1 You people are in for trouble! You have made cruel and unfair laws 2 that let you cheat the poor and needy and rob widows and orphans. 3 But what will you do when you are fiercely attacked and punished by foreigners? Where will you run for help? Where will you hide your valuables? 4 How will you escape being captured or killed? The Lord is still angry, and he isn't through with you yet!
The Lord's Purpose and the King of Assyria
5 The Lord says:
I am furious! And I will use the king of Assyria as a club 6 to beat down you godless people. I am angry with you, and I will send him to attack you. He will take what he wants and walk on you like mud in the streets. 7 He has even bigger plans in mind, because he wants to destroy many nations.
8 The king of Assyria says:
My army commanders are kings! 9 They have already captured the cities of Calno, Carchemish, Hamath, Arpad, Samaria, and Damascus. 10-11 The gods of Jerusalem and Samaria are weaker than the gods of those powerful nations. And I will destroy Jerusalem, together with its gods and idols, just as I did Samaria.
12 The Lord will do what he has planned against Jerusalem and Mount Zion. Then he will punish the proud and boastful king of Assyria, 13 who says:
I did these things by my own power because I am smart and clever. I attacked kings like a wild bull, and I took the land and the treasures of their nations. 14 I have conquered the whole world! And it was easier than taking eggs from an unguarded nest. No one even flapped a wing or made a peep.
15 King of Assyria, can an ax or a saw overpower the one who uses it? Can a wooden pole lift whoever holds it? 16 The mighty Lord All-Powerful will send a terrible disease to strike down your army, and you will burn with fever under your royal robes. 17 The holy God, who is the light of Israel, will turn into a fire, and in one day you will go up in flames, just like a thornbush. 18 The Lord will make your beautiful forests and fertile fields slowly rot. 19 There will be so few trees that even a young child can count them.
Only a Few Will Come Back
20 A time is coming when the survivors from Israel and Judah will completely depend on the holy Lord of Israel, instead of the nation that defeated them. 21-22 There were as many people as there are grains of sand along the seashore, but only a few will survive to come back to Israel's mighty God. This is because he has threatened to destroy their nation, just as they deserve. 23 The Lord All-Powerful has promised that everyone on this earth will be punished.
24 Now the Lord God All-Powerful says to his people in Jerusalem:
The Assyrians will beat you with sticks and abuse you, just as the Egyptians did. But don't be afraid of them. 25 Soon I will stop being angry with you, and I will punish them for their crimes. 26 I will beat the Assyrians with a whip, as I did the people of Midian near the rock at Oreb. And I will show the same mighty power that I used when I made a path through the sea in Egypt. 27 Then they will no longer rule your nation. All will go well for you, and your burden will be lifted.
28 Enemy troops have reached the town of Aiath. They have gone through Migron, and they stored their supplies at Michmash, 29 before crossing the valley and spending the night at Geba. The people of Ramah are terrified; everyone in Gibeah, the hometown of Saul, has run away. 30 Loud crying can be heard in the towns of Gallim, Laishah, and sorrowful Anathoth. 31 No one is left in Madmenah or Gebim. 32 Today the enemy will camp at Nob and shake a threatening fist at Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
33 But the Lord All-Powerful
will use his fearsome might
to bring down the tallest trees
and chop off every branch.
34 With an ax, the glorious Lord
will destroy every tree
in the forests of Lebanon.
Asīrija ir Dieva rīkste
1 Vai! tiem,
kas netaisnus likumus pasludina,
vai! rakstvežiem,
kas apspiešanu perina,
2 kas sagroza trūcīgā tiesu,
manas tautas nabagiem taisnību atrauj,
pat no atraitnes izplēš laupījumu
un bāreņus aptīra!
3 Ko jūs darīsiet soda dienā –
postā, kas no tālienes nāks?
Pie kā pēc palīga bēgsiet,
kur savu godību pametīsiet?
4 Ar cietumniekiem rāposiet,
kopā ar nokautajiem kritīsiet –
vēl viņa dusmas nerimsies,
vēl pacelta viņa roka!
5 Vai! – Asīrija ir mana dusmu nūja,
tiem rokā ir mana niknuma spieķis!
6 Pret bezgožu tautu es sūtīju tos,
tautai, kas mani dusmo, tos uzrīdīju!
Lai laupa, kas laupāms,
lai grābj, kas grābjams,
lai samin kā mēslus uz ielas!
7 Bet viņam tā nešķiet,
tā viņš nedomā savā sirdī,
jo viņam prātā ir iznīcināt
un iznīdēt ne mazumu tautu!
8 Viņš saka:
“Vai mani vadoņi visi nav ķēniņi?
9 Vai ne tāda pati kā Karkemīša ir Kalne,
vai tad Arpada nav kā Hamāta,
vai tad Damaska nav kā Samarija?!
10 Mana roka ir ķērusi tādu dievu valstis,
kam lielāki tēli nekā Jeruzālemē un Samarijā –
11 kādēļ lai nedaru Jeruzālemei un tās veidoliem,
kā es darīju Samarijai un tās dievekļiem?!”
12 Kad Kungs bija beidzis visus savus darbus Ciānas kalnā un Jeruzālemē, viņš sacīja: “Es piemeklēšu lielīgās sirds augli – Asīrijas ķēniņu un viņa acu augsto lepnību!” 13 Viņš saka:
“Ar savu stipro roku es darīšu,
un ar savu gudrību, jo es saprotu –
es nojaukšu tautu robežas,
tiem dārgumus nolaupīšu,
kā vērsis nobadīšu tos, kas tur mīt!
14 Kā ligzdu mana roka atrada tautu bagātību,
kā vāc atstātas olas, tā es visu savācu!
Neviens ne spārnu nepakustināja,
ne muti papleta, ne iečiepstējās!”
15 Vai lai cirvis dižojas cirtēja priekšā?
Vai lai zāģis lielās tam, kas to velk?
Vai tad nūja šūpo savu vēzētāju –
vai miets spēs cilāt to, kas to cēlis?!
16 Tādēļ Kungs, Pulku Kungs, uzsūtīs
viņa branguļiem diloni,
viņa godībai apakšā sāks gruzdēt karsonis –
kā uguns degs!
17 Tad Israēla gaisma par uguni kļūs
un tā Svētais par liesmu!
Degs un rīs viņa dzelkšņus
un viņa ērkšķus tajā dienā!
18 Viņa meža un vīnadārza godību,
viņa dvēsele un viņa miesu tas piebeigs,
kā mirējs viņš izdēdēs!
19 Viņam mežā tik pāris koku paliks,
pat zēns varēs tos saskaitīt!
Atlikums atgriezīsies
20 Tajā dienā būs tā – Israēlā atlikušie, tie no Jēkaba nama, kas izglābušies, vairs neglaudīsies pie tā, kas viņus sita, un uzticīgi glaudīsies pie Kunga, Israēla Svētā. 21 Atlikums, Jēkaba atlikums, atgriezīsies pie Varoņa Dieva! 22 Israēl, kaut tev būtu ļaužu kā jūras smilšu – no tiem atgriezīsies tik atlikums! Gals ir lemts, taisnība pludo! 23 Jo beigas ir noliktas! Kungs, Pulku Kungs, tā darīs visai zemei!
24 Tādēļ tā saka Kungs, Pulku Kungs: “Mana tauta, kas Ciānā mīti! Nebaidies no Asīrijas – ar nūju tie sitīs, un viņu spieķis celsies pret tevi, kā bija Ēģiptē! 25 Vēl mazliet un beigsies niknums, un manas dusmas tos nīdēs!” 26 Tad Pulku Kungs ņems rīksti pret tiem, kā bija tad, kad pie Orēba klints sita Midjānu, un savu nūju pret jūru viņš cels kā Ēģiptē!
27 Tajā dienā būs tā –
viņš noņems tev nastu no pleciem
un nūju no tava kakla –
pagalam būs to jūgs viņu treknuma dēļ!
28 Viņš nāca uz Ajatu, gāja caur Migronu,
Mihmāsā savus vezumus atstāja!
29 Viņi pārejai pārgāja, Gibā pa nakti palika –
drebēja Rāma, Saula Giba bēga!
30 Brēc pilnā rīklē, Galīmas meita!
Ieklausies, Lajiša! Atbildi, Anātota!
31 Madmēna aizlaidusies!
Gēbīmā mītošie glābjas!
32 Jau šodien tie Nobā stāvēs,
kratīs dūres pie Ciānas meitas kalna,
pie Jeruzālemes pakalna!
33 Redzi, Kungs, Pulku Kungs,
viņš briesmīgs –
apcirtīs zarus, kas augstin augsti,
tie gulēs zemē,
pauguri kļūs par ielejām!
34 Meža biezokņus viņš apkapās ar dzelzi –
Lebanona krāšņums tiks nogāzts!
