Isaías 49
1 Oídme, islas, y escuchad, pueblos lejanos. El SEÑOR me llamó desde el vientre; desde las entrañas de mi madre tuvo mi nombre en memoria.
All you people who live on islands [in the ocean] and in other distant areas, pay attention [DOU] to what I will say! Yahweh called/chose me before I was born; he chose/appointed me when I was still in my mother’s womb.
2 Y puso mi boca como espada aguda, con la sombra de su mano me cubrió; y me puso por saeta limpia, me guardó en su aljaba.
[When I grew up], he caused my messages to be like [SIM] a sharp sword. He has protected me with his hand [SYN]. [He protects me] [MET] like someone protects sharp arrows in a quiver.
3 Y me dijo: Mi siervo eres, oh Israel, que en ti me gloriaré.
He said to me, “You will serve my Israeli [people], and you will cause people to honor me.”
4 Pero yo dije: Por demás he trabajado; en vano y sin provecho, he consumido mi fortaleza; mas mi juicio está delante del SEÑOR, y mi recompensa con mi Dios.
I replied, “My work has been useless; I have used my strength, but I have accomplished nothing worthwhile; everything that I have done has been (in vain/useless). However, Yahweh can honor me as he pleases; my God is the one who will reward me [as I deserve].”
5 Ahora pues, dice el SEÑOR, el que me formó desde el vientre para ser su siervo, para que se convierta a él a Jacob. Mas si Israel no se juntara, con todo, yo sin embargo estimado seré en los ojos del SEÑOR, y el Dios mío será mi fortaleza.
Yahweh formed me when I was in [my mother’s] womb in order that I would serve him; he appointed me to bring [the people of] Israel back to himself [DOU]. Yahweh has honored me, and he is the one who has caused me to be strong.
6 Y dijo: Poco es que tú me seas siervo para despertar las tribus de Jacob, y para que restituyas los asolamientos de Israel; también te di por luz de los gentiles, para que seas mi salud hasta lo postrero de la tierra.
He says to me, “It is not enough for you to serve me by bringing the descendants of Jacob back to worship me again [DOU]; I also want you to be like [MET] a light for the non-Jews; I want you to take my [my message] about how to be saved to [people] all over the world.”
7 Así dijo el SEÑOR, Redentor de Israel, Santo suyo, al menospreciado de alma, al abominado de los gentiles, al siervo de los tiranos: Verán reyes, y se levantarán príncipes, y adorarán por el SEÑOR, porque fiel es el Santo de Israel, el cual te escogió.
Yahweh, the one who saves us, the Holy God of us Israeli [people], says to the one who was despised and rejected by the [people of many] nations, the one who is the slave of rulers, “[Some day] kings will stand up to respect you when they see you, and princes will bow down before you because [you serve] me, Yahweh, the one who faithfully [does what I promise]. I am the Holy God to whom you Israelis belong, the one who has chosen you.”
8 Así dijo el SEÑOR: En hora de contentamiento te oí, y en el día de salud te ayudé; y te guardaré, y te daré por alianza de pueblo, para que despiertes la tierra, para que heredes asoladas heredades.
This is also what Yahweh says: “At a time when it pleases me, I will answer your prayers. On the day when you will be rescued [from your oppressors], I will help you. I will protect you and enable you to establish an agreement with other nations. And by what you do, I will re-establish your nation of Israel and allow you to live/settle again in your land that was abandoned.
9 Para que digas a los presos: Salid; y a los que están en tinieblas: Manifestaos. Sobre los caminos serán apacentados, y en todas las cumbres serán sus pastos.
I will say to those who were captured [and (exiled/taken to Babylonia)], ‘Leave [Babylonia] and return to your own country!’ And I will say to those who are in dark prisons, ‘Come out into the light!’ When that happens, they will again be like [MET] sheep that eat grass in green pastures, on hills where [previously] there was no grass.
10 Nunca tendrán hambre, ni sed; ni el calor los afligirá, ni el sol; porque el que tiene de ellos misericordia, los guiará, y en manaderos de aguas los pastoreará.
They will not be hungry or thirsty [any more]; the hot sun will not beat upon them again [DOU]. I, Yahweh, will act mercifully toward them and lead them; I will lead them to where there are springs of cool water.
11 Y tornaré en camino todos mis montes; y mis calzadas serán levantadas.
And I will cause the mountains to become [as though they were] level roads, and I will prepare good highways [for my people to travel on, to return to Jerusalem].
12 He aquí, éstos vendrán de lejos; y he aquí, éstos del norte y del occidente; y éstos de la tierra del mediodía.
My people will return from far away; some will come from the north, some from the west, some from southern Egypt.”
13 Cantad alabanzas, oh cielos, y alégrate tierra; y prorrumpid en alabanzas, oh montes; porque el SEÑOR ha consolado su pueblo, y de sus pobres tendrá misericordia.
[Because of what Yahweh has promised to do], everything should shout joyfully— the sky and the earth and the mountains should sing, because Yahweh comforts his people, and he will pity those who are suffering.
14 Mas Sion dijo: Me dejó el SEÑOR, y el Señor se olvidó de mí.
[The people of] Jerusalem say, “Yahweh has abandoned us; he has forgotten about us.”
15 ¿Se olvidará la mujer de lo que dio a luz, para dejar de compadecerse del hijo de su vientre? Aunque se olviden ellas, yo no me olvidaré de ti.
But [Yahweh replies], “That is not true! (Can a woman forget the infant that she is nursing?/A woman certainly cannot forget the infant that she is nursing!) [RHQ] (Can she stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth?/She certainly cannot stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth!) [RHQ] But even if a woman would do that, I will not forget you!
16 He aquí que en las palmas te tengo esculpida; delante de mí están siempre tus muros.
Note that I have written your [names] on the palms of my hands; in my mind I can always see the walls of your city.
17 Tus edificadores vendrán aprisa; tus destruidores, y tus asoladores saldrán de ti.
Soon your children will be returning there (OR, Those who rebuild your city will work more quickly than those who destroyed it), and all those who destroyed your city will leave.
18 Alza tus ojos alrededor, y mira: todos éstos se han ayuntado, han venido a ti. Vivo yo, dice el SEÑOR, que de todos, como de vestidura de honra, serás vestida; y de ellos serás ceñida como novia.
You will look around and see all of your children coming back to you. As surely as I live, they will be around you [for you to show to people] like [SIM] a bride shows her wedding ornaments!
19 Porque tus asolamientos, y tus destrucciones, y tu tierra desierta, ahora será angosta por la multitud de los moradores; y tus destruidores serán apartados lejos.
Your land has been ruined and caused to become desolate/abandoned [DOU], but [some day] it will be filled with people, and those who conquered you will be far away.
20 Aun los hijos de tu orfandad dirán a tus oídos: Angosto es para mí este lugar; apártate por amor de mí, a otra parte para que yo more.
The children who were born while you were (exiled/in Babylonia) [MET] will return [to Jerusalem] and say, ‘This city is too small for us; We need more space to live in!’
21 Y dirás en tu corazón: ¿Quién me engendró éstos? Porque yo deshijada, y sola, peregrina y desterrada era; ¿quién pues crió éstos? He aquí yo estaba dejada sola, ¿éstos de dónde vinieron?
Then you will think to yourselves [MTY], ‘It is amazing that we have [RHQ] all these children! Most of our children were dead, and the rest were exiled. We were left here alone; so we do not know [RHQ] where all these children have come from! Who raised them?'”
22 Así dijo el Señor DIOS: He aquí, que yo alzaré mi mano a los gentiles, y a los pueblos levantaré mi bandera; y traerán en brazos tus hijos, y tus hijas serán traídas sobre hombros.
This is what Yahweh our God says: “Watch! [It is as though] I will lift up my hand to signal to those who are not Israelis. And they will carry your little sons and daughters on their shoulders and bring them back to you.
23 Y reyes serán tus ayos; y sus reinas, tus amas de leche; el rostro inclinado a tierra te adorarán, y lamerán el polvo de tus pies; y conocerás que yo soy el SEÑOR, que no se avergonzarán los que me esperan.
Kings will serve you and will tutor/teach your children, and their queens will take care of your young children. They will prostrate themselves in front of you and [humble themselves by] licking the dust off your feet. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do]; and those who trust in me will never be disappointed.”
24 ¿Quitarán la presa al valiente? o ¿la cautividad justa será dada por libre?
There is no one [RHQ] who can snatch valuable things from a soldier who has captured those things [in a war]; there is no one [RHQ] who can force a (tyrant/cruel man) to free the people whom he has captured.
25 Así pues dice el SEÑOR: Ciertamente, la cautividad será quitada al valiente; y la presa será dada por libre; y tu pleito yo lo pleitearé, y a tus hijos yo los salvaré.
But Yahweh says this: “[Some day], those who have been captured will be freed, and the valuable things that (tyrants/cruel men) have snatched from others will be returned, because I will fight against those who fight against you, and I will rescue your children.
26 Y a los que te despojaron, haré comer sus propias carnes, y con su sangre serán embriagados como con mosto; y toda carne conocerá que yo soy el SEÑOR, Salvador tuyo, y Redentor tuyo, el Fuerte de Jacob.
And I will cause your enemies to destroy themselves [MET] instead of murdering others. When that happens, everyone [in the world] will know that I, Yahweh, am the one who saves you, the one who rescues you from your enemies; everyone will know that I am the mighty God to whom [you descendants of] [MTY] Jacob belong.”
