Isaiæ 44
1 [Et nunc audi, Jacob, serve meus, et Israël, quem elegi.
But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, the one I've chosen.
2 Hæc dicit Dominus faciens et formans te, ab utero auxiliator tuus: Noli timere, serve meus Jacob, et rectissime, quem elegi.
This is what the Lord says, the one who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Don't be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, the one I've chosen.
3 Effundam enim aquas super sitientem, et fluenta super aridam; effundam spiritum meum super semen tuum, et benedictionem meam super stirpem tuam:
For I'm going to pour out water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground. I'm going to pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.
4 et germinabunt inter herbas, quasi salices juxta præterfluentes aquas.
They will grow up among the grass, like willows beside streams.
5 Iste dicet: Domini ego sum; et ille vocabit in nomine Jacob; et hic scribet manu sua: Domino, et in nomine Israël assimilabitur.]
One of them will say, “I belong to the Lord,” while another will call himself by the name Jacob, and yet another will write on his hand, “Belonging to the Lord,” and will name himself Israel.
6 [Hæc dicit Dominus, rex Israël, et redemptor ejus, Dominus exercituum: Ego primus, et ego novissimus, et absque me non est deus.
This is what the Lord says, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me.
7 Quis similis mei? vocet, et annuntiet: et ordinem exponat mihi, ex quo constitui populum antiquum; ventura et quæ futura sunt annuntient eis.
Who is like me? Let them announce it, make a declaration, and demonstrate it before me. For I was the one who long ago established a people and predicted its future. Let them predict what's going to happen.
8 Nolite timere, neque conturbemini: ex tunc audire te feci, et annuntiavi; vos estis testes mei. Numquid est Deus absque me, et formator quem ego non noverim?
Don't tremble, don't be afraid! Didn't I tell you long ago what I was going to do? Didn't I explain it? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? There is no other Rock—I don't know any!
9 Plastæ idoli omnes nihil sunt, et amantissima eorum non proderunt eis. Ipsi sunt testes eorum, quia non vident, neque intelligunt, ut confundantur.
All those who make idols are stupid; these things they love so much don't bring them any benefit. Those people who believe in idols can't see this, and they don't know anything, making them look foolish.
10 Quis formavit deum, et sculptile conflavit ad nihil utile?
Who makes a god, who molds an idol that's no use to them?
11 Ecce omnes participes ejus confundentur, fabri enim sunt ex hominibus; convenient omnes, stabunt et pavebunt, et confundentur simul.
Everyone who makes idols should be ashamed of themselves. Idol-makers are just human beings! Bring them all together and have them stand up, trembling in shame.
12 Faber ferrarius lima operatus est, in prunis et in malleis formavit illud, et operatus est in brachio fortitudinis suæ; esuriet et deficiet, non bibet aquam et lassescet.
The blacksmith makes an iron tool for woodcarving. Working over hot coals, he hammers it into shape as hard as he can. He gets hungry and loses his strength, and because he doesn't drink he grows weak.
13 Artifex lignarius extendit normam, formavit illud in runcina, fecit illud in angularibus, et in circino tornavit illud, et fecit imaginem viri quasi speciosum hominem habitantem in domo;
The woodworker measures out a piece of wood, and draws an image on it. He carves it with a chisel and uses a compass to make an outline. He creates an idol that looks like a person, someone beautiful, to be put in a shrine.
14 succidit cedros, tulit ilicem, et quercum, quæ steterat inter ligna saltus; plantavit pinum, quam pluvia nutrivit:
He chops down cedars, or takes a cypress or an oak. He lets them grow strong in the forest. He plants a fir tree, and the rain makes it grow.
15 et facta est hominibus in focum; sumpsit ex eis, et calefactus est; et succendit et coxit panes; de reliquo autem operatus est deum et adoravit; fecit sculptile, et curvatus est ante illud.
Some wood he burns, to keep him warm and to bake his bread. Then he uses some of the same wood to make a god to worship, an idol he bows down to!
16 Medium ejus combussit igni, et de medio ejus carnes comedit; coxit pulmentum, et saturatus est, et calefactus est, et dixit: Vah! calefactus sum, vidi focum;
So he burns part of the wood to roast his meat to eat, and to warm him up, and says, “Ah! Look at that fire that keeps me warm!”
17 reliquum autem ejus deum fecit et sculptile sibi; curvatur ante illud, et adorat illud, et obsecrat, dicens: Libera me, quia deus meus es tu!
Then he uses the rest of the wood to make himself a god, an idol he bows down to in worship and prays to, saying, “Save me, for you are my god!”
18 Nescierunt, neque intellexerunt; obliti enim sunt ne videant oculi eorum, et ne intelligant corde suo.
How ignorant they are, how dumb! Their eyes have been plastered over so they can't see, their minds closed so they don't have insight.
19 Non recogitant in mente sua, neque cognoscunt, neque sentiunt, ut dicant: Medietatem ejus combussi igni, et coxi super carbones ejus panes; coxi carnes et comedi, et de reliquo ejus idolum faciam? ante truncum ligni procidam?
They can't think things over, they don't have the wisdom or the understanding to say, “Some of the wood I burned in the fire—I used it to bake my bread and roast my meat to eat. The rest of it I used to make a disgusting idol, and I bow down in worship to a block of wood.”
20 Pars ejus cinis est; cor insipiens adoravit illud, et non liberabit animam suam: neque dicet: Forte mendacium est in dextera mea.
He is feeding on ashes, seduced by the deceptive thinking of his mind. He can't save himself, and he doesn't even ask, “Isn't this idol I'm holding just a lie?”
21 Memento horum Jacob, et Israël, quoniam servus meus es tu. Formavi te; servus meus es tu, Israël, ne obliviscaris mei.
“Remember all this, Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant. I made you, Israel, you are my servant. I won't forget you.
22 Delevi ut nubem iniquitates tuas, et quasi nebulam peccata tua: revertere ad me, quoniam redemi te.
I have wiped away your acts of rebellion as if they were like a cloud, your sins as if they were like the mist. Come back to me, for I have set you free.”
23 Laudate, cæli, quoniam misericordiam fecit Dominus; jubilate, extrema terræ; resonate, montes, laudationem, saltus et omne lignum ejus, quoniam redemit Dominus Jacob, et Israël gloriabitur.]
Sing in celebration, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; cry out loud, you depths of the earth. Shout with joy, you mountains, you forests and every tree. For the Lord has set Jacob free, and his glory is shown in Israel!
24 [Hæc dicit Dominus, redemptor tuus, et formator tuus ex utero: Ego sum Dominus, faciens omnia, extendens cælos solus, stabiliens terram, et nullus mecum;
This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer, who shaped you in the womb: “I am the Lord, the Creator of everything. I alone made the heavens, and I myself formed the earth.
25 irrita faciens signa divinorum, et ariolos in furorem vertens; convertens sapientes retrorsum, et scientiam eorum stultam faciens;
I am the one who proves the signs of false prophets are wrong. I am the one who makes fools of fortune-tellers. I turn the wisdom of the wise upside-down, and make their knowledge ridiculous.
26 suscitans verbum servi sui, et consilium nuntiorum suorum complens; qui dico Jerusalem: Habitaberis, et civitatibus Juda: Ædificabimini, et deserta ejus suscitabo;
But I confirm the messages given by my servants, and fulfill what my messengers say. They state, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited again, the towns of Judah will be rebuilt, your ruins will be repaired.’
27 qui dico profundo: Desolare, et flumina tua arefaciam;
When I order deep waters, ‘Dry up!’ I will make sure the rivers dry up!
28 qui dico Cyro: Pastor meus es, et omnem voluntatem meam complebis; qui dico Jerusalem: Ædificaberis, et templo: Fundaberis.]
When I say to Cyrus, ‘You are my shepherd,’ he will carry out everything I wish. He will give the order, ‘Jerusalem shall be rebuilt,’ and he will say, ‘the Temple shall be restored.’”
