Isaiæ 41
1 Taceant ad me insulae, et Gentes mutent fortitudinem: accedant, et tunc loquantur, simul ad iudicium propinquemus.
[Yahweh says], “You [people who live on] [APO] islands in the ocean, be silent in front of me [while I ask you some questions]! Then you can be courageous and talk to me. We will meet together and decide [which one of us is right].
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 urged this king to come from the east? Who has enabled his [army] to righteously defeat many nations and to trample their kings under their feet? With their swords they cut [their enemies] into tiny pieces [HYP]; with their arrows they cause their enemies to scatter like [SIM] the wind scatters chaff.
3 Persequetur eos, transibit in pace, semita in pedibus eius non apparebit.
Even though they march through areas where they have not gone previously, they pursue [their enemies] and continue to march, and nothing stops them.
4 Quis haec operatus est, et fecit, vocans generationes ab exordio? Ego Dominus, primus et novissimus ego sum.
Who has enabled rulers to do [DOU] mighty things like that? Who has done that throughout all generations? It is I, Yahweh; I was the first [one to do things like that], and I will be the last one [to do them].”
5 Viderunt insulae, et timuerunt, extrema terrae obstupuerunt, appropinquaverunt, et accesserunt.
[People who live on] [PRS] islands in the ocean are afraid while they watch. People in remote areas tremble and gather together.
6 Unusquisque proximo suo auxiliabitur, et fratri suo dicet: Confortare.
They encourage each other and say to each other, “Be strong!'
7 Confortavit faber aerarius percutiens malleo eum, qui cudebat tunc temporis, dicens: Glutino bonum est: et confortavit eum clavis, ut non moveretur.
The craftsmen encourage those who make things from gold, and the men who flatten metal encourage those who hammer metal (on an anvil/into shape). They all say, “The idol has been well made!” And then they carefully nail down the idol in order that it will not topple over!
8 Et tu Israel serve meus, Iacob quem elegi, semen Abraham amici mei:
[Yahweh says], “[You people of] Israel [are like] my servants; you are [descendants of] Jacob, whom I chose; [you are] descendants of Abraham, who [I said is] my friend.
9 In quo apprehendi te ab extremis terrae, et a longinquis eius vocavi te, et dixi tibi: Servus meus es tu, elegi te, et non abieci te.
I summoned you from very distant places [DOU] on the earth, and I said ‘I [want you to] serve me; I have chosen you, and I will not reject 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 be afraid, because I will (be with/help) you. Do not be discouraged, because I am your God. I will enable you to be strong, and I will help you; I will hold you up with my powerful arm by which you will be rescued.
11 Ecce confundentur et erubescent omnes, qui pugnant adversum te: erunt quasi non sint, et peribunt viri, qui contradicunt tibi.
It is certain that all those who are angry with you [Israeli people] will be disgraced [DOU]. Those who oppose you will be wiped out; they will all die.
12 Quaeres eos, et non invenies, viros rebelles tuos: erunt quasi non sint: et veluti consumptio homines bellantes adversum te.
If you search for those who tried to conquer you, you will not find them, [because they will all have disappeared]. Those who attacked you will not exist [any more].
13 Quia ego Dominus Deus tuus apprehendens manum tuam, dicensque tibi: Ne timeas, ego adiuvi te.
[It will be as though] I will hold you up by your right hand. I am Yahweh, your God, and I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid, [because] I will help you.’
14 Noli timere vermis Iacob, qui mortui estis ex Israel: ego auxiliatus sum tibi, dicit Dominus: et redemptor tuus sanctus Israel.
Although you people of Israel [DOU] [think that you are as insignificant as] worms, do not be afraid [of your enemies], because I will help you. I am Yahweh, the one who rescues you; I am 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.
[I will cause] you to be like [MET] a (threshing sledge/big piece of metal that has sharp teeth for separating grain from chaff). You will tear [your enemies to bits], causing them to be like bits of chaff on the mountains.
16 Ventilabis eos, et ventus tollet, et turbo disperget eos: et tu exultabis in Domino, in sancto Israel laetaberis.
You will toss them up into the air, and a strong wind will blow them away [DOU]. [When that happens], you will rejoice about what I [have done for you]; you will praise me, the Holy One of Israel.
17 Egeni, et pauperes quaerunt aquas, et non sunt: lingua eorum siti aruit. Ego Dominus exaudiam eos, Deus Israel non derelinquam eos.
When poor and needy people need water and they have no water, and their tongues are very dry because they are very thirsty, I, Yahweh, will come and help them. I, the God to whom you Israeli people belong, will never abandon them.
18 Aperiam in excelsis collibus flumina, et in medio camporum fontes: ponam desertum in stagna aquarum, et terram inviam in rivos aquarum.
I will cause rivers to flow for them on the barren hills. I will give them fountains in the valleys. I will fill [HYP] the desert with pools of water. Water from springs will flow into rivers, and the rivers will flow across the dry ground.
19 Dabo in solitudinem cedrum, et spinam, et myrtum, et lignum olivae: ponam in deserto abietem, ulmum, et buxum simul:
I will plant [trees] in the desert— cedar [trees], acacia [trees], myrtle [trees], olive [trees], cypress [trees], fir [trees], and pine [trees].
20 Ut videant, et sciant, et recogitent, et intelligant pariter quia manus Domini fecit hoc, et sanctus Israel creavit illud.
[I will do that] in order that people who see it will think about it, and they will know and understand [DOU] that it is [I], Yahweh, who have done it; it is what [I], the Holy One of Israel, have done.
21 Prope facite iudicium vestrum, dicit Dominus: afferte, siquid forte habetis, dicit rex Iacob.
[I], Yahweh, the true king of Israel say [to you nations], “Tell what your idols can do for you!
22 Accedant, et nuncient nobis quaecumque ventura sunt: priora quae fuerunt nunciate: et ponemus cor nostrum, et sciemus novissima eorum, et quae ventura sunt indicate nobis.
Bring them here to tell us what is going to happen! Ask them to tell us what things happened long ago, in order that we may think about those things, and learn if those things that they predicted really happened. Or, ask them to tell us about the future, in order that we can know what will happen.
23 Annunciate quae ventura sunt in futurum, et sciemus quia dii estis vos. bene quoque aut male, si potestis, facite: et loquamur, et videamus simul.
[Yes], those idols should tell us what will happen in the future. If they do that, we will know that they are really gods. Tell them to do something—either something good or something bad! Tell them to do something that will cause us to be amazed and afraid!
24 Ecce, vos estis ex nihilo, et opus vestrum ex eo, quod non est: abominatio est qui elegit vos.
But [that is impossible, because] idols are absolutely worthless [HYP]; they can do nothing, and I detest those who decide [to worship] idols.”
25 Suscitavi ab Aquilone, et veniet ab Ortu solis: vocabit nomen meum, et adducet magistratus quasi lutum, et velut plastes conculcans humum.
“[But] I have incited/urged a ruler who will come [with his army] from the north. I have summoned him to come from [his country, which is] east [of Israel], and I have given him my authority [MTY]. I will [enable his army to conquer other rulers]; they will trample those leaders like [SIM] a man who makes clay pots first tramples the clay.
26 Quis annunciavit ab exordio ut sciamus: et a principio ut dicamus: Iustus es? non est neque annuncians, neque praedicens, neque audiens sermones vestros.
(Who told you people long ago that this would happen?/No one told you people long ago that this would happen!) [RHQ] (Who predicted it, with the result that we can say, ‘What he predicted was correct!’?/No one predicted it, with the result that we can say, ‘What he predicted was correct!’) [RHQ] No one else said that it would happen.
27 Primus ad Sion dicet: Ecce adsum, et Ierusalem evangelistam dabo.
I was the first one to tell [the people of] Jerusalem, ‘Listen to this! I have appointed a messenger to tell good news to you!’
28 Et vidi, et non erat neque ex istis quisquam qui iniret consilium, et interrogatus responderet verbum.
None of your idols told you that [DOU]. And when I asked them questions, none of them was able to give me any answers.
29 Ecce omnes iniusti, et vana opera eorum: ventus et inane simulachra eorum.
Think about it: Those idols are all useless, worthless [DOU] things. They are [as meaningless as] [MET] the wind.”
