The Lord's Servant
1 The Lord says,
“Here is my servant, whom I strengthen—
the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased.
I have filled him with my Spirit,
and he will bring justice to every nation.
2 He will not shout or raise his voice
or make loud speeches in the streets.
3 He will not break off a bent reed
nor put out a flickering lamp.
He will bring lasting justice to all.
4 He will not lose hope or courage;
he will establish justice on the earth.
Distant lands eagerly wait for his teaching.”
5 God created the heavens and stretched them out;
he fashioned the earth and all that lives there;
he gave life and breath to all its people.
And now the Lord God says to his servant,
6 “I, the Lord, have called you and given you power
to see that justice is done on earth.
Through you I will make a covenant with all peoples;
through you I will bring light to the nations.
7 You will open the eyes of the blind
and set free those who sit in dark prisons.
8 “I alone am the Lord your God.
No other god may share my glory;
I will not let idols share my praise.
9 The things I predicted have now come true.
Now I will tell you of new things
even before they begin to happen.”
A Song of Praise
10 Sing a new song to the Lord;
sing his praise, all the world!
Praise him, you that sail the sea;
praise him, all creatures of the sea!
Sing, distant lands and all who live there!
11 Let the desert and its towns praise God;
let the people of Kedar praise him!
Let those who live in the city of Sela
shout for joy from the tops of the mountains!
12 Let those who live in distant lands
give praise and glory to the Lord!
13 The Lord goes out to fight like a warrior;
he is ready and eager for battle.
He gives a war cry, a battle shout;
he shows his power against his enemies.
God Promises to Help His People
14 God says,
“For a long time I kept silent;
I did not answer my people.
But now the time to act has come;
I cry out like a woman in labor.
15 I will destroy the hills and mountains
and dry up the grass and trees.
I will turn the river valleys into deserts
and dry up the pools of water.
16 “I will lead my blind people
by roads they have never traveled.
I will turn their darkness into light
and make rough country smooth before them.
These are my promises,
and I will keep them without fail.
17 All who trust in idols,
who call images their gods,
will be humiliated and disgraced.”
Israel's Failure to Learn
18 The Lord says,
“Listen, you deaf people!
Look closely, you that are blind!
19 Is anyone more blind than my servant,
more deaf than the messenger I send?
20 Israel, you have seen so much,
but what has it meant to you?
You have ears to hear with,
but what have you really heard?”
21 The Lord is a God who is eager to save,
so he exalted his laws and teachings,
and he wanted his people to honor them.
22 But now his people have been plundered;
they are locked up in dungeons
and hidden away in prisons.
They were robbed and plundered,
with no one to come to their rescue.
23 Will any of you listen to this?
From now on will you listen with care?
24 Who gave Israel up to the looters?
It was the Lord himself, against whom we sinned!
We would not live as he wanted us to live
or obey the teachings he gave us.
25 So he made us feel the force of his anger
and suffer the violence of war.
Like fire his anger burned throughout Israel,
but we never knew what was happening;
we learned nothing at all from it.
1 Redzi, tas ir mans kalps, ko Es neatlaižu; mans izredzētais, pie viņa manai dvēselei ir labpatika. Es liku savu Garu uz viņu, lai viņš nes tautām taisnību.
2 Viņš nebrēks un netrokšņos, un viņa balsi nedzirdēs uz ielas.
3 Ielūzušu niedri viņš nenolauzīs, un kvēlojošu degli viņš neizdzēsīs; uzticīgi viņš darīs zināmu tiesu pēc patiesības.
4 Viņš nepagurs un nekritīs, kamēr viņš nenodibinās taisnību virs zemes. Jūjras salas cer jau uz viņa norādījumiem.
5 Tā saka Dievs tas Kungs, kas radījis debesis un tās izplājis, kas cēlis zemi ar visiem tās augļiem, kas iedvesis dvašu cilvēkiem, kādi tur dzīvo, un garu tiem, kas tur mīt visās vietās.
6 „Es tas Kungs tevi aicināju taisnībā, ņēmu tevi pie rokas un pasargāju un tevi iecēlu par derību tautai un par gaismu pagāniem,
7 Lai atvērtu acis akliem un atsvabinātu apcietinātos no cietuma, tos, kas sēd tumsībā.
8 Es esmu tas Kungs, tas ir mans vārds, savu godu Es citam nedošu nedz savu slavu elkiem.
9 Redzi, agrākie pavēstījumi ir piepildīti, Es jums dodu jaunus, un pirms tie piepildās, Es jums tos pasludinu.“
10 Dziediet tam Kungam jaunu dziesmu, daudziniet Viņa slavu līdz pat zemes galiem, jūs jūras braucēji, baudī-dami tās pilnību, jūs jūras salas un to iedzīvotāji!
11 Lai pacel savu balsi stepju klajumi un to pilsētas un ciemi, kur Kedars dzīvo. Lai gavilē klintskalnu iedzīvotāji, lai tie sauc no kalnu galiem!
12 Tam Kungam lai dod godu un lai pauž Viņa slavu jūras salās!
13 Tas Kungs nāk kā varonis, kā karavīrs Viņš uzsāk kara gaitu, Viņš liek atskanēt kara saucienam, Viņš nostājas kā varonis pret saviem ienaidniekiem.
14 Ilgi jo ilgi Es klusēju un valdījos, bet tagad Es kliegšu, kā dzemdētāja elsdams un pūzdams reizē.
15 Es nopostīšu kalnus un pakalnus, viss to zaļums nokaltīs, to upes paliks par sausu zemi, un to ezeri izžūs.
16 Es vadīšu aklus pa ceļiem, ko tie agrāk nepazina, pa tekām, kas tiem bija svešas; Es darīšu tumsību viņu acīm par gaismu un nelīdzenumu par līdzenu ceļu. To visu Es darīšu un no tā neatkāpšos.
17 Bet jāatkāpjas un jāpaliek kaunā visiem, kas paļaujas uz elkiem, kas saka uz elka tēliem; „Jūs esat mūsu dievi!“
18 Kurlie, klausaities! Aklie, skataities un ieraugait!
19 Kas ir tik akls kā mans kalps un tik kurls kā mans vēstnesis, ko Es sūtu? Kas ir tik akls kā mans uzticamais, tik akls kā tā Kunga kalps!
20 Tu esi daudz redzējis, bet neesi to ievērojis; ar vaļējām ausīm tu neesi dzirdējis.
21 Tas Kungs gan gribēja savas taisnības dēļ viņiem bauslību pārveidot par lielu un diženu,
22 Bet viņi tomēr ir nospiesta, noplicināta un izlaupīta tauta, kas sagūstīta novietota alās un ieslodzīta cietumos; tie ir kļuvuši citiem par laupījumu, un nav neviena, kas teiktu; „Atsvabini tos!“
23 Kas jūsu starpā tam vēl piegriež vērību, kas to ievēro un mācās no tā nākotnei?
24 Kas nodeva Jēkabu postam un Israēlu izlaupīšanai? Vai ne tas Kungs, pret kuru esam grēkojuši? —Tie negribēja staigāt Viņa ceļus un neklausīja Viņa baušļiem.
25 Tāpēc Viņš izlēja pār tiem savas bargās dusmas un sūtīja tiem kara briesmas, kas tos apdraudēja no visām pusēm. Bet tie nepiegrieza tam vērību, un, kaut jau tā smagi ari pārbaudīti, tie neņēma to pie sirds.
