以色列的唯一救主
1雅各啊,以色列啊,創造你、使你成形的耶和華說:
「不要害怕,我已經救贖了你;
我點名呼召了你,你屬於我。
2你穿越洪濤,我必與你同在;
你渡過江河,必不會被水淹沒;
你在火中走過,必不會被燒傷,
火焰不會燒到你身上。
3因為我是你的上帝耶和華,
是以色列的聖者,是你的救主。
我用埃及作你的贖價,
使古實和西巴代替你。
4我珍視你,看重你,深愛你,
所以我用他人代替你,
用列邦交換你的生命。
5不要害怕,因為我與你同在,
我必從東方、從西方召集你和你的兒女。
6我要對北方說,『交出來!』
對南方說,『不要扣留!』
要從遠方把我的兒子們帶來,
從地極把我的女兒們領回。
7所有屬於我的人都要回來,
他們是我為自己的榮耀而創造的。
8「要把那些有眼看不見、
有耳聽不見的人帶出來。
9讓萬國聚集,列邦會合。
他們的神明中誰曾啟示這事?
誰曾預言所發生的事?
他們可以找證人來證實,
好叫聽見的人都說這是真的。
10耶和華說:
『以色列人啊,你們是我的證人,
我揀選你們做我的僕人,
要叫你們認識我,相信我,
明白我是耶和華,
在我以前沒有上帝,
在我以後也沒有。
11唯有我是耶和華,
除我以外沒有別的救主。
12我曾啟示,我曾拯救,
我曾宣告。
你們中間沒有別的神明。
我是上帝,你們是我的證人。』
這是耶和華說的。
13『我從太初就是上帝。
無人能逃脫我的手。
誰能阻撓我行事呢?』」
14你們的救贖主耶和華——以色列的聖者說:
「為了你們的緣故,
我必派大軍進攻巴比倫,
使迦勒底人坐著他們引以為榮的船逃亡。
15我是你們的聖者耶和華,
是以色列的創造主,
是你們的君王。」
16耶和華曾在洶湧的大海中開闢道路。
17祂使埃及的戰車、馬匹、軍兵、
勇士傾巢而出,
一同倒下,不再起來,
像熄滅的燈火一樣滅沒。
18耶和華說:
「不要想念過去,
不要留戀往事。
19看啊,我要行一件新事,
這事現在就要發生,
難道你們沒有察覺嗎?
我要在曠野闢道路,
在沙漠開江河。
20曠野的走獸必尊崇我,
其中有豺狼和鴕鳥,
因為我使曠野有甘泉,
使沙漠有江河,
供我揀選的子民飲用。
21他們是我為自己所造的子民,
他們要頌揚我。
22「雅各啊,你卻沒有求告我;
以色列啊,你竟然厭煩我。
23你沒有帶來作燔祭的羊,
也沒有用祭物來尊崇我。
我沒有讓你因祭物而受累,
也沒有讓你因香料而煩擾。
24你並沒有花錢買菖蒲獻給我,
也沒有用祭物的脂肪滿足我,
反而使我因你的罪惡而受累,
因你的過犯而煩擾。
25「我,是我為自己的緣故,
除去你的過犯,忘掉你的罪惡。
26你可以提醒我,你我可以理論,
你可以提出理由證明自己的清白。
27你的始祖犯了罪,
你的首領也背叛了我。
28所以我要使你聖殿的祭司受辱,
使雅各遭毀滅,
使以色列被辱罵。
The Lord Saves Israel
1Family of Jacob, the Lord created you.
People of Israel, he formed you.
He says, “Do not be afraid.
I will set you free.
I will send for you by name.
You belong to me.
2You will pass through deep waters.
But I will be with you.
You will pass through the rivers.
But their waters will not sweep over you.
You will walk through fire.
But you will not be burned.
The flames will not harm you.
3I am the Lord your God.
I am the Holy One of Israel.
I am the one who saves you.
I will give up Egypt to set you free.
I will give up Cush and Seba for you.
4You are priceless to me.
I love you and honor you.
So I will trade other people for you.
I will give up other nations to save your lives.
5Do not be afraid. I am with you.
I will bring your people back from the east.
I will gather you from the west.
6I will say to the north, ‘Let them go!’
And I will say to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from far away.
Bring my daughters from the farthest places on earth.
7Bring back everyone who belongs to me.
I created them to bring glory to me.
I formed them and made them.”
8Lead my people into court.
They have eyes but can’t see.
Bring those who have ears but can’t hear.
9All the nations are gathering together.
All of them are coming.
Which one of their gods said ahead of time
that the people of Israel would return?
Which of them told us anything at all about the past?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right.
Then others will hear them. And they will say,
“What they said is true.”
10“People of Israel, you are my witnesses,” announces the Lord.
“I have chosen you to be my servant.
I wanted you to know me and believe in me.
I wanted you to understand that I am the one and only God.
Before me, there was no other god at all.
And there will not be any god after me.
11I am the one and only Lord.
I am the only one who can save you.
12I have made known what would happen.
I saved you. I have told you about it.
I did this. It was not some other god you worship.
You are my witnesses that I am God,” announces the Lord.
13“And that is not all! I have always been God,
and I always will be.
No one can save people from my power.
When I do something, who can undo it?”
The Lord Is Full of Mercy but Israel Is Unfaithful
14The Lord sets his people free.
He is the Holy One of Israel. He says,
“People of Israel, I will send an army to Babylon to save you.
I will cause all the Babylonians to run away.
They will try to escape in the ships they were so proud of.
15I am your Lord and King.
I am your Holy One.
I created you.”
16Long ago the Lord opened
a way for his people to go through the Red Sea.
He made a path through the mighty waters.
17He caused Egypt to send out its chariots and horses.
He sent its entire army to its death.
Its soldiers lay down there.
They never got up again.
They were destroyed.
They were blown out like a dimly burning flame.
But the Lord says,
18“Forget the things that happened in the past.
Do not keep on thinking about them.
19I am about to do something new.
It is beginning to happen even now.
Don’t you see it coming?
I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert.
I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land.
20Even wild dogs and owls honor me.
That is because I provide water in the desert
for my people to drink.
I cause streams to flow in the dry and empty land
for my chosen ones.
21I do it for the people I made for myself.
I want them to sing praise to me.
22“Family of Jacob, you have not prayed to me as you should.
People of Israel, you have not worn yourselves out for me.
23You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings.
You have not honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not loaded you down
by requiring grain offerings.
I have not made you tired
by requiring you to burn incense.
24But you have not bought any sweet-smelling cane for me.
You have not given me the fattest parts
of your animal sacrifices.
Instead, you have loaded me down with your sins.
You have made me tired with the wrong things you have done.
25“I am the one who wipes out your lawless acts.
I do it because of who I am.
I will not remember your sins anymore.
26But let us go to court together.
Remind me of what you have done.
State your case.
Prove to me that you are not guilty.
27Your father Jacob sinned.
The people I sent to teach you refused to obey me.
28So I put the high officials of your temple to shame.
I let Jacob’s family be totally destroyed.
And I let people make fun of Israel.