Løfte om de landflygtiges hjemvenden
1„Trøst mit folk,” siger jeres Gud. 2„Tal opmuntrende ord til Jerusalems folk! Fortæl dem, at deres lidelser er forbi, og at deres syndeskyld er betalt, for de har afsonet den fulde straf for deres synder.”
3Der lyder en stemme i ødemarken: „Ban vej for Herren! Gør vejen gennem ørkenen40,3 Ordene „gennem ørkenen” findes ikke i den græske oversættelse og er muligvis en senere tilføjelse. klar til vores Gud!”
4Hver dal skal hæves, hvert bjerg og hver høj skal jævnes ud. De krogede veje skal rettes ud, og de ujævne stier glattes. 5Herrens herlighed skal åbenbares, og alle skal se Guds frelse.40,5 Til dels oversat fra LXX. Herren selv har talt!
6En stemme sagde: „Råb det ud!” „Hvad skal jeg råbe?” spurgte jeg. „Du skal råbe: Ethvert menneske er som græs, dets trofasthed kortvarig som en kornblomst. 7Græsset visner, og blomsten falmer ved Herrens åndepust.” Ja, mit folk er som græs. 8Græsset visner, og blomsten falmer,40,7-8 Teksten: „ved Herrens åndepust. Ja, mit folk er som græs. Græsset visner, og blomsten falmer” findes ikke i LXX og er muligvis en senere tilføjelse. men Guds ord varer til evig tid.
9Du, som bringer bud, gå op på bjergets top og råb så højt, at hele Jerusalem kan høre det. Råb frimodigt til alle Judas byer: „Jeres Gud er på vej!”
10Ja, Gud Herren kommer med vældig magt, han hersker med umådelig styrke. Se, han kommer med sit befriede folk. 11Som en hyrde fører han sin hjord. Han samler sine lam og bærer dem i favnen, mens han nænsomt leder moderfårene af sted.
Guds storhed
12Hvem andre end Herren kan holde havet i sin hule hånd eller måle himmelhvælvingen mellem sine udspændte fingre? Hvem andre kan samle jordens støv i sine hænder eller veje bjergene på sin vægt? 13Er der nogen, som kan vejlede Herrens ånd? Hvem kan være hans rådgiver? 14Har Herren spurgt nogen til råds for at forstå, hvad retfærdighed er? Er der nogen, som har lært ham visdom? 15Alle jordens folk er for ham som en dråbe i havet, som støvfnug på en vægtskål. Han løfter kystlandene op, som vejede de intet. 16Alle Libanons skove kunne ikke give brænde nok, og alle landets dyr ville ikke være tilstrækkelige til et brændoffer, der var passende for ham. 17Alverdens nationer er ubetydelige sammenlignet med hans storhed.
18Hvem vil I sammenligne Gud med? Hvordan vil I beskrive ham? 19Kan han repræsenteres af et gudebillede støbt i en form, belagt med guld og med sølvkæder om halsen? 20Kan man lave en husgud af træ, der aldrig rådner? Kan en dygtig træskærer lave den, så den ikke kan vælte?
21Ved I ikke, hvem Gud er? Har I ikke forstået det? Har det ikke kunnet ses fra verdens skabelse? 22Herren troner højt over himmel og jord. I hans øjne er menneskene små som myrer. Han udspændte himmelhvælvingen som en baldakin, universet satte han op som et telt. 23Han gør jordens stormænd og herskere til intet. 24De er som planter, der knap når at slå rod og vokse op, før han ånder på dem, så deres livsværk visner, og de fejes bort af vinden.
25„Hvem vil I sammenligne mig med?” spørger den hellige Gud. „Hvem er min ligemand?”
26Se op mod himlen! Hvem skabte stjernerne? Som en hærfører, der mønstrer sin hær, holder Herren styr på stjernernes tal. Han kender alle deres navne. Ikke en eneste mangler. Så stor er hans magt.
27Israel, hvordan kan du sige, at Herren har glemt dig og ikke ænser dine lidelser? 28Ved du ikke, hvem Gud er? Har du ikke forstået det? Herren er den evige Gud, som har skabt den vide jord. Aldrig bliver han træt eller udmattet. Hans visdom er ufattelig. 29Han giver den trætte ny kraft og den svage ny styrke. 30Selv unge mænd kan blive udmattede, selv de stærkeste har en grænse. 31Men de, der søger hjælp hos Herren, får ny styrke, som ørnen får nye svingfjer. De løber uden at blive trætte, de vandrer uden at blive udmattede.
Comfort for God’s People
1Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: / “Prepare the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.40:3 Hebrew; Septuagint make straight the paths of our God
4Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.”
9You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,40:9 Or Zion, bringer of good news, / go up on a high mountain. / Jerusalem, bringer of good news
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
12Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?
13Who can fathom the Spirit40:13 Or mind of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?
14Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
or showed him the path of understanding?
15Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
16Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
17Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.
18With whom, then, will you compare God?
To what image will you liken him?
19As for an idol, a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.
20A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol that will not topple.
21Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
22He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
24No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
25“To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
27Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
