Isaiæ 49
1 Audite insulæ, et attendite populi de longe: Dominus ab utero vocavit me, de ventre matris meæ recordatus est nominis mei.
All you people who live on islands [in the ocean] and in other distant areas, pay attention [DOU] to what I will say! Yahweh called/chose me before I was born; he chose/appointed me when I was still in my mother’s womb.
2 Et posuit os meum quasi gladium acutum: in umbra manus suæ protexit me, et posuit me sicut sagittam electam: in pharetra sua abscondit me.
[When I grew up], he caused my messages to be like [SIM] a sharp sword. He has protected me with his hand [SYN]. [He protects me] [MET] like someone protects sharp arrows in a quiver.
3 Et dixit mihi: Servus meus es tu Israel, quia in te gloriabor.
He said to me, “You will serve my Israeli [people], and you will cause people to honor me.”
4 Et ego dixi: In vacuum laboravi, sine causa, et vane fortitudinem meam consumpsi: ergo iudicium meum cum Domino, et opus meum cum Deo meo.
I replied, “My work has been useless; I have used my strength, but I have accomplished nothing worthwhile; everything that I have done has been (in vain/useless). However, Yahweh can honor me as he pleases; my God is the one who will reward me [as I deserve].”
5 Et nunc dicit Dominus, formans me ex utero servum sibi, ut reducam Iacob ad eum, et Israel non congregabitur: et glorificatus sum in oculis Domini, et Deus meus factus est fortitudo mea.
Yahweh formed me when I was in [my mother’s] womb in order that I would serve him; he appointed me to bring [the people of] Israel back to himself [DOU]. Yahweh has honored me, and he is the one who has caused me to be strong.
6 Et dixit: Parum est ut sis mihi servus ad suscitandas tribus Iacob, et fæces Israel convertendas: Ecce dedi te in lucem Gentium, ut sis salus mea usque ad extremum terræ.
He says to me, “It is not enough for you to serve me by bringing the descendants of Jacob back to worship me again [DOU]; I also want you to be like [MET] a light for the non-Jews; I want you to take my [my message] about how to be saved to [people] all over the world.”
7 Hæc dicit Dominus, Redemptor Israel, Sanctus eius, ad contemptibilem animam, ad abominatam gentem, ad servum dominorum: Reges videbunt, et consurgent principes, et adorabunt propter Dominum, quia fidelis est, et Sanctum Israel qui elegit te.
Yahweh, the one who saves us, the Holy God of us Israeli [people], says to the one who was despised and rejected by the [people of many] nations, the one who is the slave of rulers, “[Some day] kings will stand up to respect you when they see you, and princes will bow down before you because [you serve] me, Yahweh, the one who faithfully [does what I promise]. I am the Holy God to whom you Israelis belong, the one who has chosen you.”
8 Hæc dicit Dominus: In tempore placito exaudivi te, et in die salutis auxiliatus sum tui: et servavi te, et dedi te in fœdus populi, ut suscitares terram, et possideres hereditates dissipatas:
This is also what Yahweh says: “At a time when it pleases me, I will answer your prayers. On the day when you will be rescued [from your oppressors], I will help you. I will protect you and enable you to establish an agreement with other nations. And by what you do, I will re-establish your nation of Israel and allow you to live/settle again in your land that was abandoned.
9 ut diceres his, qui vincti sunt: Exite: et his, qui in tenebris: Revelamini. Super vias pascentur, et in omnibus planis pascua eorum.
I will say to those who were captured [and (exiled/taken to Babylonia)], ‘Leave [Babylonia] and return to your own country!’ And I will say to those who are in dark prisons, ‘Come out into the light!’ When that happens, they will again be like [MET] sheep that eat grass in green pastures, on hills where [previously] there was no grass.
10 Non esurient, neque sitient, et non percutiet eos æstus et sol: quia miserator eorum reget eos, et ad fontes aquarum potabit eos.
They will not be hungry or thirsty [any more]; the hot sun will not beat upon them again [DOU]. I, Yahweh, will act mercifully toward them and lead them; I will lead them to where there are springs of cool water.
11 Et ponam omnes montes meos in viam, et semitæ meæ exaltabuntur.
And I will cause the mountains to become [as though they were] level roads, and I will prepare good highways [for my people to travel on, to return to Jerusalem].
12 Ecce isti de longe venient, et ecce illi ab Aquilone et mari, et isti de terra australi.
My people will return from far away; some will come from the north, some from the west, some from southern Egypt.”
13 Laudate cæli, et exulta terra, iubilate montes laudem: quia consolatus est Dominus populum suum, et pauperum suorum miserebitur.
[Because of what Yahweh has promised to do], everything should shout joyfully— the sky and the earth and the mountains should sing, because Yahweh comforts his people, and he will pity those who are suffering.
14 Et dixit Sion: Dereliquit me Dominus, et Dominus oblitus est mei.
[The people of] Jerusalem say, “Yahweh has abandoned us; he has forgotten about us.”
15 Numquid oblivisci potest mulier infantem suum, ut non misereatur filio uteri sui? Et si illa oblita fuerit, ego tamen non obliviscar tui.
But [Yahweh replies], “That is not true! (Can a woman forget the infant that she is nursing?/A woman certainly cannot forget the infant that she is nursing!) [RHQ] (Can she stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth?/She certainly cannot stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth!) [RHQ] But even if a woman would do that, I will not forget you!
16 Ecce in manibus meis descripsi te: muri tui coram oculis meis semper.
Note that I have written your [names] on the palms of my hands; in my mind I can always see the walls of your city.
17 Venerunt structores tui: destruentes te, et dissipantes a te exibunt.
Soon your children will be returning there (OR, Those who rebuild your city will work more quickly than those who destroyed it), and all those who destroyed your city will leave.
18 Leva in circuitu oculos tuos, et vide, omnes isti congregati sunt, venerunt tibi: vivo ego, dicit Dominus, quia omnibus his velut ornamento vestieris, et circumdabis tibi eos quasi sponsa.
You will look around and see all of your children coming back to you. As surely as I live, they will be around you [for you to show to people] like [SIM] a bride shows her wedding ornaments!
19 Quia deserta tua, et solitudines tuæ, et terra ruinæ tuæ nunc angusta erunt præ habitatoribus, et longe fugabuntur qui absorbebant te.
Your land has been ruined and caused to become desolate/abandoned [DOU], but [some day] it will be filled with people, and those who conquered you will be far away.
20 Adhuc dicent in auribus tuis filii sterilitatis tuæ: Angustus est mihi locus, fac spatium mihi ut habitem.
The children who were born while you were (exiled/in Babylonia) [MET] will return [to Jerusalem] and say, ‘This city is too small for us; We need more space to live in!’
21 Et dices in corde tuo: Quis genuit mihi istos? Ego sterilis, et non pariens, transmigrata, et captiva: et istos quis enutrivit? Ego destituta et sola: et isti ubi erant?
Then you will think to yourselves [MTY], ‘It is amazing that we have [RHQ] all these children! Most of our children were dead, and the rest were exiled. We were left here alone; so we do not know [RHQ] where all these children have come from! Who raised them?'”
22 Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Ecce levabo ad Gentes manum meam, et ad populos exaltabo signum meum. Et afferent filios tuos in ulnis, et filias tuas super humeros portabunt.
This is what Yahweh our God says: “Watch! [It is as though] I will lift up my hand to signal to those who are not Israelis. And they will carry your little sons and daughters on their shoulders and bring them back to you.
23 Et erunt reges nutritii tui, et reginæ nutrices tuæ: vultu in terram demisso adorabunt te, et pulverem pedum tuorum lingent. Et scies quia ego Dominus, super quo non confundentur qui expectant eum.
Kings will serve you and will tutor/teach your children, and their queens will take care of your young children. They will prostrate themselves in front of you and [humble themselves by] licking the dust off your feet. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do]; and those who trust in me will never be disappointed.”
24 Numquid tolletur a forti præda? Aut quod captum fuerit a robusto, salvum esse poterit?
There is no one [RHQ] who can snatch valuable things from a soldier who has captured those things [in a war]; there is no one [RHQ] who can force a (tyrant/cruel man) to free the people whom he has captured.
25 Quia hæc dicit Dominus: Equidem, et captivitas a forti tolletur: et quod ablatum fuerit a robusto, salvabitur. Eos vero, qui iudicaverunt te, ego iudicabo, et filios tuos ego salvabo.
But Yahweh says this: “[Some day], those who have been captured will be freed, and the valuable things that (tyrants/cruel men) have snatched from others will be returned, because I will fight against those who fight against you, and I will rescue your children.
26 Et cibabo hostes tuos carnibus suis: et quasi musto, sanguine suo inebriabuntur: et sciet omnis caro, quia ego Dominus salvans te, et Redemptor tuus, Fortis Iacob.
And I will cause your enemies to destroy themselves [MET] instead of murdering others. When that happens, everyone [in the world] will know that I, Yahweh, am the one who saves you, the one who rescues you from your enemies; everyone will know that I am the mighty God to whom [you descendants of] [MTY] Jacob belong.”
