Isaías 49

1 Escucha, oh islas, a mí; y tomen nota, pueblos lejanos: el Señor me ha marcado desde el principio; cuando todavía estaba en el cuerpo de mi madre, él tenía mi nombre en mente.

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 ha puesto mi boca como espada afilada, a la sombra de su mano me ha guardado; y me ha hecho como una flecha pulida, manteniéndome en su lugar secreto;

[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: Tú eres mi siervo, Israel, en quien se verá mi gloria.

He said to me, “You will serve my Israeli [people], and you will cause people to honor me.”

4 Y dije: No he sufrido cansancio por nada, he dado mi fuerza sin ningún propósito o beneficio, pero aún así el Señor asumirá mi causa y mi Dios me dará mi recompensa.

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 Y ahora, dice el Señor, que me hizo su siervo cuando aún estaba en el cuerpo de mi madre, para que pudiera hacer que Jacob volviera a él, y para que Israel pudiera reunirse con él; y fui honrado a los ojos del Señor, y mi Dios se convirtió en 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 No es suficiente que uno de mis sirvientes vuelva a poner a las tribus de Jacob en su lugar, y recuperar a los de Israel que han sido expulsados; mi propósito es darles luz a las naciones, para que sean mi salvación hasta el fin 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 El Señor, el libertador de Israel, su Santo, le dice al despreciado, a quien odian las naciones, a un servidor de tiranos; los reyes verán y se levantarán de sus lugares, y los jefes dará culto; porque el Señor que guarda sus promesas; el Santo de Israel que te ha tomado para sí mismo.

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 Esta es la palabra del Señor: Te he escuchado en un tiempo aceptable, y he sido tu ayudante en un día de salvación; y te mantendré a salvo, y te daré como pacto del pueblo, para ordenar la tierra, para repartir las herencias que ahora son desoladas;

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 Diciendo a los que están en cadenas: Salgan; a los que están en tinieblas, salgan a la luz. Por cierto, recibirán comida donde quiera que vayan y tendrán pastos en todas las cimas de las montañas secas.

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 No necesitarán comida ni bebida, ni se preocuparán por el calor o el sol; porque el que tiene misericordia será su guía, llevándolos por los manantiales de agua.

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 haré de todos mis montes un camino, y mis carreteras 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 Mira, estos vienen de lejos; y estos del norte y del oeste; y estos de la tierra de Sinim.

My people will return from far away; some will come from the north, some from the west, some from southern Egypt.”

13 Que tu voz sea fuerte en el canto, oh cielos; y alegraos, oh tierra; haz sonidos de alegría, oh montañas, porque el Señor ha dado consuelo a su pueblo, y tendrá misericordia de sus aflicciones.

[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 Pero Sion dijo: El Señor me ha dejado, me ha olvidado.

[The people of] Jerusalem say, “Yahweh has abandoned us; he has forgotten about us.”

15 ¿Una mujer entregará al niño en su pecho, sin tener piedad por el fruto de su vientre? Sí, ella se olvida, pero yo no te olvidaré.

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 Mira, tu nombre está marcado en mis manos; Tus muros están siempre delante de mí.

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 constructores vienen pronto; Tus enemigos y los que te hicieron perder 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 Levanten sus ojos alrededor y vean: todos se acercan a ustedes. Por mi vida, dice el Señor, en verdad los pondrás todos sobre ti como adorno, y te vestirás como a una 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 aunque los lugares baldíos de tu tierra hayan sido destruidos, ahora no serás lo suficientemente ancho para tu gente, y los que te destruyeron estarán muy 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 Los niños de tu orfandad dirán en tus oídos: El lugar es muy angosto para mí; dame espacio para que pueda descansar.

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 Entonces dirás en tu corazón: ¿Quién me ha dado todos estos hijos? cuando me quitaron a mis hijos y ya no pude tener otros, ¿quién los cuidó? Cuando estaba solo, ¿dónde estaban estos?

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 Esta es la palabra del Señor Dios: Mira, haré una señal con mi mano a las naciones, y pondré mi bandera por los pueblos; y tomarán a tus hijos en sus bestias, y tus hijas en sus espaldas.

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 los reyes te cuidarán, y las reinas te darán su leche; ellos se inclinarán ante ti, besando el polvo de tus pies; y estarán seguros de que yo soy el Señor, y que aquellos que ponen su esperanza en mí no serán avergonzados.

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 ¿Se quitarán los bienes de guerra al hombre fuerte, o se escapara los prisioneros de un tirano?

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 Pero el Señor dice: Incluso los prisioneros del tirano serán quitados de él, y la presa del tirano será liberada, porque yo me enfrentaré contra tus enemigos, y mantendré a tus hijos a salvo.

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 la carne de tus atacantes será tomada sola para comer; y tomarán su sangre para beber, como si fuera vino dulce; y todos los hombres verán que yo, el Señor, soy tu salvador, tu libertador, 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.”