Esaias 43
1 Og nu, så sier Herren, som skapte dig, Jakob, og som dannet dig, Israel: Frykt ikke! Jeg har gjenløst dig, kalt dig ved navn, du er min.
But now, you people of Israel, listen to Yahweh, the one who established your nation. The one who caused you to become a nation [DOU] says this: “Do not be afraid, because I previously rescued you. I enabled you to have a personal relationship with me [MTY], and you belong to me.
2 Når du går gjennem vann, så er jeg med dig, og gjennem elver, så skal de ikke overskylle dig; når du går gjennem ild, skal du ikke svies, og luen skal ikke brenne dig;
When you [experience dangerous situations], and [you feel like] [MET] you are crossing deep rivers, I will be with you. When you have very big troubles/difficulties, you will [LIT] be able to endure them. When [people try to kill you like they tried to kill Daniel’s three friends by] throwing them in a fire, you will not [die, just like Daniel’s three friends were not] burned up,
3 for jeg er Herren din Gud, Israels Hellige, din frelser; jeg gir Egypten til løsepenger for dig, Etiopia og Seba gir jeg i ditt sted.
because I am Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel, the one who rescues you. I will enable [the army of the emperor of Persia] to conquer Egypt instead of conquering you; similarly I will enable them to conquer Ethiopia, and Seba [in Arabia], in order that you can be saved.
4 Fordi du er dyrebar i mine øine, fordi du er aktet høit og jeg elsker dig, så gir jeg mennesker i ditt sted og folkeslag i stedet for ditt liv.
I will cause other countries to be conquered, instead of your country; I will trade them for you, in order that you will not be killed, because you are very precious [DOU] to me and because I love you.
5 Frykt ikke! Jeg er med dig. Fra Østen vil jeg la din ætt komme, og fra Vesten vil jeg samle dig.
Do not be afraid, because I am with you. [Some day] I will gather your descendants from the east and from the west.
6 Jeg vil si til Norden: Gi dem hit, og til Syden: Hold dem ikke tilbake, la mine sønner komme fra det fjerne og mine døtre fra jordens ende,
I will command the [rulers of the nations to] the north and to the south, ‘Allow all the people of Israel to return [to their country], from the most distant places on the earth.
7 hver den som nevnes med mitt navn, og som jeg har skapt til min ære, som jeg har dannet og gjort.
Allow all those who belong to me [MTY] to return, because I have caused them to become a nation in order that they would honor me; I am the one who has done that [DOU].’
8 For frem et blindt folk som dog har øine, og døve som dog har ører!
Summon the people who have eyes but [it is as though] they are blind; summon those who have ears but [because they do not listen to me, it is as though] they are deaf.
9 La alle hedningefolk samle sig, alle folkeferd komme sammen! Hvem blandt dem er det som kunngjør slikt? La dem si oss hvad de tidligere har spådd! La dem stille sine vidner, så de kan få rett, la dem høre og si: Det er sannhet!
Gather people of all nations together, ones from all people-groups, [and ask them this]: ‘Has any of their idols foretold the things that are happening now? And can any of them predict what will happen in the future?’ Then bring people who will testify and say ‘I heard them predict things, and what they predicted was what happened,’ [but they will be lying].”
10 I er mine vidner, sier Herren, og min tjener, som jeg har utvalgt, forat I skal kjenne og tro mig og forstå at jeg er Gud; før mig er ingen gud blitt til, og efter mig skal det ingen komme.
But Yahweh says, “You people of Israel (are my witnesses/know what I have done), and you are the ones who serve me. I chose you in order that you would know me, believe in me, and understand that I am the only one who is [truly] God. There is no other [true] God. There was no other [true] God previously, and there will never be another [true] God.
11 Jeg, jeg er Herren, og foruten mig er det ingen frelser.
I, [only] I, am Yahweh, and there is no other one who can save you.
12 Jeg har forkynt det og frelst, jeg har kunngjort det, og der var ingen fremmed gud blandt eder. I er mine vidner, sier Herren, og jeg er Gud.
I said that I would rescue [your ancestors], and then I rescued them, and I proclaimed [that I had done it]. No foreign god among you did that! And you are witnesses that only I, Yahweh, am God.
13 Endog fra dag blev til, er jeg det, og det er ingen som redder av min hånd; jeg gjør en gjerning, og hvem gjør den ugjort?
I am God, the one who has existed forever and who will exist forever; no one can snatch people from my hand, and no one can alter/change what I have done.”
14 Så sier Herren, eders gjenløser, Israels Hellige: For eders skyld sender jeg bud til Babel og lar dem alle sammen flykte nedover elven, jeg lar kaldeerne flykte på de skib som var deres lyst.
Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, is the one who rescues you; and this is what he says: “For your sake, I will send [an army] to [attack] Babylon. They will force the people of that city to flee in ships which they have been proud of.
15 Jeg er Herren, eders Hellige, Israels skaper, eders konge.
I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the one who caused Israel to become a nation, and the one who is really your king.
16 Så sier Herren, som gjorde vei i havet og sti i mektige vann,
I am Yahweh, the one who opened a path through the water, making a road through the [Red] Sea.
17 som lot vogner og hester, hær og krigsmakt dra ut - alle sammen ligger de der, de står ikke op, de er slukket, som en tande sluknet de -:
Then I summoned the great army [of Egypt] to come with all their chariots and horses. [But when they tried to pursue my people], I caused the waves to flow over them [and they drowned]; their lives ended [like the light of a candle ends when someone] [MET] snuffs out the wick.
18 Kom ikke i hu de forrige ting, akt ikke på fortiden!
But do not think [only] about what happened in the past, long ago [DOU].
19 Se, jeg gjør noget nytt, nu skal det spire frem; skal I ikke opleve det? Ja, jeg vil gjøre vei i ørkenen, strømmer i ødemarken.
Instead, consider the new thing that I am going to do. I have already started to do it; can you see it? I am going to make a road through the desert. And I will cause there to be streams in the wasteland/desert.
20 Markens ville dyr, sjakaler og strutser, skal ære mig fordi jeg gir vann i ørkenen, strømmer i ødemarken, så mitt folk, mine utvalgte, kan drikke.
The jackals/wolves and owls and other wild creatures will thank me for giving them water in the desert. I will cause streams to appear in the dry desert in order that my people, the ones whom I have chosen, will have water;
21 Det folk jeg har dannet mig, skal forkynne min pris.
I will do that for the people whom I have created [and chosen] to belong to me, and [some day] they will cause many others to praise me.
22 Men mig har du ikke påkalt; Jakob, så du gjorde dig møie for mig, Israel!
But now, you descendants of Jacob, you refuse to request my help. It seems that you people of Israel have become tired of worshiping me.
23 Du har ikke gitt mig dine brennoffers får og ikke æret mig med dine slaktoffer; jeg har ikke trettet dig med matoffer og ikke voldt dig møie med virak.
You have not brought to me sheep or goats for offerings that will be completely burned [on the altar]; you have not honored me by [bringing to me any] sacrifices, even though the offerings of grain and incense [that I asked you] to bring to me were not a burden to you.
24 Du har ikke kjøpt mig Kalmus for sølv og ikke mettet mig med dine slaktoffers fedme; du har bare trettet mig med dine synder, voldt mig møie med dine misgjerninger.
You have bought for me fragrant reeds, and you have brought me the fat from your sacrifices. But these have not pleased me, because you have burdened me by all the sins that you have committed, and made me weary because of all (your iniquities/the wrong things that you have done).
25 Jeg, jeg er den som utsletter dine misgjerninger for min skyld, og dine synder kommer jeg ikke i hu.
I am the one who is able to forgive you for all your sins; I am the only one who can do that, with the result that I will never think about them again.
26 Minn mig, la oss gå i rette med hverandre! Fortell du, så du kan få rett!
Tell me what I have done that you do not like. Do you think that when you state your case, you will prove that you (are innocent/have done nothing wrong) [IRO]?
27 Din første far syndet, og dine talsmenn falt fra mig;
No, [what has happened is that] the first ancestor of you Israelis sinned [against me], and since then, all your leaders have rebelled against me.
28 så vanhelliget jeg de hellige høvdinger og overgav Jakob til bann og Israel til spott.
That is why I have caused your priests to be disgraced; and I have allowed others to destroy you people of Israel and caused you to be despised.”
