Isaiah 41
1 [Yahweh says], “You [people who live on] [APO] islands in the ocean, be silent in front of me [while I ask you some questions]! Then you can be courageous and talk to me. We will meet together and decide [which one of us is right].
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 urged this king to come from the east? Who has enabled his [army] to righteously defeat many nations and to trample their kings under their feet? With their swords they cut [their enemies] into tiny pieces [HYP]; with their arrows they cause their enemies to scatter like [SIM] the wind scatters chaff.
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 Even though they march through areas where they have not gone previously, they pursue [their enemies] and continue to march, and nothing stops them.
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 enabled rulers to do [DOU] mighty things like that? Who has done that throughout all generations? It is I, Yahweh; I was the first [one to do things like that], and I will be the last one [to do them].”
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 [People who live on] [PRS] islands in the ocean are afraid while they watch. People in remote areas tremble and gather together.
群島一見即害怕起來，地極為之震動，遂都聚集前來；
6 They encourage each other and say to each other, “Be strong!'
彼此相助，並對自己的同伴說：「勇敢些！」
7 The craftsmen encourage those who make things from gold, and the men who flatten metal encourage those who hammer metal (on an anvil/into shape). They all say, “The idol has been well made!” And then they carefully nail down the idol in order that it will not topple 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 [Yahweh says], “[You people of] Israel [are like] my servants; you are [descendants of] Jacob, whom I chose; [you are] descendants of Abraham, who [I said is] my friend.
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 summoned you from very distant places [DOU] on the earth, and I said ‘I [want you to] serve me; I have chosen you, and I will not reject 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 Do not be afraid, because I will (be with/help) you. Do not be discouraged, because I am your God. I will enable you to be strong, and I will help you; I will hold you up with my powerful arm by which you will be rescued.
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 It is certain that all those who are angry with you [Israeli people] will be disgraced [DOU]. Those who oppose you will be wiped out; they will all 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 If you search for those who tried to conquer you, you will not find them, [because they will all have disappeared]. Those who attacked you will not exist [any more].
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 [It will be as though] I will hold you up by your right hand. I am Yahweh, your God, and I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid, [because] I 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 Although you people of Israel [DOU] [think that you are as insignificant as] worms, do not be afraid [of your enemies], because I will help you. I am Yahweh, the one who rescues you; I am 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 [I will cause] you to be like [MET] a (threshing sledge/big piece of metal that has sharp teeth for separating grain from chaff). You will tear [your enemies to bits], causing them to be like bits of chaff on the mountains.
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 toss them up into the air, and a strong wind will blow them away [DOU]. [When that happens], you will rejoice about what I [have done for you]; you will praise me, 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 When poor and needy people need water and they have no water, and their tongues are very dry because they are very thirsty, I, Yahweh, will come and help them. I, the God to whom you Israeli people belong, will never 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 cause rivers to flow for them on the barren hills. I will give them fountains in the valleys. I will fill [HYP] the desert with pools of water. Water from springs will flow into rivers, and the rivers will flow across the dry ground.
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 [trees] in the desert— cedar [trees], acacia [trees], myrtle [trees], olive [trees], cypress [trees], fir [trees], and pine [trees].
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 [I will do that] in order that people who see it will think about it, and they will know and understand [DOU] that it is [I], Yahweh, who have done it; it is what [I], the Holy One of Israel, have done.
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 [I], Yahweh, the true king of Israel say [to you nations], “Tell what your idols can do for you!
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 Bring them here to tell us what is going to happen! Ask them to tell us what things happened long ago, in order that we may think about those things, and learn if those things that they predicted really happened. Or, ask them to tell us about the future, in order that we can know what will happen.
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 [Yes], those idols should tell us what will happen in the future. If they do that, we will know that they are really gods. Tell them to do something—either something good or something bad! Tell them to do something that will cause us to be amazed and afraid!
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 [that is impossible, because] idols are absolutely worthless [HYP]; they can do nothing, and I detest those who decide [to worship] idols.”
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 “[But] I have incited/urged a ruler who will come [with his army] from the north. I have summoned him to come from [his country, which is] east [of Israel], and I have given him my authority [MTY]. I will [enable his army to conquer other rulers]; they will trample those leaders like [SIM] a man who makes clay pots first tramples the 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 told you people long ago that this would happen?/No one told you people long ago that this would happen!) [RHQ] (Who predicted it, with the result that we can say, ‘What he predicted was correct!’?/No one predicted it, with the result that we can say, ‘What he predicted was correct!’) [RHQ] No one else said that it would happen.
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 one to tell [the people of] Jerusalem, ‘Listen to this! I have appointed a messenger to tell good news to you!’
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 None of your idols told you that [DOU]. And when I asked them questions, none of them was able to give me any answers.
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 Think about it: Those idols are all useless, worthless [DOU] things. They are [as meaningless as] [MET] the wind.”
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。
