Isaiæ 49
1 audite insulae et adtendite populi de longe Dominus ab utero vocavit me de ventre matris meae recordatus est nominis mei
Listen, islands, to me. Listen, you peoples, from afar: the LORD has called me from the womb; from the inside of my mother, he has mentioned my name.
2 et posuit os meum quasi gladium acutum in umbra manus suae protexit me et posuit me sicut sagittam electam in faretra sua abscondit me
He has made my mouth like a sharp sword. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. He has made me a polished shaft. He has kept me close in his quiver.
3 et dixit mihi servus meus es tu Israhel quia in te gloriabor
He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
4 et ego dixi in vacuum laboravi sine causa et vane fortitudinem meam consumpsi ergo iudicium meum cum Domino et opus meum cum Deo meo
But I said, “I have laboured in vain. I have spent my strength in vain for nothing; yet surely the justice due to me is with the LORD, and my reward with my God.”
5 et nunc dicit Dominus formans me ex utero servum sibi ut reducam Iacob ad eum et Israhel non congregabitur et glorificatus sum in oculis Domini et Deus meus factus est fortitudo mea
Now the LORD, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, says to bring Jacob again to him, and to gather Israel to him, for I am honourable in the LORD’s eyes, and my God has become my strength.
6 et dixit parum est ut sis mihi servus ad suscitandas tribus Iacob et feces Israhel convertendas dedi te in lucem gentium ut sis salus mea usque ad extremum terrae
Indeed, he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give you as a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.”
7 haec dicit Dominus redemptor Israhel Sanctus eius ad contemptibilem animam ad abominatam gentem ad servum dominorum reges videbunt et consurgent principes et adorabunt propter Dominum quia fidelis est et Sanctum Israhel qui elegit te
The LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, says to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and rise up, princes, and they shall worship, because of the LORD who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
8 haec dicit Dominus in tempore placito exaudivi te et in die salutis auxiliatus sum tui et servavi te et dedi te in foedus populi ut suscitares terram et possideres hereditates dissipatas
The LORD says, “I have answered you in an acceptable time. I have helped you in a day of salvation. I will preserve you and give you for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritage,
9 ut diceres his qui vincti sunt exite et his qui in tenebris revelamini super vias pascentur et in omnibus planis pascua eorum
saying to those who are bound, ‘Come out!’; to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves!’ “They shall feed along the paths, and their pasture shall be on all treeless heights.
10 non esurient neque sitient et non percutiet eos aestus et sol quia miserator eorum reget eos et ad fontes aquarum portabit eos
They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun strike them, for he who has mercy on them will lead them. He will guide them by springs of water.
11 et ponam omnes montes meos in viam et semitae meae exaltabuntur
I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be exalted.
12 ecce isti de longe venient et ecce illi ab aquilone et mari et isti de terra australi
Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim.”
13 laudate caeli et exulta terra iubilate montes laudem quia consolatus est Dominus populum suum et pauperum suorum miserebitur
Sing, heavens, and be joyful, earth! Break out into singing, mountains! For the LORD has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted.
14 et dixit Sion dereliquit me Dominus et Dominus oblitus est mei
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.”
15 numquid oblivisci potest mulier infantem suum ut non misereatur filio uteri sui et si illa oblita fuerit ego tamen non obliviscar tui
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, these may forget, yet I will not forget you!
16 ecce in manibus meis descripsi te muri tui coram oculis meis semper
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are continually before me.
17 venerunt structores tui destruentes te et dissipantes a te exibunt
Your children hurry. Your destroyers and those who devastated you will leave you.
18 leva in circuitu oculos tuos et vide omnes isti congregati sunt venerunt tibi vivo ego dicit Dominus quia omnibus his velut ornamento vestieris et circumdabis tibi eos quasi sponsa
Lift up your eyes all around, and see: all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live,” says the LORD, “you shall surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and dress yourself with them, like a bride.
19 quia deserta tua et solitudines tuae et terra ruinae tuae nunc angusta erunt prae habitatoribus et longe fugabuntur qui absorbebant te
“For, as for your waste and your desolate places, and your land that has been destroyed, surely now that land will be too small for the inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away.
20 adhuc dicent in auribus tuis filii sterilitatis tuae angustus mihi est locus fac spatium mihi ut habitem
The children of your bereavement will say in your ears, ‘This place is too small for me. Give me a place to live in.’
21 et dices in corde tuo quis genuit mihi istos ego sterilis et non pariens transmigrata et captiva et istos quis enutrivit ego destituta et sola et isti ubi hic erant
Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has conceived these for me, since I have been bereaved of my children and am alone, an exile, and wandering back and forth? Who has brought these up? Behold, I was left alone. Where were these?’”
22 haec dicit Dominus Deus ecce levo ad gentes manum meam et ad populos exaltabo signum meum et adferent filios tuos in ulnis et filias tuas super umeros portabunt
The Lord GOD says, “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and lift up my banner to the peoples. They shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.
23 et erunt reges nutricii tui et reginae nutrices tuae vultu in terra dimisso adorabunt te et pulverem pedum tuorum lingent et scies quia ego Dominus super quo non confundentur qui expectant eum
Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; and those who wait for me won’t be disappointed.”
24 numquid tolletur a forte praeda aut quod captum fuerit a robusto salvum esse poterit
Shall the plunder be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered?
25 quia haec dicit Dominus equidem et captivitas a forte tolletur et quod ablatum fuerit a robusto salvabitur eos vero qui iudicaverunt te ego iudicabo et filios tuos ego salvabo
But the LORD says, “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the plunder retrieved from the fierce, for I will contend with him who contends with you and I will save your children.
26 et cibabo hostes tuos carnibus suis et quasi musto sanguine suo inebriabuntur et sciet omnis caro quia ego Dominus salvans te et redemptor tuus Fortis Iacob
I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh; and they will be drunk on their own blood, as with sweet wine. Then all flesh shall know that I, the LORD, am your Saviour and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
