Isaiah 44
1 But now, you people of Israel whom Yahweh has chosen to serve him, listen to me.
我的僕人雅各， 我所揀選的以色列啊， 現在你當聽。
2 Yahweh, the one who created you and helps you, says this: “You dear people of Israel whom I have chosen, you who serve me, do not be afraid.
造作你，又從你出胎造就你， 並要幫助你的耶和華如此說： 我的僕人雅各， 我所揀選的耶書崙哪， 不要害怕！
3 I will pour water on your dry land and cause streams to flow. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and greatly bless them.
因為我要將水澆灌口渴的人， 將河澆灌乾旱之地。 我要將我的靈澆灌你的後裔， 將我的福澆灌你的子孫。
4 They will grow up like [SIM] grass grows along the water, like [SIM] willow/poplar [trees] grow well along a riverbank.
他們要發生在草中， 像溪水旁的柳樹。
5 Some of them will say, ‘I belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say, ‘We are descendants of Jacob,’ and others will write on their hands, ‘We belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say, ‘We are Israelis.’”
這個要說：我是屬耶和華的； 那個要以雅各的名自稱； 又一個要親手寫：歸耶和華的， 並自稱為以色列。
6 Yahweh, the King of Israel, the one who saves us, the Commander of the armies of angels, says this: “I am the one who begins everything and who ends everything; there is no other God.
耶和華－以色列的君， 以色列的救贖主－萬軍之耶和華如此說： 我是首先的，我是末後的； 除我以外再沒有真神。
7 If there is anyone like me [RHQ], he should proclaim it! He should speak and tell me [now]! He should tell what has happened since I caused my people [of Israel] to become a nation long ago, and he should also tell what things will happen; he should predict what will happen in the future.
自從我設立古時的民， 誰能像我宣告，並且指明，又為自己陳說呢？ 讓他將未來的事和必成的事說明。
8 [My people], do not be afraid. Long ago I told you things that would happen [RHQ]; I predicted them, and you can testify that I did that. There certainly is not [RHQ] any other God. There is no other God who is able to protect you [MET]; I know that there is no other God!”
你們不要恐懼，也不要害怕。 我豈不是從上古就說明指示你們嗎？ 並且你們是我的見證！ 除我以外，豈有真神嗎？ 誠然沒有磐石，我不知道一個！
9 All those who make idols are foolish, and the idols that they (think highly of/greatly respect) are worthless. And the people who worship those idols— [it is as though] they are blind, and they will be ashamed [for having worshiped those idols].
製造雕刻偶像的盡都虛空；他們所喜悅的都無益處；他們的見證無所看見，無所知曉，他們便覺羞愧。
10 Only [foolish people] [RHQ] would make idols in a mold, idols that would never help them at all.
誰製造神像，鑄造無益的偶像？
11 Those who make idols and those who worship them will be ashamed. Those who make idols are only human beings, [but they claim that they are making gods]! They should stand in front of God in a court, and [when they hear what he says], they will be terrified, and they will all be disgraced.
看哪，他的同伴都必羞愧。工匠也不過是人，任他們聚會，任他們站立，都必懼怕，一同羞愧。
12 Metalworkers stand in front of hot coals in order to make idols. They pound them strongly with hammers, and shape them. Because they work very hard, they become hungry and weak; they become very thirsty and feel exhausted.
鐵匠把鐵在火炭中燒熱，用鎚打鐵器，用他有力的膀臂錘成；他飢餓而無力，不喝水而發倦。
13 Then a woodcarver takes a big block/piece of wood and he measures it; then he marks it to show where he will cut it. He uses a chisel and other tools to carve it to resemble a human. He causes it to become a very beautiful [idol], and then he puts it in a shrine.
木匠拉線，用筆劃出樣子，用鉋子鉋成形狀，用圓尺劃了模樣，仿照人的體態，做成人形，好住在房屋中。
14 [Before he carves an idol from that block of wood], he has cut down a cedar tree, or he has selected a cypress tree or an oak tree and allowed it to grow tall in the forest. Or, he has planted a pine/evergreen tree and the rain has watered it [and caused it to grow tall].
他砍伐香柏樹，又取柞樹和橡樹，在樹林中選定了一棵。他栽種松樹，得雨長養。
15 [And after he uses part of the tree to make an idol], he uses the other part of the tree to make a fire, either to warm himself or to bake bread. But he uses [part of the same tree] to make for himself an idol to worship! He makes an idol and then he bows down to worship it.
這樹，人可用以燒火；他自己取些烤火，又燒着烤餅，而且做神像跪拜，做雕刻的偶像向它叩拜。
16 He burns part of the wood of the tree to cook his meat and eats the meat and his stomach becomes full, and he burns part of the wood to warm his body, and he says, “I feel warm while I am watching the flames in the fire.”
他把一分燒在火中，把一分烤肉吃飽。自己烤火說：「啊哈，我暖和了，我見火了。」
17 Then he takes the rest of the wood and makes an idol which is his god. He bows down to it and worships it, and prays to it and says, “You are my god, so save me!”
他用剩下的做了一神，就是雕刻的偶像。他向這偶像俯伏叩拜，禱告它說：「求你拯救我，因你是我的神。」
18 Those people are very stupid and ignorant [SAR]. [It is as though] they are blind and cannot see, and their minds are closed and they cannot think well.
他們不知道，也不思想；因為耶和華閉住他們的眼，不能看見，塞住他們的心，不能明白。
19 They do not think about what they are doing, that they are taking a block of wood and burning half of it to warm themselves and using some of the rest to bake bread and roast some meat! [They do not say to themselves], “It is stupid [RHQ] to take the rest of the wood to make a detestable idol! It does not make sense to bow down to a block of wood!”
誰心裏也不醒悟，也沒有知識，沒有聰明，能說：「我曾拿一分在火中燒了，在炭火上烤過餅；我也烤過肉吃。這剩下的，我豈要做可憎的物嗎？我豈可向木墩子叩拜呢？」
20 They are very stupid to [worship something that if you burn it, it becomes] ashes! They trust in something that cannot save them; they do not admit, “In my hand I hold something that is not really a god! [RHQ]”
他以灰為食，心中昏迷，使他偏邪，他不能自救，也不能說：「我右手中豈不是有虛謊嗎？」
21 [Yahweh says, “You descendants of] [MTY] Jacob, you people of Israel who should be serving me, I created you, and I will not forget you.
雅各，以色列啊， 你是我的僕人，要記念這些事。 以色列啊，你是我的僕人， 我造就你必不忘記你。
22 I have gotten rid of your sins like [SIM] [the wind blows away] a cloud. [It is as though] your transgressions were a morning mist [SIM] that I have blown away. Return to me because I have rescued you.”
我塗抹了你的過犯，像厚雲消散； 我塗抹了你的罪惡，如薄雲滅沒。 你當歸向我，因我救贖了你。
23 [The sun and moon and stars] in the sky should sing, and all the things that are beneath the ground should shout joyfully! All the mountains and forests, and all you trees, should sing loudly, because Yahweh has rescued [the descendants of] [MTY] Jacob; [the people of] Israel will praise/honor him.
諸天哪，應當歌唱， 因為耶和華做成這事。 地的深處啊，應當歡呼； 眾山應當發聲歌唱； 樹林和其中所有的樹都當如此！ 因為耶和華救贖了雅各， 並要因以色列榮耀自己。
24 Yahweh, who saved you and created you, says this: “I am Yahweh, the one who created everything. I am the only one who stretched out the sky. There was [RHQ] no one who (was with/helped) me when I created the earth.
從你出胎，造就你的救贖主－耶和華如此說： 我－耶和華是創造萬物的， 是獨自鋪張諸天、鋪開大地的。 誰與我同在呢？
25 I show that the false prophets are liars, and I show that those who perform rituals to predict the future are fools. Some people who [falsely think that they] are [IRO] wise [say that they] know a lot, but I show that they are foolish.
使說假話的兆頭失效， 使占卜的癲狂， 使智慧人退後， 使他的知識變為愚拙；
26 But I always cause to happen what my prophets predict [DOU]. [I tell them to] say to [the people of] [MTY] Jerusalem, ‘[Some day] people will live here again.’ [And I tell them to] say to [the people in other] towns in Judah [that Yahweh says], ‘Your towns will be rebuilt; I will cause the places that are only ruins to be rebuilt.’
使我僕人的話語立定， 我使者的謀算成就。 論到耶路撒冷說：必有人居住； 論到猶大的城邑說：必被建造， 其中的荒場我也必興起。
27 When I say to the rivers, ‘Dry up!’, they will become dry.
對深淵說：你乾了吧！ 我也要使你的江河乾涸。
28 When I say about King Cyrus, ‘He will [take care of my people like] [MET] a shepherd [takes care of his sheep], he will do what I want him to do,’ he will say about Jerusalem, ‘We must rebuild it!’, and he will also say, ‘We must rebuild the temple!’”
論塞魯士說：他是我的牧人， 必成就我所喜悅的， 必下令建造耶路撒冷， 發命立穩聖殿的根基。
