Isaiæ 42
1 Ecce servus meus, suscipiam eum: electus meus, complacuit sibi in illo anima mea: dedi spiritum meum super eum, iudicium Gentibus proferet.
Look! Here is my servant, the one I support; my chosen one who pleases me. I have placed my Spirit on him, and he will show the nations what is right.
2 Non clamabit, neque accipiet personam, nec audietur vox eius foris.
He won't shout or cry out; he won't raise his voice in the street.
3 Calamum quassatum non conteret, et linum fumigans non extinguet: in veritate educet iudicium.
He won't break a damaged reed; he won't snuff out a smoldering wick. He will faithfully make sure everyone is treated fairly.
4 Non erit tristis, neque turbulentus, donec ponat in terra iudicium: et legem eius insulae expectabunt.
He won't give up or become discouraged until he has made sure that justice is upheld throughout the world. Even lands overseas will look forward to his teachings.
5 Haec dicit Dominus Deus creans caelos, et extendens eos: formans terram, et quae germinant ex ea: dans flatum populo, qui est super eam, et spiritum calcantibus eam.
This is what God the Lord says, the one who created the heavens and stretched them out, who made the earth and everything in it, who gives breath to the people on it, and life to those who live there:
6 Ego Dominus vocavi te in iustitia, et apprehendi manum tuam, et servavi te. Et dedi te in foedus populi, in lucem Gentium:
“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate what's right, and I will hold your hand. I will take care of you, and give you as a sign of my agreement with the people and as a light to the nations.
7 Ut aperires oculos caecorum, et educeres de conclusione vinctum, de domo carceris sedentes in tenebris.
You will make the blind see, set free those who are locked up, and lead those who sit in darkness out from prison.
8 Ego Dominus, hoc est nomen meum: gloriam meam alteri non dabo, et laudem meam sculptilibus.
I am the Lord—that is my name! I do not give my honor to anyone else; I do not give my praise to idols.
9 Quae prima fuerunt, ecce venerunt: nova quoque ego annuncio: antequam oriantur, audita vobis faciam.
Notice that what I foretold has come true, as will the new things I'm saying to you now. I tell you what will happen before it does.”
10 Cantate Domino canticum novum, laus eius ab extremis terrae: qui descenditis in mare, et plenitudo eius, insulae, et habitatores earum.
Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing praise from everywhere on earth, you who sail on the sea and everything in it, you islands and everyone who lives in them.
11 Sublevetur desertum, et civitates eius: in domibus habitabit Cedar: laudate habitatores Petrae, de vertice montium clamabunt.
Let the people in the desert and its towns shout; let the people of the villages of Kedar cry out loud. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops.
12 Ponent Domino gloriam, et laudem eius in insulis nunciabunt.
Let them glorify the Lord and praise him in the islands.
13 Dominus sicut fortis egredietur, sicut vir praeliator suscitabit zelum: vociferabitur, et clamabit: super inimicos suos confortabitur.
Like a mighty warrior the Lord will march out, like a seasoned soldier he goes out with courage. He gives his war-cry, shouting as he battles and defeats his enemies.
14 Tacui semper, silui, patiens fui, sicut parturiens loquar: dissipabo, et absorbebo simul.
“I didn't say anything for a long time, I kept quiet and restrained myself. But now like a woman giving birth, I will moan and gasp and pant.
15 Desertos faciam montes, et colles, et omne gramen eorum exiccabo: et ponam flumina in insulas, et stagna arefaciam.
I will dry up the mountains and the hills, and make all their greenery wither. I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools.
16 Et ducam caecos in viam, quam nesciunt, et in semitis, quas ignoraverunt, ambulare eos faciam: ponam tenebras coram eis in lucem, et prava in recta: haec verba feci eis, et non dereliqui eos.
I will lead the blind along a road they don't know; I will guide them along paths they don't know. I will turn darkness into light before them, and smooth out the rough places. This is what I'm going to do for them; I won't let them down.
17 Conversi sunt retrorsum: confundantur confusione qui confidunt in sculptili, qui dicunt conflatili: Vos dii nostri.
But those who trust in idols and say to images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be rejected in humiliation and shame.
18 Surdi audite, et caeci intuemini ad videndum.
Listen, you deaf people! Look and see, you blind people!
19 Quis caecus, nisi servus meus? et surdus, nisi ad quem nuncios meos misi? quis caecus, nisi qui venundatus est? et quis caecus, nisi servus Domini?
Who is blind like my servant? Who is deaf like my messenger that I send? Who is as blind as the people of the agreement? Who is as blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 Qui vides multa, nonne custodies? qui apertas habes aures, nonne audies?
You've looked at many things but have not really seen; you've heard but never really listened.”
21 Et Dominus voluit ut sanctificaret eum, et magnificaret legem, et extolleret.
Because the Lord does what is right he wanted to show how important and wonderful his instructions were.
22 Ipse autem populus direptus, et vastatus: laqueus iuvenum omnes, et in domibus carcerum absconditi sunt: facti sunt in rapinam, nec est qui eruat: in direptionem, nec est qui dicat: Redde.
But this people ended up robbed and raided, all of them trapped in holes or hidden in prisons. They have been stolen like loot, with no one to save them from being someone's prize, no one to say “Give them back!”
23 Quis est in vobis qui audiat hoc, attendat et auscultet futura?
Who of you is going to listen to this, or pay attention later on?
24 Quis dedit in direptionem Iacob, et Israel vastantibus? nonne Dominus ipse, cui peccavimus? Et noluerunt in viis eius ambulare, et non audierunt legem eius.
Who let Jacob be taken as loot; who let Israel be taken by robbers? Wasn't it the Lord who we sinned against? The people weren't willing to follow his ways, and they refused to obey his law.
25 Et effudit super eum indignationem furoris sui, et forte bellum, et combussit eum in circuitu, et non cognovit: et succendit eum, et non intellexit.
So he poured out his furious anger on them, and the violence of war. Even though they were surrounded by flames, but they still didn't understand. The fire burned them up, but they still did not take the situation seriously.
