Isaiæ 49

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

Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken, ye peoples, from far: the LORD hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath He made mention of 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 hath made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of His hand hath He hid me; and He hath made me a polished shaft, in His quiver hath He concealed me;

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

And He said unto me: 'Thou art My servant, Israel, in whom 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.

But I said: 'I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with 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 saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, and that Israel be gathered unto Him — for I am honourable in the eyes of the LORD, and my God is become 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.

Yea, He saith: 'It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the offspring of Israel; I will also give thee for a light of the nations, that My salvation may be unto 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 saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him who is despised of men, to him who is abhorred of nations, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD that is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.

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 saith the LORD: In an acceptable time have I answered thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to cause to inherit the desolate 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 the prisoners: 'Go forth'; to them that are in darkness: 'Show yourselves'; they shall feed in the ways, and in all high hills 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 nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for He that hath compassion on them will lead them, even by the springs of water will He guide them.

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

And I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be raised on high.

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, lo, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim.

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

Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the LORD hath comforted His people, and hath compassion upon His afflicted.

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

But Zion said: 'The LORD hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath 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.

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, these may forget, yet will not I forget thee.

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

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me.

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

Thy children make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth from thee.

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 thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all as with an ornament, and gird thyself with them, like a bride.

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

For thy waste and thy desolate places and thy land that hath been destroyed — surely now shalt thou be too strait for the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.

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

The children of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears: 'The place is too strait for me; give place to 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?

Then shalt thou say in thy heart: 'Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have been bereaved of my children, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering to and fro? And who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they?'

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 saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and set up Mine ensign to the peoples, and they shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon 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 thy foster-fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face to the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD, for they shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.

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

Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of the victorious 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.

But thus saith the LORD: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; and I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy 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 feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.