Isaías 44
1 Ahora escucha, esclavo mío Jacob, Israel, a quien escogí.
But now, you people of Israel whom Yahweh has chosen to serve him, listen to me.
2 Yavé, Hacedor tuyo, el que te formó desde el seno materno, tu Ayudador, dice: No temas, esclavo mío Jacob, y tú, Israel, a quien Yo escogí.
Yahweh, the one who created you and helps you, says this: “You dear people of Israel whom I have chosen, you who serve me, do not be afraid.
3 Yo derramaré aguas sobre el sequedal y torrentes sobre la tierra seca. Derramaré mi Espíritu sobre tu descendencia y mi bendición sobre tus ramas.
I will pour water on your dry land and cause streams to flow. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and greatly bless them.
4 Brotarán como hierba junto a la fuente, como sauces junto a las riberas.
They will grow up like [SIM] grass grows along the water, like [SIM] willow/poplar [trees] grow well along a riverbank.
5 Éste dirá: Soy de Yavé. A éste llamarán Jacob, y aquél se escribirá en su mano: Soy de Yavé, y se llamará Israel.
Some of them will say, ‘I belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say, ‘We are descendants of Jacob,’ and others will write on their hands, ‘We belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say, ‘We are Israelis.’”
6 Yavé, Rey de Israel, su Redentor, Yavé de las huestes, dice: Yo soy el Primero y Yo soy el Último. Fuera de Mí no hay ʼelohim.
Yahweh, the King of Israel, the one who saves us, the Commander of the armies of angels, says this: “I am the one who begins everything and who ends everything; there is no other God.
7 ¿Quién, como Yo, puede proclamarlo? Que lo diga y lo exponga ante Mí. ¡Sí! Que anuncie las cosas venideras, las que van a suceder como Yo lo hice desde cuando establecí el pueblo antiguo.
If there is anyone like me [RHQ], he should proclaim it! He should speak and tell me [now]! He should tell what has happened since I caused my people [of Israel] to become a nation long ago, and he should also tell what things will happen; he should predict what will happen in the future.
8 No teman ni se atemoricen. ¿No se lo anuncié y predije? Entonces ustedes son mis testigos: ¿Hay ʼeloha o roca fuera de Mí? No lo conozco.
[My people], do not be afraid. Long ago I told you things that would happen [RHQ]; I predicted them, and you can testify that I did that. There certainly is not [RHQ] any other God. There is no other God who is able to protect you [MET]; I know that there is no other God!”
9 Los que hacen imágenes de talla, todos son vanidad. Sus obras más preciadas para nada sirven. Ellos mismos son testigos de su confusión, de que los ídolos no ven ni entienden.
All those who make idols are foolish, and the idols that they (think highly of/greatly respect) are worthless. And the people who worship those idols— [it is as though] they are blind, and they will be ashamed [for having worshiped those idols].
10 ¿Quién modeló o fundió un ʼel que para nada sirve?
Only [foolish people] [RHQ] would make idols in a mold, idols that would never help them at all.
11 Ciertamente todos sus artífices serán avergonzados porque ellos mismos son solo hombres. ¡Que todos ellos se reúnan! ¡Que comparezcan! ¡Que tiemblen! ¡Que juntamente sean avergonzados!
Those who make idols and those who worship them will be ashamed. Those who make idols are only human beings, [but they claim that they are making gods]! They should stand in front of God in a court, and [when they hear what he says], they will be terrified, and they will all be disgraced.
12 El artífice en hierro prepara la herramienta, lo fabrica en los carbones encendidos, lo forma con martillos, lo trabaja con su brazo robusto. Luego tiene hambre, se agota, no bebe agua y desfallece.
Metalworkers stand in front of hot coals in order to make idols. They pound them strongly with hammers, and shape them. Because they work very hard, they become hungry and weak; they become very thirsty and feel exhausted.
13 El tallista en madera extiende la cuerda de medir, hace el trazo con un marcador, lo labra con los cepillos, le da figura con el compás, le da forma de varón para ponerlo en un templo.
Then a woodcarver takes a big block/piece of wood and he measures it; then he marks it to show where he will cut it. He uses a chisel and other tools to carve it to resemble a human. He causes it to become a very beautiful [idol], and then he puts it in a shrine.
14 Corta cedros, toma ciprés y roble, los cuales crecen entre los árboles del bosque, o planta un pino que crece con la lluvia.
[Before he carves an idol from that block of wood], he has cut down a cedar tree, or he has selected a cypress tree or an oak tree and allowed it to grow tall in the forest. Or, he has planted a pine/evergreen tree and the rain has watered it [and caused it to grow tall].
15 Luego se sirve de ellos como leña y toma de ellos para calentarse. También enciende el horno y hornea panes. Además hace un ʼel y lo adora. Fabrica una imagen de talla y se postra ante ella.
[And after he uses part of the tree to make an idol], he uses the other part of the tree to make a fire, either to warm himself or to bake bread. But he uses [part of the same tree] to make for himself an idol to worship! He makes an idol and then he bows down to worship it.
16 Parte del leño quema en el fuego y asa la carne sobre él, come y se sacia. Después se calienta y dice: ¡Ah, me calenté, contemplé el fuego!
He burns part of the wood of the tree to cook his meat and eats the meat and his stomach becomes full, and he burns part of the wood to warm his body, and he says, “I feel warm while I am watching the flames in the fire.”
17 Con el resto hace un ʼel. Se postra ante él y lo adora. También le ruega y le dice: Líbrame, porque tú eres mi ʼel.
Then he takes the rest of the wood and makes an idol which is his god. He bows down to it and worships it, and prays to it and says, “You are my god, so save me!”
18 No saben ni entienden. Sus ojos fueron cegados para que no vean y sus mentes cerradas para que no entiendan.
Those people are very stupid and ignorant [SAR]. [It is as though] they are blind and cannot see, and their minds are closed and they cannot think well.
19 Nadie medita en su corazón. No hay conocimiento ni criterio para decir: La mitad quemé en el fuego. Asé pan y carne para comer sobre sus brasas. ¿Haré con el resto una repugnancia? ¿Me postraré ante un leño?
They do not think about what they are doing, that they are taking a block of wood and burning half of it to warm themselves and using some of the rest to bake bread and roast some meat! [They do not say to themselves], “It is stupid [RHQ] to take the rest of the wood to make a detestable idol! It does not make sense to bow down to a block of wood!”
20 Se alimenta de ceniza. Una mente ilusa lo extravía para que no libre su alma, ni diga: ¿No es pura mentira lo que tengo en mi mano derecha?
They are very stupid to [worship something that if you burn it, it becomes] ashes! They trust in something that cannot save them; they do not admit, “In my hand I hold something that is not really a god! [RHQ]”
21 Oh Jacob, acuérdate de esto, porque eres mi esclavo Israel. Te formé. Mi esclavo eres tú, oh Israel. No serás olvidado por Mí.
[Yahweh says, “You descendants of] [MTY] Jacob, you people of Israel who should be serving me, I created you, and I will not forget you.
22 Deshice como niebla tus rebeliones, como nube tus pecados. Regresa a Mí, porque Yo te redimí.
I have gotten rid of your sins like [SIM] [the wind blows away] a cloud. [It is as though] your transgressions were a morning mist [SIM] that I have blown away. Return to me because I have rescued you.”
23 ¡Canten alabanzas, oh cielos, porque Yavé los hizo! ¡Griten de júbilo, oh profundidades de la tierra! ¡Entonen cánticos las montañas, el bosque y todo árbol que hay en él! ¡Porque Yavé redimió a Jacob y será glorificado en Israel!
[The sun and moon and stars] in the sky should sing, and all the things that are beneath the ground should shout joyfully! All the mountains and forests, and all you trees, should sing loudly, because Yahweh has rescued [the descendants of] [MTY] Jacob; [the people of] Israel will praise/honor him.
24 Yavé, tu Redentor, Quien te formó desde el vientre, dice: Yo, Yavé, soy el Hacedor de todas las cosas. Yo solo despliego los cielos y extiendo la tierra sin la ayuda de alguno.
Yahweh, who saved you and created you, says this: “I am Yahweh, the one who created everything. I am the only one who stretched out the sky. There was [RHQ] no one who (was with/helped) me when I created the earth.
25 Yo soy Quien deshace los presagios de los adivinos, Quien enloquece a los hechiceros, Quien hace retroceder a los sabios y convierte en necedad su conocimiento.
I show that the false prophets are liars, and I show that those who perform rituals to predict the future are fools. Some people who [falsely think that they] are [IRO] wise [say that they] know a lot, but I show that they are foolish.
26 Yo soy Quien confirma la Palabra a su esclavo y cumple el plan de sus mensajeros, Quien dice: ¡Jerusalén, serás habitada! Ciudades de Judá, serán reconstruidas. Ruinas, Yo las levantaré.
But I always cause to happen what my prophets predict [DOU]. [I tell them to] say to [the people of] [MTY] Jerusalem, ‘[Some day] people will live here again.’ [And I tell them to] say to [the people in other] towns in Judah [that Yahweh says], ‘Your towns will be rebuilt; I will cause the places that are only ruins to be rebuilt.’
27 El que dice a las profundidades del mar: Séquense. Haré que sequen tus corrientes.
When I say to the rivers, ‘Dry up!’, they will become dry.
28 El que dice: ¡Ciro, tú eres mi pastor y cumplirás todos mis designios! El que dice: ¡Jerusalén, serás reconstruida! ¡Templo, serás cimentado!
When I say about King Cyrus, ‘He will [take care of my people like] [MET] a shepherd [takes care of his sheep], he will do what I want him to do,’ he will say about Jerusalem, ‘We must rebuild it!’, and he will also say, ‘We must rebuild the temple!’”
