The Return from Exile
1 The Lord will once again be merciful to his people Israel and choose them as his own. He will let them live in their own land again, and foreigners will come and live there with them. 2 Many nations will help the people of Israel return to the land which the Lord gave them, and there the nations will serve Israel as slaves. Those who once captured Israel will now be captured by Israel, and the people of Israel will rule over those who once oppressed them.
The King of Babylon in the World of the Dead
3 The Lord will give the people of Israel relief from their pain and suffering and from the hard work they were forced to do. 4 When he does this, they are to mock the king of Babylon and say:
“The cruel king has fallen! He will never oppress anyone again! 5 The Lord has ended the power of the evil rulers 6 who angrily oppressed the peoples and never stopped persecuting the nations they had conquered. 7 Now at last the whole world enjoys rest and peace, and everyone sings for joy. 8 The cypress trees and the cedars of Lebanon rejoice over the fallen king, because there is no one to cut them down, now that he is gone!
9 “The world of the dead is getting ready to welcome the king of Babylon. The ghosts of those who were powerful on earth are stirring about. The ghosts of kings are rising from their thrones. 10 They all call out to him, ‘Now you are as weak as we are! You are one of us! 11 You used to be honored with the music of harps, but now here you are in the world of the dead. You lie on a bed of maggots and are covered with a blanket of worms.’”
12 King of Babylon, bright morning star, you have fallen from heaven! In the past you conquered nations, but now you have been thrown to the ground. 13 You were determined to climb up to heaven and to place your throne above the highest stars. You thought you would sit like a king on that mountain in the north where the gods assemble. 14 You said you would climb to the tops of the clouds and be like the Almighty. 15 But instead, you have been brought down to the deepest part of the world of the dead.
16 The dead will stare and gape at you. They will ask, “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble? 17 Is this the man who destroyed cities and turned the world into a desert? Is this the man who never freed his prisoners or let them go home?”
18 All the kings of the earth lie in their magnificent tombs, 19 but you have no tomb, and your corpse is thrown out to rot. It is covered by the bodies of soldiers killed in battle, thrown with them into a rocky pit, and trampled down. 20 Because you ruined your country and killed your own people, you will not be buried like other kings. None of your evil family will survive. 21 Let the slaughter begin! The sons of this king will die because of their ancestors' sins. None of them will ever rule the earth or cover it with cities.
God Will Destroy Babylon
22 The Lord Almighty says, “I will attack Babylon and bring it to ruin. I will leave nothing—no children, no survivors at all. I, the Lord, have spoken. 23 I will turn Babylon into a marsh, and owls will live there. I will sweep Babylon with a broom that will sweep everything away. I, the Lord Almighty, have spoken.”
God Will Destroy the Assyrians
24 The Lord Almighty has sworn an oath: “What I have planned will happen. What I have determined to do will be done. 25 I will destroy the Assyrians in my land of Israel and trample them on my mountains. I will free my people from the Assyrian yoke and from the burdens they have had to bear. 26 This is my plan for the world, and my arm is stretched out to punish the nations.” 27 The Lord Almighty is determined to do this; he has stretched out his arm to punish, and no one can stop him.
God Will Destroy the Philistines
28 This is a message that was proclaimed in the year that King Ahaz died.
29 People of Philistia, the rod that beat you is broken, but you have no reason to be glad. When one snake dies, a worse one comes in its place. A snake's egg hatches a flying dragon. 30 The Lord will be a shepherd to the poor of his people and will let them live in safety. But he will send a terrible famine on you Philistines, and it will not leave any of you alive.
31 Howl and cry for help, all you Philistine cities! Be terrified, all of you! A cloud of dust is coming from the north—it is an army with no cowards in its ranks.
32 How shall we answer the messengers that come to us from Philistia? We will tell them that the Lord has established Zion and that his suffering people will find safety there.
1 Jo tas Kungs apžēlosies par Jēkabu un atkal izredzēs Israēlu un to pārvedīs dzimtenē. Arī svešinieki viņiem piebiedrosies, un tie pievienosies Jēkaba namam.
2 Un tautas viņi ņems un aizvedīs savās dzīves vietās. Israēla nams tās izmantos tā Kunga zemē par kalpiem un kalponēm un tādā kārtā turēs apcietinājumā tos, kas viņus bija apcietinājuši, un valdīs pār saviem bijušiem kakla kungiem.
3 Un notiks tanī dienā, kad tas Kungs tev dos mieru no tavām sāpēm, no ciešanām un no tās grūtās kalpības, kādā tie tevi turēja,
4 Tad tu dziedāsi izsmieklam šādu dziesmu par Bābeles ķēniņu un sacīsi: „Cik rāms tagad palicis kakla kungs, kā spaidi beigušies!
5 Tas Kungs salauzis bezdievju vēzdu un varmāku rīksti,
6 Kas tautas dusmās pēra bez mitēšanās, samina tās un nospieda savā bezgalīgajā bardzībā ļaudis nežēlīgā kalpībā.
7 Nu ir miers visā zemē, visi atpūšas, visur skan gaviles!
8 Pat cipreses priecājas par tevi un Libanona ciedru koki saka: „Kamēr tu kritis, neviens nenāk mūs nocirst!“
9 Bet mirušo valsts pazemē tevis dēl bezgalīgi satraukta, gaidīdama tevi ierodamies, tā saceļ kājās visus, kas bijuši vadoņi virs zemes, tā liek piecelties no saviem krēsliem visiem tautu ķēniņiem.
10 Tie visi runā un sauc tev pretī: Arī tu esi palicis nevarīgs kā mēs visi, tu esi mums līdzīgs!
11 Nogrimusi ellē tava godība un tavu kokļu skaņa! Cirmeņi ir tavs guļamais paklājs, un tārpi tava sega!
12 Kā tu esi kritis no debesīm, tu spožā zvaigzne, tu ausekļa dēls! Kā tu nogāzts pie zemes, kas tu tautas locīji!
13 Tu gan domāji savā prātā: Es kāpšu debesīs un uzcelšu savu troni augstu pār Dieva zvaigznēm, es nometīšos uz saiešanas kalna pašos ziemeļos!
14 Es uzkāpšu augstumos, es būšu kā pats Visaugstākais!
15 Bet nu tu esi nogāzts mirušo valstībā, visdziļākā bedrē!
16 Kas tevi redzējuši, tie tevi uzlūkos un domās sevī: Vai tad šis ir tas vīrs, kura priekšā trīcēja zeme un drebēja ķēniņu valstis?
17 Kas pasauli padarīja par tuksnesi un tās pilsētas izpostīja, kas savus gūstekņus nekad neatlaida mājās?
18 Visi tautu ķēniņi dus mierā ar godu ikviens savā namā,
19 Bet tu esi aizmests tālu no savas dusas vietas kā nonievāts zars, kas pārklāts ar nokautiem un zobena nodurtiem, kūpi nomesti pie akmeņiem bedrē kā atstāta maita.
20 Tu nebūsi ar viņiem kopā kapā, jo tu izpostīji savu zemi un noslepkavoji savu tautu; ļaundapa dzimumu vairs nepieminēs ne mūžam.
21 Nododiet nāvei viņu bērnus viņu tēvu grēku dēļ, lai tie no jauna atkal neceļas, neieņem zemi un to nepiepilda ar drupām!“
22 „Es nostāšos pret tiem,“ —saka tas Kungs Cebaots, —„un izdeldēšu Bābeles vārdu uz bērnu bērniem,“ —atskan tā Kunga izsauciens.
23 „Es to atdošu par īpašumu ežiem un padarīšu par purvu, un Es to noslaucīšu ar iznīcibas slotu!“ —saka tas Kungs Cebaots.
24 Tas Kungs Cebaots ir zvērējis, sacīdams: „Tiešām, kā Es esmu nodo-mājis, tā tas notiks, un kā Es esmu nolēmis, tā tas piepildīsies.
25 Es satriekšu Asuru savā zemē, Es to samīšu savos kalnos, lai tie top atsvabināti no viņa jūga un viņa nasta top noņemta no viņu kamiešiem.“
26 Šis lēmums ir pieņemts par visu zemi, tas ir tā roka, kas izstiepta pār visām tautām.
27 Jo, kad tas Kungs Cebaots ko nolēmis, kas to var grozīt? Un kad Viņa roka izstiepta, —kas to var pavērst citā-dāki?
28 Ķēniņa Ahasa nāves gadā notika tā Kunga vārds:
29 „Nepriecājies, visa filistiešu zeme, ka rīkste salauzta, kas tevi sita! Jo no čūskas saknes nāks indīga odze, un tās auglis būs spārnains pūķis.
30 Visnabadzīgākie tad būs pārtikuši, un trūkuma cietēji dusēs nodrošināti. Bet tavai saknei Es likšu nomirt badā, un kas no tevis būs vēl pāri palicis, to aizraus nāvē bads.
31 Kauciet, vārti! Kliedz, pilsēta! Drebi bailēs, visa filistiešu zeme! Jo no ziemeļiem nāk briesmas, un neviens karavīrs no uzbrucēju pulkiem neatšķeļas.“
32 Un kādu atbildi varēs dot pagānu tauta vēstnešiem? —„Ka tas Kungs stipru uzcēlis Ciānu, un ka nelaimīgie no Viņa tautas tur atrod patvērumu.“
