上帝對祂子民的安慰
1你們的上帝說:
「你們要安慰我的子民。
2要溫柔地告訴耶路撒冷,
她的苦難已經結束,
她的罪惡已經被除去。
她因自己的一切罪已受到耶和華加倍的懲罰40·2 「她因自己的一切罪已受到耶和華加倍的懲罰」或譯「她的一切罪已得到耶和華雙倍的赦免」。。」
3聽啊,有人高喊:
「在曠野預備耶和華的道,
在沙漠修直我們上帝的路。
4一切山谷將被填滿,
大山小丘將被削平;
坎坷之地將變得平坦,
崎嶇的地面將成為平原。
5耶和華的榮耀必彰顯,
世人必一同看見。
這是耶和華親口說的。」
6有聲音說:「呼喊吧!」
我問道:「我呼喊什麼呢?」
那聲音說:「芸芸眾生盡如草,
榮華富貴像野地的花。
7耶和華吹一口氣,
草就枯乾,花也凋殘。
人類誠然像草。
8草必枯乾,花必凋殘,
唯有我們上帝的話永遠長存。」
9向錫安報告好消息的人啊,
要登上高山!
向耶路撒冷報告好消息的人啊,
要大聲宣告!
要提高聲音,不要懼怕!
要高聲對猶大的城邑說:
「你們的上帝來了!」
10看啊,主耶和華帶著能力來了,
祂的臂膀執掌王權;
祂帶著賞賜而來,
要酬勞祂的子民。
11祂像牧人一樣牧養自己的羊群,
用臂膀把羊羔聚在一起,
抱在懷中,
溫柔地引導母羊。
12誰曾用手心量海水?
誰曾用手掌度蒼天?
誰曾用升斗盛大地的塵土?
誰曾用秤稱高山,用天平稱丘陵?
13誰曾測度耶和華的心?
誰曾做祂的謀士指點祂?
14祂請教過誰?
誰教過祂正道?
誰教過祂知識?
誰指點過祂領悟之道?
15看啊,列國就像水桶中的一滴水,
又如天平上的塵埃。
祂舉起眾海島,好像捧起微塵。
16黎巴嫩的樹木不夠作獻祭的燃料,
林中的走獸也不夠作燔祭。
17萬國在祂面前都算不得什麼,
在祂看來不過是虛無。
18你們拿誰與上帝相比呢?
你們用什麼形像比作上帝呢?
19偶像是工匠製造的,
銀匠替它包上金子、打造銀鏈。
20買不起這種偶像的人就選一塊耐用的木頭,
找個精巧的工匠,
雕出一個可以站立不倒的偶像。
21難道你們不知道嗎?
難道你們沒有聽過嗎?
難道不是從起初就告訴過你們嗎?
難道從大地奠立根基以來,
你們一直沒有明白嗎?
22上帝的寶座設立在大地的圓圈之上,
地上的人類好像蚱蜢。
祂鋪展諸天,就像鋪展幔子、鋪展人居住的帳篷。
23祂使掌權者歸於無有,
使世上的審判官化為虛無。
24他們像草一樣剛被栽上,
剛被種上,
剛在土裡扎根,
上帝一口氣吹來,便都枯乾了,
暴風將他們像禾稭一樣吹去。
25那位聖者說:「你們拿誰與我相比,
使之與我同等呢?」
26你們向天舉目,
看看是誰創造了這萬象?
是誰把眾星一一領出來,
給它們取名?
祂的權柄和能力極大無比,
它們一個也不會少。
27雅各啊,你怎能說耶和華看不見你的遭遇呢?
以色列啊,你怎能說上帝並不顧念你的冤情呢?
28難道你不知道?
難道你沒有聽見過?
永恆的上帝耶和華——創造地極的主宰不會疲乏也不會困倦,
祂的智慧深不可測。
29祂賜疲乏的人能力,
給軟弱的人力量。
30即使青年也會疲乏困倦,
強壯的人也會踉蹌跌倒;
31但仰望耶和華的人必重新得力。
他們必像鷹一樣展翅高飛,
他們奔跑也不困倦,
他們行走也不疲乏。
1Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.40.2 comfortably: Heb. to the heart40.2 warfare: or, appointed time
3¶ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:40.4 straight: or, a straight place40.4 plain: or, a plain place 5And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. 6The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: 7The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. 8The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
9¶ O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!40.9 O Zion…: or, O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion40.9 O Jerusalem…: or, O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem 10Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.40.10 with strong…: or, against the strong40.10 his work: or, recompence for his work 11He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.40.11 that…: or, that give suck
12¶ Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?40.12 a measure: Heb. a tierce 13Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?40.13 his…: Heb. man of his counsel 14With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?40.14 instructed…: Heb. made him understand40.14 understanding: Heb. understandings? 15Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. 16And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. 17All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
18¶ To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? 19The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains. 20He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.40.20 is so…: Heb. is poor of oblation 21Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:40.22 It is…: or, Him that 23That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. 24Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. 25To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. 26Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
27Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?
28¶ Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.40.31 renew: Heb. change