< Isaiah 48 >

1 "Hear this, house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth out of the waters of Judah; who swear by the name of YHWH, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness
雅各伯家請聽這話:──你們以以色列的名字自稱,出自猶大之後,奉上主的名字起誓,又稱揚「以色列的天主,」但都不是出自誠心誠意;
2 (for they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; YHWH of hosts is his name):
雖然你們自稱是出自聖城,依賴名為「萬軍上主」的以色列的天主──「
3 I have declared the former things from of old; yes, they went forth out of my mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they happened.
那過去的事,我早就預言過了,由我口中所發出的,也叫人聽見了;轉瞬間我行了那事,那事也就成就了。
4 Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow bronze;
因為我知道你是頑固的,你的頸項似鐵槓,你的額是銅製的,
5 therefore I have declared it to you from of old; before it came to pass I showed it to you; lest you should say, 'My idol has done them, and my engraved image, and my molten image, has commanded them.'
為此我早就告訴了你,在事未發生之前我就向你說明了,免得你說:「是我的神像行了這事,是我雕刻鑄成的神像命定了這事。」
6 You have heard it; see all this; and you, will you not declare it? "I have shown you new things from this time, even hidden things, which you have not known.
你既聽見了,也看見了這一切,難道你們不該作證嗎﹖如今我要宣佈新事,即你不知的隱密事。
7 They are created now, and not from of old; and before this day you did not hear them; lest you should say, 'Look, I knew them.'
這些事是現今而不是從前造成的,是今日之前你從沒有聽說過的,免得你說:「看,我早就知道了!」
8 Yes, you did not hear; yes, you did not know; yes, from of old your ear was not opened: for I knew that you dealt very treacherously, and was called a transgressor from the womb.
你從來沒有聽過,也不知道,也是你的耳朵聞所未聞的。因為我知道你好背信叛逆,你實在可稱為「胎生的叛徒。」
9 For my name's sake will I defer my anger, and for my praise will I refrain for you, that I not cut you off.
但是為了我名的緣故,我暫緩發怒;為了我榮譽的緣故,我抑制了我自己,而沒有消滅你。
10 Look, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
看啊!我只是鍛煉了你,有如銀子,在患難的爐中磨煉了你。
11 For my own sake, for my own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be profaned? I will not give my glory to another.
為了我自己,為了我自己的緣故,我必要去行。我豈能讓我的名字受褻瀆﹖我決不將我的光榮讓與別人。」
12 "Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel my called: I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
雅各伯啊!我所召叫的以色列啊!你聽我說:我就是那位,我是元始, 我也是終末。
13 Yes, my hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand has spread out the heavens: when I call to them, they stand up together.
我的手奠定了大地,我的右手展開了諸天;我一叫它們,它們就一同出現。
14 "Let all of them assemble and hear; who among them has declared these things? He whom YHWH loves shall perform his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
你們都集合起來聽罷!邪神中有誰預言了這事呢﹖「我所愛的,必實行我的旨意:攻擊巴比倫和加色丁的苗裔。」
15 I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him; I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
只有我,只有我預言了這事,召叫了他,引導了他,使他所行的道路順利。
16 "Come near to me and hear this: "From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I." Now YHWH has sent me, with his Spirit.
你們走近我前,聽這話罷!我從起初就沒有在暗處說過話,從實現之時起,我就在那裏。我上主現在即要施行救援。
17 Thus says YHWH, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am YHWH your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go.
你的救主上主,以色列的聖者這樣說:「我是上主你的天主,教訓你為你有益的事,引你走當走的道路。
18 But would that you had listened to my commandments. Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
恨不得你一向聽從我的命令! 那麼你的安樂將似江河,你的幸福將似海濤;
19 Your descendants would have been as the sand, and the offspring of your body like its grains; his name not be cut off nor destroyed from before me.
你的子孫多如海沙,出於你身的苗裔多似沙粒;你的名字在我前決不會抹去,也決不會被刪除。」
20 Go forth from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans; with a voice of singing declare, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth: say, YHWH has redeemed his servant Jacob.
你們出離巴比倫,逃出加色丁罷!你們要以歡樂的呼聲宣告此事,叫人聽見,傳佈到地極說:「上主救贖了他的僕人雅各伯。」
21 They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he split the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
當上主率領他們過曠野時,他們並不覺渴,因為他使水由巖石中流出給他們喝;他分開了巖石,水就湧流出來。
22 "There is no peace," says YHWH, "for the wicked."
上主說:惡人決無平安!

< Isaiah 48 >