A Song about a Vineyard
The Lord said:
1 I will sing a song
about my friend's vineyard
that was on the side
of a fertile hill.
2 My friend dug the ground,
removed the stones,
and planted the best vines.
He built a watchtower
and dug a pit in rocky ground
for pressing the grapes.
He hoped they would be sweet,
but bitter grapes
were all it produced.
3 Listen, people of Jerusalem
and of Judah!
You be the judge of me
and my vineyard.
4 What more could I have done
for my vineyard?
I hoped for sweet grapes,
but bitter grapes
were all that grew.
5 Now I will let you know
what I am going to do.
I will cut down the hedge
and tear down the wall.
My vineyard will be trampled
and left in ruins.
6 It will turn into a desert,
neither pruned nor hoed;
it will be covered
with thorns and briars.
I will command the clouds
not to send rain.
7 I am the Lord All-Powerful!
Israel is the vineyard,
and Judah is the garden
I tended with care.
I had hoped for honesty
and for justice,
but dishonesty
and cries for mercy
were all I found.
Isaiah Condemns Social Injustice
8 You are in for trouble! You take over house after house and field after field, until there is no room left for anyone else in all the land. 9 But the Lord All-Powerful has made this promise to me:
Those large and beautiful homes will be left empty, with no one to take care of them. 10 Four hectares of grapevines will produce only 27 liters of juice, and 180 liters of seed will produce merely 18 liters of grain.
11 You are in for trouble! You get up early to start drinking, and you keep it up late into the night. 12 At your drinking parties you have the music of stringed instruments, tambourines, and flutes. But you never even think about all the Lord has done, 13 and so his people know nothing about him. That's why many of you will be dragged off to foreign lands. Your leaders will starve to death, and everyone else will suffer from thirst.
14 The world of the dead has opened its mouth wide and is eagerly waiting for the leaders of Jerusalem and for its noisy crowds, especially for those who take pride in that city. 15 Its citizens have been put down, and its proud people have been brought to shame. 16 But the holy Lord God All-Powerful is praised, because he has shown who he is by bringing justice. 17 His people will be like sheep grazing in their own pasture, and they will take off what was left by others.
18 You are in for trouble! The lies you tell are like ropes by which you drag along sin and evil. 19 And you say, “Let the holy God of Israel hurry up and do what he has promised, so we can see it for ourselves.” 20 You are headed for trouble! You say wrong is right, darkness is light, and bitter is sweet.
21 You think you are clever and smart. 22 And you are great at drinking and mixing drinks. But you are in for trouble. 23 You accept bribes to let the guilty go free, and you cheat the innocent out of a fair trial.
24 You will go up in flames like straw and hay! You have rejected the teaching of the holy Lord God All-Powerful of Israel. Now your roots will rot, and your blossoms will turn to dust.
25 You are the Lord's people, but you made him terribly angry, and he struck you with his mighty arm. Mountains shook, and dead bodies covered the streets like garbage. The Lord is still angry, and he is ready to strike you again.
Foreign Nations Will Attack
26 The Lord has signaled for the foreign nations to come and attack you. He has already whistled, and they are coming as fast as they can. 27 None of them are tired. They don't sleep or get drowsy, and they run without stumbling. Their belts don't come loose; their sandal straps don't break. 28 Their arrows are sharp, and their bows are ready. The hoofs of their horses are hard as flint; the wheels of their war chariots turn as fast as a whirlwind.
29 They roar and growl like fierce young lions as they grab their victims and drag them off where no one can rescue them. 30 On the day they attack, they will roar like the ocean. And across the land you will see nothing but darkness and trouble, because the light of day will be covered by thick clouds.
Dziesma par Kunga vīnadārzu
1 Jel dziedāšu manam mīļajam
mana mīļā dziesmu par viņa vīnadārzu!
Manam mīļajam bija vīnadārzs
leknā kalngalā.
2 Viņš to uzraka, akmeņus nolasīja,
labiem vīnastādiem apstādīja,
vidū uzslēja torni,
izcirta vīnspaidu,
gaidīja, ka ienāksies vīnogas,
bet ienācās skābules!
3 Un tagad, Jeruzālemes iemītnieki un Jūdas vīri,
spriediet tiesu starp mani
un manu vīnadārzu!
4 Ko vēl lai daru savam vīnadārzam,
ko neesmu tam darījis?!
Es taču cerēju, ka ienāksies vīnogas,
bet ienācās skābules?!
5 Tagad nu ziniet,
ko darīšu savam vīnadārzam!
Es tam noņemšu žogu – lai izrij,
noplēsīšu mūri – lai izmīda!
6 Par postažu pataisīšu,
vairs to ne griezīs, ne cirps,
tur sliesies dzelkšņi un ērkšķi,
un mākoņiem pavēlēšu
nedot tam lietu!
7 Pulku Kunga vīnadārzs ir Israēla nams,
un Jūdas vīri ir viņa prieka stādi,
viņš gaidīja tiesu, un še – asinis,
taisnību, un še – brēkšana!
Bēdas un posts ļaundariem
8 Vai! tiem, kas krāj namu pie nama,
liek lauku pie lauka,
ka vairs ne vietas –
nu vieni jūs mītat uz zemes!
9 Pulku Kungs saka man:
“Daudzie nami par postažu kļūs,
lieli un labi tie, bet neviens tajos nemitīs!
10 Desmit vīnadārzi dos vienu grozu
un maiss graudu – tik sauju!”
11 Vai! tiem, kas rīta agrumā ceļas,
stipram dzeramam pakaļ skrien,
līdz vēlam vakaram vīnā deg!
12 Tur ir liras un arfas,
bungas un stabules,
un vīns tiem plūst dzīrēs,
bet Kunga darbi tiem nerūp,
tie viņa veikumu neredz!
13 Tādēļ mana tauta ies trimdā – jo nesajēdz!
Tās godātie vīri cietīs badu,
un pūlis tvīks slāpēs!
14 Tādēļ šeols atpletīs savu rīkli,
plaši atvāzīs savu muti –
tur saļims gan dižciltīgie, gan pūlis,
gan bļāvēji, gan aurotāji.
15 Zemosies cilvēks un noslīgs vīrs,
un augstprāšu skatiens noplaks!
16 Pulku Kungs būs augsts – viņam tiesa,
svētosies svētais Dievs – viņam taisnība!
17 Tur leknumā ganīsies jēri
un drupās kazlēni barosies trekni!
18 Vai! tiem, kas velk vainu ar nestiprām auklām
un grēku ar ratu striķiem!
19 Kas saka: viņš lai steidz,
lai ātri dara savu darbu,
ka mēs ieraugām!
Lai tuvojas, lai nāk
Israēla Svētā padoms,
ka mēs ieraugām!
20 Vai! tiem, kas sauc ļaunu par labu
un labu par ļaunu,
notur tumsu par gaismu
un gaismu par tumsu,
notur rūgtu par saldu
un saldu par rūgtu!
21 Vai! tiem, kas sevi par gudriem tur
un paši sevi par saprātīgiem!
22 Vai! tiem, kas varoņi vīnu dzert
un stiprinieki dzērienus jaukt!
23 Kas par kukuli attaisno ļaundari
un taisnajiem atņem taisnību!
Vēstījums par svešinieku iebrukumu
24 Tādēļ – kā uguns mēle rij salmus
un liesmās plok zāle,
tā nīks tiem saknes
un viņu ziedi kā putekļi putēs,
jo Pulku Kunga bauslību tie atmetuši
un Israēla Svētā sacīto nievājuši!
25 Tādēļ Kungs iedegās
dusmās pret savu tautu,
viņš izstiepa savu roku pret tiem
un sita viņus – trīcēja kalni,
viņu līķi bija kā mēsli ielas vidū,
pat tad viņa dusmas nenovērsās
un viņa roka vēl izstiepta!
26 Viņš pacels karogu tautām no tālienes,
pasvilps no zemes pamales tiem,
un, redzi, tie jau nāk ātri un viegli!
27 Neviens nav noguris, neviens neklūp,
neviens nesnauž, neviens neguļ,
gurnu josta nevienam nav vaļīga,
sandalēm siksnas nav satrūkušas,
28 tiem bultas ir asas,
tiem visiem nostiepti loki,
kā klints viņu zirgu pakavi,
un riteņi tiem kā virpulis!
29 Tiem auri kā lauvām,
tie aurē kā lauvēni,
rēkdami sagrābj laupījumu,
aizrauj prom – neglābt nevienam!
30 Todien tie rēks pār to,
kā rēc jūra!
Kad palūkosies uz zemi,
redzi, tumsa un posts,
un miglā tumsusi gaisma!
