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.
Israēla atjaunošana
1 Jo Kungs apžēlos Jēkabu un atkal izvēlēsies Israēlu, ļaus tam apmesties paša zemē, un svešinieki mitīs līdzās un piebiedrosies Jēkaba namam. 2 Un tautas ņems viņus un aizvedīs pie sevis, bet Israēla nams tos iemantos sev par vergiem un verdzenēm Kunga zemē – tad gūstekņi gūstīs savus gūstītājus, viņi valdīs pār tiem, kas iepriekš tos apspieda.
Bābeles ķēniņa krišana
3 Un tajā dienā Kungs tev dos atelpu no sāpēm un trīsām, un smagās verdzības, ar ko tevi verdzināja, 4 tad tu sacīsi šo līdzību par Bābeles ķēniņu:
“Redzi, kā mitējās apspiedējs,
beigušies spaidi!
5 Kungs satrieca ļaundaru spieķi,
valdnieku zizli!
6 Niknumā sasita svešās tautas –
kuļ un neatlaižas,
valda dusmās pār citām tautām,
vajā un netaupa!
7 Veldzējas, atgūstas visa zeme,
visur skan gaviles!
8 Pat cipreses līksmo par tevi
un Lebanona ciedri:
kopš tu sakauts,
vairs nenāks cirtējs pie mums!
9 Šeols apakšā trīc tevis dēļ,
jau gaida, kad nāksi,
kust tev pretī mirušo gari,
pat visi zemes dižmaņi, visi zemes ķēniņi
ceļas no saviem troņiem!
10 Tie visi bilst un saka par tevi:
arī tu vājš kā mēs,
nu tu mums līdzīgs!
11 Šeolā nobraukusi tava lepnība
un tavu liru čalas –
tavs pēlis ir kāpuri,
un tavs apsegs ir tārpi!
12 Kā gan no debesīm nokriti,
mirdzošais rītausmas dēls!
Pats esi notriekts pie zemes,
tu, tautu gāzēj!
13 Tu domāji savā sirdī:
es debesīs uzkāpšu,
augstāk par Dieva zvaigznēm
uzcelšu savu troni,
sēdēšu sapulces kalnā
pašos ziemeļos!
14 Virs mākoņu virsotnēm uzkāpšu,
šķitīšos kā pats Visuaugstais! –
15 taču šeolā nobrauci!
Pašā bedrē!
16 Tie, kas redz tevi, nu lūr,
prāto par tevi:
vai šis ir tas vīrs,
kas tricināja zemi
un drebināja ķēniņvalstis,
17 kas visu pasauli par tuksnesi pataisīja,
pilsētas noplēsa
un nelaida mājās gūstekņus?!
18 Pārējie tautu ķēniņi
visi ir godam nogūluši
ikviens savā namā,
19 bet tevi no kapa izmeta
kā pretīgu kropli,
tevi klās līķi, zobena caurdurtie,
kas nomesti bedres akmeņos
kā maitas par kāju pameslu!
20 Tu nepiebiedrosies viņiem pat kapā,
jo savu zemi tu izdeldēji,
savu tautu tu nokāvi –
lai vairs nemūžam
nepiemin ļaundaru sēklu!
21 Sataisiet kautuvi viņu dēliem
par viņu tēvu vainu!
Ka tie neceļas un nemanto zemi,
un nepieceļ pasauli pilnu ar pilsētām!”
22 “Un es celšos pret viņiem,”
saka Pulku Kungs,
“iznīdēšu Bābeles vārdu un atlikušos,
gan atvases, gan pēcnācējus!
23 Atdošu dzeloņcūkām, lai tiek tām,
par purvu pataisīšu,
prom aizmetīšu nīcībā,”
saka Pulku Kungs.
Vēstījums par Asīriju
24 Pulku Kungs ir zvērējis:
“Vai tad nav tā –
kā es nodomāju, tā ir,
un, kā es nospriežu, tā notiek!
25 Patriecu Ašūru no savas zemes,
manos kalnos to nīdēju,
lai noņemtu viņa jūgu
un viņa nasta būtu nost no pleciem!”
26 Tas ir lēmums, kas visai zemei lemts,
un šī ir roka, kas izstiepta pār visām tautām.
27 To Pulku Kungs ir nodomājis – kas stāsies pretī,
un viņa roka ir izstiepta – kas pavērsīs atpakaļ?!
Vēstījums par filistiešu zemi
28 Ķēniņa Āhāza nāves gadā nāca šis vēstījums:
29 “Nepriecājies, tu, Filistija,
ka salauzta nūja, kas tevi sita!
Jo no čūskas saknes nāks odze,
un tās auglis – lidojošs pūķis!
30 Tad nabagu pirmdzimtie pieguļā dzīs
un tukšinieki droši ganīs,
bet tavu sakni es nonāvēšu badā,
un tavi palicēji tiks nokauti!
31 Gaudojiet, vārti, brēc, pilsēta,
līgojies, Filistija!
Jo no ziemeļiem tie kā dūmi nāk –
neviens viņu pulkā nav noklīdis!”
32 Ko atbildēt cittautu vēstnešiem?! –
Sakiet, ka Kungs ir Ciānu dibinājis,
tur patversies viņa tautas apspiestie!
