Isaiah

God’s Help to Israel

1“Be silent before Me, O islands,and let the peoples renew their strength.Let them come forward and testify;let us together draw near for judgment.

2Who has aroused one from the eastand called him to his feet in righteousness?He hands nations over to himand subdues kings before him.He turns them to dust with his sword,to windblown chaff with his bow.

3He pursues them, going on safely,hardly touching the path with his feet.

4Who has performed this and carried it out,calling forth the generations from the beginning?I, the LORD—the first and the last—I am He.”

5The islands see and fear;the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward.

6Each one helps the otherand says to his brother, “Be strong!”

7The craftsman encourages the goldsmith,and he who wields the hammer cheers him who strikes the anvil,saying of the welding, “It is good.”He nails it down so it will not be toppled.

8“But you, O Israel, My servant,Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend—

9I brought you from the ends of the earthand called you from its farthest corners.I said, ‘You are My servant.’I have chosen and not rejected you.

10Do not fear, for I am with you;do not be afraid, for I am your God.I will strengthen you; I will surely help you;I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

11Behold, all who rage against youwill be ashamed and disgraced;those who contend with youwill be reduced to nothing and will perish.

12You will seek them but will not find them.Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.

13For I am the LORD your God,who takes hold of your right handand tells you: Do not fear,I will help you.

14Do not fear, O Jacob, you worm,O few men of Israel.I will help you,” declares the LORD.“Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

15Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge,new and sharp, with many teeth.You will thresh the mountains and crush them,and reduce the hills to chaff.

16You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away;a gale will scatter them.But you will rejoice in the LORD;you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17The poor and needy seek water, but there is none;their tongues are parched with thirst.I, the LORD, will answer them;I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

18I will open rivers on the barren heights,and fountains in the middle of the valleys.I will turn the desert into a pool of water,and the dry land into flowing springs.

19I will plant cedars in the wilderness,acacias, myrtles, and olive trees.I will set cypressesin the desert,elms and boxwood together,

20so that all may see and know,may consider and understand,that the hand of the LORD has done thisand the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

Meaningless Idols

21“Present your case,” says the LORD.“Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob.

22“Let them come and tell us what will happen.Tell the former things,so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome.Or announce to us what is coming.

23Tell us the things that are to come,so that we may know that you are gods.Yes, do something good or evil,that we may look on together in dismay.

24Behold, you are nothingand your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.

25I have raised up one from the north, and he has come—one from the east who calls on My name.He will march over rulers as if they were mortar,like a potter who treads the clay.

26Who has declared this from the beginning,so that we may know,and from times past,so that we may say: ‘He was right’?No one announced it, no one foretold it,no one heard your words.

27I was the first to tell Zion:‘Look, here they are!’And I gave to Jerusalema herald of good news.

28When I look, there is no one;there is no counselor among them;when I ask them,they have nothing to say.

29See, they are all a delusion;their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind.

1Ta hãy cùng nhau ra toà nào !

2cung nỏ của ông khiến chúng tán loạn tựa cọng rơm.

3Trên đường đi, chân ông không chấm đất.

4và giữa những người của thời sau hết, Ta vẫn là Ta.

5chân trời góc biển cũng chuyển rung, dõi theo sự việc và tiến tới.

6và nói với anh em mình : “Can đảm lên !”

7rồi lấy đinh đóng chặt tượng thần cho khỏi chuyển khỏi lay.

8hỡi Gia-cóp, kẻ Ta tuyển chọn, dòng dõi Áp-ra-ham, bạn của Ta,

9Ta đã chọn ngươi, Ta đâu ruồng bỏ.”

10Ta lại còn trợ giúp với tay hữu toàn thắng của Ta.

11đều kể như không có và bị tiêu diệt.

12sẽ kể như không có, như hết sạch cả rồi.

13“Đừng sợ, chính Ta phù trợ ngươi.”

14Đấng cứu chuộc ngươi là Đức Thánh của Ít-ra-en.

15sẽ làm cho các đồi nên như trấu.

16vì Đức Thánh của Ít-ra-en, sẽ hãnh diện, tự hào.

17Ta sẽ không bỏ rơi chúng.

18biến đất khô nên mạch nước dồi dào.

19nào trắc bá, nào du, nào hoàng dương,

20điều ấy, Đức Thánh của Ít-ra-en đã tạo thành.

21Đức Vua nhà Gia-cóp truyền : Hãy đưa ra luận chứng !

22hay là cứ kể cho chúng tôi nghe những gì sẽ xảy đến.

23chúng tôi cũng sẽ táng đởm kinh hồn.

24thật đáng kinh tởm.

25như thợ gốm lấy chân nhào đất sét.

26chẳng ai được nghe các ngươi nói một lời !

27và Ta sẽ gửi đến cho Giê-ru-sa-lem kẻ loan báo tin mừng.

28để đáp lại lời Ta !

29tượng thần vàng bạc của chúng là hơi gió hư không !