以賽亞書 41 – CCBT & NIRV

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

以賽亞書 41:1-29

上帝是以色列的幫助

1上帝說:「眾海島啊,

要在我面前安靜!

讓眾民重新拿出勇力,

讓他們前來說話,

讓我們一起來理論。

2「誰使一人從東方興起?

誰憑公義把他召到跟前?

誰把列國交給他,

使他征服列國的君王,

用刀將他們化為塵土,

用弓將他們淪為風吹的碎稭?

3他追趕他們,

安然走過從未踏足之路。

4誰成就了這事?

誰在太初就掌管歷史的方向?

是我耶和華,

我太初就在那裡,

末了也在那裡。

5「眾海島看見我的作為就害怕,

地極也顫抖,

他們都上前來,

6彼此幫助,

互相勉勵說,『要剛強!』

7工匠鼓勵銀匠,

打磨的勉勵打砧的,

說,『打得好!』

他們用釘子把偶像釘牢,免得搖晃。

8「然而,以色列啊,你是我的僕人;

雅各啊,你是我揀選的,

是我朋友亞伯拉罕的後裔。

9我把你從地極帶來,

從遙遠的角落召來。

我對你說,『你是我的僕人,

我揀選了你,沒有丟棄你。

10我是你的上帝,我必與你同在,

你不用驚慌也不用害怕。

我必賜你力量,幫助你,

用我公義的右手扶持你。』

11「看啊,向你發怒的人必抱愧蒙羞;

與你為敵的人都要滅亡,

歸於無有。

12你尋找與你相爭的人,

卻找不到;

與你爭戰的人必歸於無有。

13因為我是你的上帝耶和華,

我必拉著你的右手對你說,

『不要怕,我必幫助你。』

14「如蛆如蟲的雅各啊,以色列人啊,不要怕!

我耶和華必幫助你。

以色列的聖者是你的救贖主。

15看啊,我要使你成為一具簇新、

帶許多利齒的打穀器。

你要打爛高山,

使丘陵碎如糠秕。

16你要簸它們,讓風吹散它們,

讓狂風捲走它們。

但你要以耶和華為喜樂,

以色列的聖者為榮耀。

17「貧窮困苦的人找不到水喝,

他們口乾舌燥。

但我耶和華必應允他們的呼求,

我——以色列的上帝不會撇棄他們。

18我要使光禿的山嶺上江河奔流,

山谷中泉水湧流;

我要使沙漠變成水塘,

使乾地冒出泉水。

19我要在曠野栽香柏樹、

皂莢樹、番石榴樹和橄欖樹。

我要在沙漠種松樹、杉樹和黃楊樹。

20人一看就知道,

一想就明白,

這是耶和華親手成就的,

以色列的聖者創造的。」

21耶和華對偶像說:

「陳明你們的理由。」

雅各的王說:

「拿出你們的證據吧。」

22告訴我們將要發生的事,

給我們說說以前發生的事,

我們好思想,以便明白事情的結局。

向我們宣告將來的事,

23告訴我們以後會發生什麼,

好叫我們知道你們是神明。

不論降福降禍,顯顯身手吧,

好叫我們一同驚懼!

24看啊,你們實在算不得什麼,

你們所做的毫無意義,

拜你們的人真是可憎!

25「我使一人從北方興起,

他來了,

他在東方求告我的名。

他必把掌權者像灰泥一樣踏在腳下,

像窯匠踩泥一樣踐踏。

26誰從太初就宣告這事,讓我們知道呢?

誰預先講明這事,讓我們說他能未卜先知呢?

誰也沒有說過,

誰也沒有預言過,

誰也沒有聽見你們說過什麼。

27是我首先把這件事告訴錫安

我要給耶路撒冷一個報好消息的使者。

28我看了看,沒有出謀劃策的。

我問話,沒有一個回答。

29看啊,它們全是假的,

毫無作為,虛空如風。

New International Reader’s Version

Isaiah 41:1-29

The Lord Helps Israel

1The Lord says, “People who live on the islands,

come and stand quietly in front of me.

Let the nations gain new strength

in order to state their case.

Let them come forward and speak.

Let us go to court and find out who is right.

2“Who has stirred up a king from the east?

Who has helped him win his battles?

I hand nations over to him.

I bring kings under his control.

He turns them into dust with his sword.

With his bow he turns them into straw blowing in the wind.

3He hunts them down. Then he moves on unharmed.

He travels so fast that his feet

don’t seem to touch the ground.

4Who has made that happen? Who has carried it out?

Who has created all the people who have ever lived?

I, the Lord, have done it.

I was with the first of them.

And I will be with the last of them.”

5The people on the islands have seen that king coming.

And it has made them afraid.

People tremble with fear from one end of the earth to the other.

They come and gather together.

6They help one another.

They say to one another, “Be strong!”

7One skilled worker makes a statue of a god.

Another covers it with gold.

The first worker says to the second,

“You have done a good job.”

Another worker smooths out the metal with a hammer.

Still another gives the statue its final shape.

The one who hammers says to the one who shapes,

“You have done a good job.”

Then they nail the statue down so it won’t fall over.

8The Lord says, “People of Israel, you are my servants.

Family of Jacob, I have chosen you.

You are the children of my friend Abraham.

9I gathered you from one end of the earth to the other.

From the farthest places on earth I brought you together.

I said, ‘You are my servants.’

I have chosen you.

I have not turned my back on you.

10So do not be afraid. I am with you.

Do not be terrified. I am your God.

I will make you strong and help you.

I will hold you safe in my hands.

I always do what is right.

11“All those who are angry with you will be put to shame.

And they will be dishonored.

Those who oppose you will be destroyed.

And they will vanish.

12You might search for your enemies.

But you will not find them.

Those who go to war against you

will completely disappear.

13I am the Lord your God.

I take hold of your right hand.

I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid.

I will help you.’

14Family of Jacob, you are as weak as a worm.

But do not be afraid.

People of Israel, there are only a few of you.

But do not be afraid.

I myself will help you,” announces the Lord.

He is the one who sets his people free.

He is the Holy One of Israel.

15He says, “I will make you into a threshing sled.

It will be new and sharp.

It will have many teeth.

You will grind the mountains down and crush them.

You will turn the hills into nothing but straw.

16You will toss them in the air.

A strong wind will catch them and blow them away.

You will be glad because I will make that happen.

You will praise me.

I am the Holy One of Israel.

17“Those who are poor and needy search for water.

But there isn’t any.

Their tongues are dry because they are thirsty.

But I will help them. I am the Lord.

I will not desert them.

I am Israel’s God.

18I will make streams flow on the bare hilltops.

I will make springs come up in the valleys.

I will turn the desert into pools of water.

I will turn the dry and cracked ground into flowing springs.

19I will make trees grow in the desert.

I will plant cedar and acacia trees there.

I will plant myrtle and olive trees there.

I will make juniper trees grow in the dry and empty desert.

I will plant fir and cypress trees there.

20Then people will see and know

that my powerful hand has done it.

They will consider and understand

that I have created it.

I am the Holy One of Israel.”

21The Lord says to the nations and their gods,

“State your case.”

Jacob’s King says to them,

“Prove your case to me.

22Tell us, you false gods,

what is going to happen.

Tell us what happened in the past.

Then we can check it out

and see if it is really true.

Or announce to us the things that will take place.

23Tell us what will happen in the days ahead.

Then we will know that you are gods.

Do something. It does not matter whether it is good or bad.

Then we will be terrified and filled with fear.

24But you false gods are less than nothing.

Your actions are completely worthless.

I hate it when people worship you.

25“I have stirred up a king

who will come from the north.

He lives in the east.

He will bring honor to me.

He walks all over rulers as if they were mud.

He steps on them just as a potter stomps on clay.

26Which one of you false gods said those things

would happen before they did?

Who told us about them

so we could know them?

Who told us ahead of time?

Who told us so we could say,

‘You are right’?

None of you false gods told us about them.

None of you told us ahead of time.

In fact, no one heard you say anything at all.

27I was the first to tell Zion.

I said, ‘Look! The people of Israel are coming back!’

I sent a messenger to Jerusalem with the good news.

28I look, but there is no one

among the gods that can give me advice.

None of them can answer

when I ask them the simplest question.

29So they are not really gods at all.

What they do does not amount to anything.

They are as useless as wind.