Isaiæ 41
1 Taceant ad me insulæ, et gentes mutent fortitudinem: accedant, et tunc loquantur, simul ad iudicium propinquemus.
“Listen before me in silence, you coastlands; let the nations renew their strength; let them come near and speak; let us come near together to argue a dispute.
2 Quis suscitavit ab Oriente iustum, vocavit eum ut sequeretur se? Dabit in conspectu eius gentes, et reges obtinebit: dabit quasi pulverem gladio eius, sicut stipulam vento raptam arcui eius.
Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? He hands nations over to him and helps him subdue kings. He turns them to dust with his sword, like windblown stubble with his bow.
3 Persequetur eos, transibit in pace, semita in pedibus eius non apparebit.
He pursues them and passes by safely, by a swift path that his feet scarcely touch.
4 Quis hæc operatus est, et fecit, vocans generationes ab exordio? Ego Dominus, primus et novissimus ego sum.
Who has performed and accomplished these deeds? Who has summoned the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, the first, and with the last ones, I am he.
5 Viderunt insulæ, et timuerunt, extrema terræ obstupuerunt, appropinquaverunt, et accesserunt.
The isles have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they approach and come.
6 Unusquisque proximo suo auxiliabitur, et fratri suo dicet: Confortare.
Everyone helps his neighbor, and every one says to one another, 'Be encouraged.'
7 Confortavit faber ærarius percutiens malleo eum, qui cudebat tunc temporis, dicens: Glutino bonum est: et confortavit eum clavis, ut non moveretur.
So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith, and he who works with the hammer encourages him who works with an anvil, saying of the welding, 'It is good.' They fasten it with nails so it will not topple over.
8 Et tu Israel serve meus, Iacob quem elegi, semen Abraham amici mei:
But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend,
9 In quo apprehendi te ab extremis terræ, et a longinquis eius vocavi te, et dixi tibi: Servus meus es tu, elegi te, et non abieci te.
you whom I am bringing back from the ends of the earth, and whom I called from the far away places, and to whom I said, 'You are my servant;' I have chosen you and not rejected you.
10 Ne timeas, quia ego tecum sum: ne declines, quia ego Deus tuus: confortavi te, et auxiliatus sum tibi, et suscepit te dextera iusti mei.
Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be anxious, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, and I will help you, and I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
11 Ecce confundentur et erubescent omnes, qui pugnant adversum te: erunt quasi non sint, et peribunt viri, qui contradicunt tibi.
See, they will be ashamed and disgraced, all who have been angry with you; they will be as nothing and will perish, those who oppose you.
12 Quæres eos, et non invenies, viros rebelles tuos: erunt quasi non sint: et veluti consumptio homines bellantes adversum te.
You will seek and will not find those who contended with you; those who warred against you will be like nothing, absolutely nothing.
13 Quia ego Dominus Deus tuus apprehendens manum tuam, dicensque tibi: Ne timeas, ego adiuvi te.
For I, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Do not fear; I am helping you.'
14 Noli timere vermis Iacob, qui mortui estis ex Israel: ego auxiliatus sum tibi, dicit Dominus: et Redemptor tuus Sanctus Israel.
Do not fear, Jacob you worm, and you men of Israel; I will help you—this is Yahweh's declaration, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15 Ego posui te quasi plaustrum triturans novum, habens rostra serrantia: triturabis montes, et comminues: et colles quasi pulverem pones.
Look, I am making you like a sharp threshing sledge, new and two-edged; you will thresh the mountains and crush them; you will make the hills like chaff.
16 Ventilabis eos, et ventus tollet, et turbo disperget eos: et tu exultabis in Domino, in Sancto Israel lætaberis.
You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away; the wind will scatter them. You will rejoice in Yahweh, you will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
17 Egeni, et pauperes quærunt aquas, et non sunt: lingua eorum siti aruit. Ego Dominus exaudiam eos, Deus Israel non derelinquam eos.
The oppressed and needy look for water, but there is none, and their tongues are parched for thirst; I, Yahweh, will respond to their prayers; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18 Aperiam in supinis collibus flumina, et in medio camporum fontes: ponam desertum in stagna aquarum, et terram inviam in rivos aquarum.
I will make streams to flow down the slopes, and springs in the middle of the valleys; I will make the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into springs of water.
19 Dabo in solitudinem cedrum, et spinam, et myrtum, et lignum olivæ: ponam in deserto abietem, ulmum, et buxum simul:
In the wilderness I will set the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the olive tree. I will set the cypress in the desert plain, with the pines and the cypress box trees.
20 Ut videant, et sciant, et recogitent, et intelligant pariter quia manus Domini fecit hoc, et Sanctus Israel creavit illud.
I will do this so that the people may see, recognize, and understand together, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21 Prope facite iudicium vestrum, dicit Dominus: afferte, siquid forte habetis, dicit Rex Iacob.
“Present your case,” says Yahweh, “present your best arguments for your idols,” says the King of Jacob.
22 Accedant, et nuncient nobis quæcumque ventura sunt: priora quæ fuerunt nunciate: et ponemus cor nostrum, et sciemus novissima eorum, et quæ ventura sunt indicate nobis.
Let them bring us their own arguments; have them come forward and declare to us what will happen, so we may know these things well. Have them tell us of earlier predictive declarations, so we can reflect on them and know how they were fulfilled.
23 Annunciate quæ ventura sunt in futurum, et sciemus quia dii estis vos. Bene quoque aut male, si potestis, facite: et loquamur, et videamus simul.
Tell things about the future, that we may know if you are gods; do something good or evil, that we may be frightened and impressed.
24 Ecce, vos estis ex nihilo, et opus vestrum ex eo, quod non est: abominatio est qui elegit vos.
See, you idols are nothing and your deeds are nothing; the one who chooses you is detestable.
25 Suscitavi ab Aquilone, et veniet ab ortu solis: vocabit nomen meum, et adducet magistratus quasi lutum, et velut plastes conculcans humum.
I have raised up one from the north, and he comes; from the sun's rising I summon him who calls on my name, and he will trample the rulers like mud, like a potter who is treading on the clay.
26 Quis annunciavit ab exordio ut sciamus: et a principio ut dicamus: Iustus es? non est neque annuncians, neque prædicens, neque audiens sermones vestros.
Who announced this from the beginning, that we might know? Before this time, that we may say, “He is right”? Indeed none of them decreed it, yes, none heard you say anything.
27 Primus ad Sion dicet: Ecce adsunt, et Ierusalem evangelistam dabo.
I first said to Zion, “Look here they are;” I sent a herald to Jerusalem.
28 Et vidi, et non erat neque ex istis quisquam qui iniret consilium, et interrogatus responderet verbum.
When I look, there is no one, not one among them who can give good advice, who, when I ask, can answer a word.
29 Ecce omnes iniusti, et vana opera eorum: ventus et inane simulachra eorum.
Look, all of them are nothing, and their deeds are nothing; their cast metal figures are wind and emptiness.
