Isaiah 41
1 “Keep silent before me, islands, and let the peoples renew their strength. Let them come near, then let them speak. Let’s meet together for judgement.
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 raised up one from the east? Who called him to his feet in righteousness? He hands over nations to him and makes him rule over kings. He gives them like the dust to his sword, like the driven stubble to his bow.
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 He pursues them and passes by safely, even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.
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 worked and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last, I am he.”
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 The islands have seen, and fear. The ends of the earth tremble. They approach, and come.
群島一見即害怕起來，地極為之震動，遂都聚集前來；
6 Everyone helps his neighbour. They say to their brothers, “Be strong!”
彼此相助，並對自己的同伴說：「勇敢些！」
7 So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith. He who smooths with the hammer encourages him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good;” and he fastens it with nails, that it might not totter.
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 “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham 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 you whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from its corners, and said to you, ‘You are my servant. I have chosen you and have not cast you away.’
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 Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
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 Behold, all those who are incensed against you will be disappointed and confounded. Those who strive with you will be like nothing, and shall perish.
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 You will seek them, and won’t find them, even those who contend with you. Those who war against you will be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing.
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 For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. 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 Don’t be afraid, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel. I will help you,” says the LORD. “Your Redeemer is 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 Behold, I have made you into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth. You will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and will make the hills like chaff.
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 winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, and the whirlwind will scatter them. You will rejoice in the LORD. You will glory in 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 The poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake 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 open rivers on the bare heights, and springs in the middle of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
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 put cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees in the wilderness. I will set cypress trees, pine, and box trees together in the desert;
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 that they may see, know, consider, and understand together, that the LORD’s hand has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.
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 Produce your cause,” says the LORD. “Bring out your strong reasons!” says the King of Jacob.
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 “Let them announce and declare to us what will happen! Declare the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.
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 Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and see it together.
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 Behold, you are nothing, and your work is nothing. He who chooses you is an abomination.
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 “I have raised up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name, and he shall come on rulers as on mortar, and as the potter treads 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 has declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and before, that we may say, ‘He is right’? Surely, there is no one who declares. Surely, there is no one who shows. Surely, there is no one who hears your words.
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 am the first to say to Zion, ‘Behold, look at them;’ and I will give one who brings good news to Jerusalem.
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 When I look, there is no man, even amongst them there is no counsellor who, when I ask, can answer a word.
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 Behold, all of their deeds are vanity and nothing. Their molten images are wind and confusion.
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。
