Isaiah 41

1 Keep silent toward Me, O islands, And the peoples pass on [to] power, They come near, then they speak, “Together we draw near to judgment.”

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!

2 Who stirred up a righteous one from the east? He calls him to His foot, He gives nations before him, And He causes him to rule kings, He gives [them] as dust [to] his sword, As driven stubble [to] his bow.

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,

3 He pursues them, he passes over in safety A path he does not enter with his feet.

forfølger dem, går uskadt frem ad en Vej, hans Fod ej har trådt.

4 Who has worked and done, Calling the generations from the first? I, YHWH, the first, and with the last I [am] He.

Hvo gjorde og virkede det? Han, som længst kaldte Slægterne frem, jeg, HERREN, som er den første og end hos de sidste den samme.

5 Islands have seen and fear, The ends of the earth tremble, They have drawn near, indeed, they come.

Fjerne Strande så det med Gru, den vide Jord følte Rædsel, de nærmede sig og kom.

6 They each help his neighbor, And to his brother he says, “Be strong.”

Den ene hjælper den anden og siger: "Broder, fat Mod!"

7 And an artisan strengthens the refiner, A smoother [with] a hammer, Him who is beating [on] an anvil, saying, “For joining it [is] good,” And he strengthens it with nails, it is not moved!

Mesteren opmuntrer Guldsmeden, Glatteren ham, der hamrer; Lodningen tager han god og sømmer det fast, så det står.

8 And you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Seed of Abraham, My lover,

Men Israel, du min Tjener, Jakob, hvem jeg har udvalgt, - Ætling af Abraham, min Ven -

9 Whom I have taken hold of, from the ends of the earth, And from its near places I have called you, And I say to you, You [are] My servant, I have chosen you, and not rejected you.

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":

10 Do not be afraid, for I [am] with you, do not look around, for I [am] your God, I have strengthened you, Indeed, I have helped you, indeed, I upheld you, With the right hand of My righteousness.

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.

11 Behold, all those displeased with you, They are ashamed and blush, They are as nothing, indeed, The men who strive with you perish.

Se, Skam og Skændsel får alle, som er dig fjendske, til intet bliver de, der trætter med dig, de forgår.

12 You seek them, and do not find them, The men who debate with you, They are as nothing, indeed, as nothing, The men who war with you.

Du søger, men finder ej dem, der kives med dig, til intet, til Luft bliver de, der strides med dig.

13 For I, your God YHWH, Am strengthening your right hand, He who is saying to you, “Do not fear, I have helped you.”

Thi jeg, som er HERREN din Gud, jeg griber din Hånd, siger til dig: Frygt kun ikke, jeg er din Hjælper.

14 Do not fear, O worm Jacob, You men of Israel, I helped you, a declaration of YHWH, Even your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Frygt ikke, Jakob, du Orm, Israel, du Kryb! Jeg hjælper dig, lyder det fra HERREN, din Genløser er Israels Hellige.

15 Behold, I have set you for a new sharp threshing instrument, Possessing teeth, you thresh mountains, And beat small, and make hills as chaff.

Se, jeg gør dig til Tærskeslæde, en ny med mange Tænder; du skal tærske og knuste Bjerge, og Høje skal du gøre til Avner;

16 You winnow them, and a wind lifts them up, And a whirlwind scatters them, And you rejoice in YHWH, [And] boast yourself in the Holy One of Israel.

du kaster dem, Vinden tager dem, Stormen hvirvler dem bort. Men du skal juble i HERREN, rose dig af Israels Hellige.

17 The poor and the needy are seeking water, And there is none, Their tongue has failed with thirst, I, YHWH, answer them, The God of Israel—I do not forsake them.

Forgæves søger de arme og fattige Vand, deres Tunge brænder af Tørst; jeg, HERREN, vil bønhøre dem, dem svigter ej Israels Gud.

18 I open rivers on high places, And fountains in midst of valleys, I make a wilderness become a pond of water, And a dry land becomes springs of water.

Fra nøgne Høje sender jeg Floder og Kilder midt i Dale; Ørkenen gør jeg til Vanddrag, det tørre Land til Væld.

19 I give in a wilderness the cedar, Shittah, and myrtle, and oil-tree, I set in a desert the fir-pine and box-wood together.

I Ørkenen giver jeg Cedre, Akacier, Myrter, Oliven; i Ødemark sætter jeg Cypresser tillige med Elm og Gran,

20 So that they see, and know, And regard, and act wisely together, For the hand of YHWH has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

at de må se og kende, mærke sig det og indse, at HERRENs Hånd har gjort det, Israels Hellige skabt det.

21 Bring your cause near, says YHWH, Bring your mighty ones near, says the King of Jacob.

Fremlæg eders Sag, siger HERREN, kom med Bevis! siger Jakobs Konge.

22 They bring [them] near, and declare to us that which happens, Declare the first things—what they [are], And we set our heart, and know their latter end, Or cause us to hear the coming things.

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!

23 Declare the things that are coming hereafter, And we know that you [are] gods, Indeed, you may do good or do evil, And we look around and see [it] together.

Forkynd, hvad der siden vil ske, at vi kan se, I er Guder! Gør noget, godt eller ondt, så måler vi os med hinanden!

24 Behold, you [are] of nothing, and your work of nothing, An abomination—it fixes on you.

Se, I er intet, eders Gerning Luft, vederstyggelig, hvo eder vælger.

25 I have stirred up [one] from the north, And he comes, From the rising of the sun he calls in My Name, And he comes in [on] prefects as [on] clay, And as a potter treads down mire.

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.

26 Who has declared from the first, and we know? And formerly, and we say, “Righteous?” Indeed, there is none declaring, Indeed, there is none proclaiming, Indeed, there is none hearing your sayings.

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.

27 First to Zion, Behold, behold them, And to Jerusalem I give one proclaiming tidings,

Først jeg har forkyndt det for Zion, sendt Jerusalem Glædesbud.

28 And I see that there is no man, Indeed, of these that there is no counselor, And I ask them, and they return word:

Jeg ser mig om der er ingen, ingen af dem ved Råd, så de svarer mig på mit Spørgsmål.

29 “Behold, all of them [are] vanity, Their works [are] nothing, Their molten images [are] wind and emptiness!”

Se, alle er de intet, deres Værker Luft, deres Billeder Vind og Tomhed.