his oppressed will he have mercy.
Laudate cæli, et exulta terra, iubilate montes laudem: quia consolatus est Dominus populum suum, et pauperum suorum miserebitur.
14 Yet Zion said, the Eternal hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me.
Et dixit Sion: Dereliquit me Dominus, et Dominus oblitus est mei.
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, not to have mercy on the son of her body? yea, should these even forget, yet would I not forget thee.
Numquid oblivisci potest mulier infantem suum, ut non misereatur filio uteri sui? et si illa oblita fuerit, ego tamen non obliviscar tui.
16 Behold, upon the palms of my hands have I engraved thee; thy walls are continually before me.
Ecce in manibus meis descripsi te: muri tui coram oculis meis semper.
17 Thy children come in haste; thy destroyers and they that laid thee waste shall go away from thee.
Venerunt structores tui: destruentes te, et dissipantes a te exibunt.
18 Lift up thy eyes round about, and see; they all are assembled together, they come to thee: as I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thyself with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride.
Leva in circuitu oculos tuos, et vide, omnes isti congregati sunt, venerunt tibi: vivo ego, dicit Dominus, quia omnibus his velut ornamento vestieris, et circumdabis tibi eos quasi sponsa.
19 For thy ruins and thy desolate places, and thy wasted land, —yea, now shall it be too narrow for thee by reason of the inhabitants, and thy destroyers shall be far away.
Quia deserta tua, et solitudines tuæ, et terra ruinæ tuæ nunc angusta erunt præ habitatoribus, et longe fugabuntur qui absorbebant te.
20 Yet again will say before thy ears the children of whom thou wast deprived, The place is too narrow for me; make room for me that I may dwell.
Adhuc dicent in auribus tuis filii sterilitatis tuæ: Angustus est mihi locus, fac spatium mihi ut habitem.
21 And thou wilt say in thy heart, Who hath born me these, seeing I was bereft of my children, and was solitary, an exile, and outcast? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left entirely alone; these, where have they been?
Et dices in corde tuo: Quis genuit mihi istos? ego sterilis, et non pariens, transmigrata, et captiva: et istos quis enutrivit? ego destituta et sola: et isti ubi erant?
22 Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, I will lift up to the nations my hand, and to the people will I raise up high my standard; and they shall bring thy sons in [their] arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon shoulders.
Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Ecce levabo ad Gentes manum meam, et ad populos exaltabo signum meum. Et afferent filios tuos in ulnis, et filias tuas super humeros portabunt.
23 And kings shall be thy nursing-fathers, and their princesses thy nursing-mothers; with the face toward the earth shall they bow down to thee, and the dust of thy feet shall they lick up: and thou shalt know that I am the Lord, who will not suffer those who hope in me to be ashamed.
Et erunt reges nutritii tui, et reginæ nutrices tuæ: vultu in terram demisso adorabunt te, et pulverem pedum tuorum lingent. Et scies quia ego Dominus, super quo non confundentur qui expectant eum.
24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or shall the captive of the victor escape?
Numquid tolletur a forti præda? aut quod captum fuerit a robusto, salvum esse poterit?
25 For thus hath said the Lord, Also the captive of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the powerful shall escape; and with those who contend against thee will I contend, and thy children will I indeed save.
Quia hæc dicit Dominus: Equidem, et captivitas a forti tolletur: et quod ablatum fuerit a robusto, salvabitur. Eos vero, qui iudicaverunt te, ego iudicabo, et filios tuos ego salvabo.
26 And I will feed thy oppressors with their own flesh; and as with new wine shall they be made drunken with their own blood: and all flesh shall know that I the Eternal am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer the Mighty One of Jacob.
Et cibabo hostes tuos carnibus suis: et quasi musto, sanguine suo inebriabuntur: et sciet omnis caro, quia ego Dominus salvans te, et redemptor tuus fortis Iacob.

< Isaiah 49 >