Isaiæ 44
1 et nunc audi Iacob serve meus et Israhel quem elegi
Now, then—hear, O Jacob, my Servant, —and Israel whom I have chosen:
2 haec dicit Dominus faciens et formans te ab utero auxiliator tuus noli timere serve meus Iacob et Rectissime quem elegi
Thus, saith Yahweh—Who made thee and formed thee from birth, Who helpeth thee: Do not fear O my Servant Jacob, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen;
3 effundam enim aquas super sitientem et fluenta super aridam effundam spiritum meum super semen tuum et benedictionem meam super stirpem tuam
For I will pour, Water upon the thirsty soil, and Floods upon the dry ground, —I will pour My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring;
4 et germinabunt inter herbas quasi salices iuxta praeterfluentes aquas
So will they spring up among the grass, As willows by the water-courses:
5 iste dicet Domini ego sum et ille vocabit in nomine Iacob et hic scribet manu sua Domino et in nomine Israhel adsimilabitur
This one, will say Yahweh’s, am I, and That one, will call himself by the name of Jacob, and Yonder one will write on his hand—Yahweh’s, And after the name of Israel, will one entitle himself.
6 haec dicit Dominus rex Israhel et redemptor eius Dominus exercituum ego primus et ego novissimus et absque me non est deus
Thus saith Yahweh—King of Israel, Even his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts, —I, am, First, and, I, Last, And besides me, there is no God.
7 quis similis mei vocet et adnuntiet et ordinem exponat mihi ex quo constitui populum antiquum ventura et quae futura sunt adnuntient eis
Who then, like me, can call, and declare it, and order it, for me, Seeing that I appointed an age-abiding people, —Or things yet to be, and that shall come to pass, Let them declare on their part.
8 nolite timere neque conturbemini ex tunc audire te feci et adnuntiavi vos estis testes mei numquid est deus absque me et formator quem ego non noverim
Do not ye dread, nor yet be alarmed, Have I not from olden time, told thee and declared? So that, ye, are my witnesses, —Whether there is a GOD besides me? Or is no Rock—I knew of none!
9 plastae idoli omnes nihil sunt et amantissima eorum non proderunt eis ipsi sunt testes eorum quia non vident neque intellegunt ut confundantur
The fashioners of an image—all of them, are emptiness, And, the things they delight in, cannot profit, —And, their, witnesses, they, neither see nor know, That they may be ashamed.
10 quis formavit deum et sculptile conflavit ad nihil utile
Who hath fashioned a GOD, Oran image, hath molten? It cannot profit!
11 ecce omnes participes eius confundentur fabri enim sunt ex hominibus convenient omnes stabunt et pavebunt et confundentur simul
Lo! all his partners, turn pale, Even, the artificers themselves, are of the sons of earth, —Let them gather themselves together—all of them. Let them take their stand, Let them dread, and turn pale, together!
12 faber ferrarius lima operatus est in prunis et in malleis formavit illud et operatus est in brachio fortitudinis suae esuriet et deficiet non bibet aquam et lassescet
As for the smith, [with his] cutting-tool, —When he hath wrought in the live coals, And, with hammers, hath fashioned it, —And hath wrought it with his strong arm, Anon he is hungry, and hath no strength, He hath drunk no water and so hath become faint!
13 artifex lignarius extendit normam formavit illud in runcina fecit illud in angularibus et in circino tornavit illud et fecit imaginem viri quasi speciosum hominem habitantem in domo
As for the carpenter, —He hath stretched out a line hath drawn it with a pencil, Hath made it with carving tools, With compasses, hath rounded it, —And so hath made it after the figure of a great man, After the beauty of a son of earth, that it may remain in a house!
14 succidit cedros tulit ilicem et quercum quae steterat inter ligna saltus plantavit pinum quam pluvia nutrivit
When one was cutting him down cedars, Then took he a holm-tree and an oak, And secured them for himself, among the trees of the forest, —He planted a fir-tree and the pouring rain made it grow;
15 et facta est hominibus in focum sumpsit ex eis et calefactus est et succendit et coxit panes de reliquo autem operatus est deum et adoravit fecit sculptile et curvatus est ante illud
So it serveth for a man to burn, And he hath taken of the branches and warmed himself, Also he kindleth a fire, and baketh bread, —Also he maketh a GOD, and hath bowed himself down, Hath made of it a carved image, and adored it:
16 medium eius conbusit igni et de medio eius carnes comedit coxit pulmentum et saturatus est et calefactus est et dixit va calefactus sum vidi focum
The half thereof, hath he burned in the fire, Over half thereof, he eateth flesh, He roasteth roast, that he may be satisfied, —Also he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen a blaze;
17 reliquum autem eius deum fecit sculptile sibi curvatur ante illud et adorat illud et obsecrat dicens libera me quia deus meus es tu
And the residue thereof, Into a GOD, he maketh, Into his carved image, —Adoreth it, and boweth down and prayeth unto it, And saith Deliver me, for, my GOD, thou art!
18 nescierunt neque intellexerunt lutati enim sunt ne videant oculi eorum et ne intellegant corde suo
They have not taken note, neither can they perceive, —He hath besmeared—past seeing—their eyes, Past understanding, their hearts;
19 non recogitant in mente sua neque cognoscunt neque sentiunt ut dicant medietatem eius conbusi igne et coxi super carbones eius panes coxi carnes et comedi et de reliquo eius idolum faciam ante truncum ligni procidam
And no one reflecteth—There is neither knowledge nor discernment—to say, Half thereof, have I burned up in the fire Moreover also I have baked, on the coals thereof, bread, I roasted flesh, and have been eating, —And of the remainder thereof, an abomination, shall I make? And, to a log of wood, shall I pay adoration?
20 pars eius cinis est cor insipiens adoravit illud et non liberabit animam suam neque dicet forte mendacium est in dextera mea
He is feeding on ashes, A deluded heart, hath turned him aside, —And he cannot deliver his own soul nor say, Is there not a falsehood in my right hand?
21 memento horum Iacob et Israhel quoniam servus meus es tu formavi te servus meus es tu Israhel non oblivisceris mei
Remember these things, O Jacob, And, Israel, —for, my Servant, thou art, —I have fashioned thee, a Servant of mine, thou art.
22 delevi ut nubem iniquitates tuas et quasi nebulam peccata tua revertere ad me quoniam redemi te
O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me, I have wiped out, As with a thick cloud, thy transgressions, And as with a broad cloud, thy sins, —Return unto me, for I have redeemed thee.
23 laudate caeli quoniam fecit Dominus iubilate extrema terrae resonate montes laudationem saltus et omne lignum eius quoniam redemit Dominus Iacob et Israhel gloriabitur
Shout in triumph ye heavens for Yahweh, hath effectually wrought. Shout, O ye underparts of the earth, Ring out, Ye mountains, into cries of triumph, Thou forest, and every tree therein, —For, Yahweh, hath redeemed, Jacob, And in Israel, will he get himself glory.
24 haec dicit Dominus redemptor tuus et formator tuus ex utero ego sum Dominus faciens omnia extendens caelos solus stabiliens terram et nullus mecum
Thus, saith Yahweh Who hath redeemed thee, Who hath fashioned thee from birth, —I—Yahweh, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens, alone, Spreading forth the earth, of myself;
25 irrita faciens signa divinorum et ariolos in furorem vertens convertens sapientes retrorsum et scientiam eorum stultam faciens
Frustrating the signs of praters, And, diviners, he confoundeth, —Turning wise men backwards, And their knowledge, he maketh folly;
26 suscitans verbum servi sui et consilium nuntiorum suorum conplens qui dico Hierusalem habitaberis et civitatibus Iuda aedificabimini et deserta eius suscitabo
Establishing the word of his Servant, And the counsel of his Messengers, he maketh good, —Who saith of Jerusalem—She shall be inhabited! And of the cities of Judah—They shall be built! And the ruins thereof, will I set up!
27 qui dico profundo desolare et flumina tua arefaciam
Who saith to the deep—Be dry and Thy rivers, will I drain!
28 qui dico Cyro pastor meus es et omnem voluntatem meam conplebis qui dico Hierusalem aedificaberis et templo fundaberis
Who saith of Cyrus—My Shepherd! and All my pleasure, shall he make good Even saying of Jerusalem—She shall be built! And of the temple—Be her foundation laid!
