Isaiæ 49

1 Audite insulae, et attendite populi de longe: Dominus ab utero vocavit me, de ventre matris meae recordatus est nominis mei.

Listen to me, you islands; and attend, you Gentiles; after a long time it shall come to pass, says the Lord: from my mother's womb he has called my name:

2 Et posuit os meum quasi gladium acutum: in umbra manus suae protexit me, et posuit me sicut sagittam electam: in pharetra sua abscondit me.

and he has made my mouth as a sharp sword, and he has hid me under the shadow of his hand; he has made me as a choice shaft, and he has hid me in his quiver;

3 Et dixit mihi: Servus meus es tu Israel, quia in te gloriabor.

and said to me, You are my servant, O Israel, and in you I will be glorified.

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.

Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have given my strength for vanity and for nothing: therefore is my judgement with the Lord, and my labour before my God.

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.

And now, thus says the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his own servant, to gather Jacob to him and Israel. I shall be gathered and glorified before the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.

6 Et dixit: Parum est ut sis mihi servus ad suscitandas tribus Iacob, et faeces Israel convertendas: Ecce dedi te in lucem Gentium, ut sis salus mea usque ad extremum terrae.

And he said to me, [It is] a great thing for you to be called my servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob, and to recover the dispersion of Israel: behold, I have given you for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the end of the earth.

7 Haec 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.

Thus says the Lord that delivered you, the God of Israel, Sanctify him that despises his life, him that is abhorred by the nations that are the servants of princes: kings shall behold him, and princes shall arise, and shall worship him, for the Lord's sake: for the Holy One of Israel is faithful, and I have chosen you.

8 Haec dicit Dominus: In tempore placito exaudivi te, et in die salutis auxiliatus sum tui: et servavi te, et dedi te in foedus populi, ut suscitares terram, et possideres hereditates dissipatas:

Thus says the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day of salvation have I succored you: and I have formed you, and given you for a covenant of the nations, to establish the earth, and to cause to inherit the desert heritages:

9 ut diceres his, qui vincti sunt: Exite: et his, qui in tenebris: Revelamini. Super vias pascentur, et in omnibus planis pascua eorum.

saying to them that are in bonds, Go forth; and [bidding] them that are in darkness show themselves. They shall be fed in all the ways, and in all the paths [shall be] their pasture.

10 Non esurient, neque sitient, et non percutiet eos aestus et sol: quia miserator eorum reget eos, et ad fontes aquarum potabit eos.

They shall not hunger, neither shall they thirst; neither shall the heat nor the sun strike them; but he that has mercy on them shall comfort [them], and by fountains of waters shall he lead them.

11 Et ponam omnes montes meos in viam, et semitae meae exaltabuntur.

And I will make every mountain a way, and every path a pasture to them.

12 Ecce isti de longe venient, et ecce illi ab Aquilone et mari, et isti de terra australi.

Behold, these shall come from far: [and] these from the north and the west, and others from the land of the Persians.

13 Laudate caeli, et exulta terra, iubilate montes laudem: quia consolatus est Dominus populum suum, et pauperum suorum miserebitur.

Rejoice, you heavens; and let the earth be glad: let the mountains break forth [with] joy; for the Lard has had mercy on his people, and has comforted the lowly ones of his people.

14 Et dixit Sion: Dereliquit me Dominus, et Dominus oblitus est mei.

But Sion said, The Lord has forsaken me, and, The Lord has forgotten me.

15 Numquid oblivisci potest mulier infantem suum, ut non misereatur filio uteri sui? et si illa oblita fuerit, ego tamen non obliviscar tui.

Will a woman forget her child, so as not to have compassion upon the offspring of her womb? but if a woman should even forget these, yet I will not forget you, says the Lord.

16 Ecce in manibus meis descripsi te: muri tui coram oculis meis semper.

Behold, I have painted your walls on my hands, and you are continually before me.

17 Venerunt structores tui: destruentes te, et dissipantes a te exibunt.

And you shall soon be built by those by whom you were destroyed, and they that made you desolate shall go forth of you.

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.

Lift up your eyes round about, and look on them all; behold, they are gathered together, and are come to you. [As] I live, says the Lord, you shall clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and put them on as a bride her attire.

19 Quia deserta tua, et solitudines tuae, et terra ruinae tuae nunc angusta erunt prae habitatoribus, et longe fugabuntur qui absorbebant te.

For your desert and marred and ruined [places] shall now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that devoured you shall be removed far from you.

20 Adhuc dicent in auribus tuis filii sterilitatis tuae: Angustus est mihi locus, fac spatium mihi ut habitem.

For your sons whom you have lost shall say in your ears, The place [is too] narrow for me: make room for me that I may dwell.

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 hic erant?

And you shall say in your heart, Who has begotten me these? whereas I [was] childless, and a widow; but who has brought up these for me? and I was left alone; but whence came these to me?

22 Haec 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.

Thus says the Lord, [even] the Lord, Behold, I lift up mine hand to the nations, and I will lift up my signal to the islands: and they shall bring your sons in [their] bosom, and shall bear your daughters on [their] shoulders.

23 Et erunt reges nutritii tui, et reginae nutrices tuae: vultu in terram demisso adorabunt te, et pulverem pedum tuorum lingent. Et scies quia ego Dominus, super quo non confundentur qui expectant eum.

And kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their princesses your nurses, they shall bow down to you on the face of the earth, and shall lick the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the Lord, and they that wait on me shall not be ashamed.

24 Numquid tolletur a forti praeda? aut quod captum fuerit a robusto, salvum esse poterit?

Will any one take spoils from a giant? and if one should take [a man] captive unjustly, shall he be delivered?

25 Quia haec 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.

For thus says the Lord, If one should take a giant captive, he shall take spoils, and he who takes [them] from a mighty [man] shall be delivered: for I will plead your cause, and I will deliver 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 they that afflicted you shall eat their own flesh; and they shall drink their own blood as new wine, and shall be drunken: and all flesh shall perceive that I am the Lord that delivers you, and that upholds the strength of Jacob.