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.
Kunga kalps
1 “Redzi, tas ir mans kalps, es viņu stiprinu,
mans izredzētais, kas manai dvēselei tīk, –
es viņam devu savu Garu,
viņš nesīs tautām tiesu!
2 Viņš nebrēks un neklaigās,
ielās nedzirdēs viņa balsi,
3 aizlauztu niedri viņš nenolauzīs,
kvēlošu degli viņš nenodzēsīs,
uzticīgi viņš nesīs tiesu!
4 Viņš nebūs nedz salauzts, nedz slābs,
iekams nepiepildīs tiesu uz zemes –
uz viņa bauslību cerību liek jūras salas!”
5 Tā saka Dievs Kungs,
kas radījis debesis un tās izpletis,
kas izplājis zemi un to, kas tur dīgst,
kas dod dvašu ļaudīm uz tās
un garu tiem, kas staigā pa to!
6 “Es esmu Kungs,
es tevi taisnībā saucu,
es tevi tveru pie rokas,
sargu tevi un ieceļu tevi
par derību tautai,
par gaismu visām tautām!
7 Lai atdarītu acis akliem,
lai no spaidiem izvestu ieslodzītos,
kas tumsā mīt!
8 Es esmu Kungs – tas ir mans vārds,
savu godu nevienam es nedošu,
nedz savu slavu elkiem!
9 Iepriekšējās lietas ir piepildījušās,
un tagad es vēstīšu jaunas,
pirms tās notiek, –
es tās darīšu jums zināmas!”
Slavas dziesma
10 Dziediet Kungam jaunu dziesmu,
slavējiet viņu no zemes malām,
jūs, kas dodaties jūrā, un visi, kas tur mīt,
un piekraste un tās iemītnieki!
11 Lai skandē tuksnesis un tā pilsētas,
arī ciemi, kur Kēders mīt,
gavilējiet, klinšu iemītnieki,
no kalnu virsotnēm klaigājiet!
12 Lai Kungam dod godu,
lai viņa slavu teic jūras piekrastē!
13 Kungs kā spēkavīrs iziet,
kā karavīrs rieš savu kvēli,
tiešām viņš rēc un aurē,
pret saviem naidniekiem viņš varens!
14 “Mūžam es valdījos,
es klusēju un atturējos –
kā dzemdētāja es kliegšu,
sēkdams un elsdams!
15 Es noplicināšu kalnus un pakalnus,
visu zelmeni izkaltēšu,
pārvērtīšu upes par sērēm
un nosusināšu dīķus!
16 Aklos es vedīšu pa ceļiem,
ko tie nepazīst,
pa takām, ko tie nezina,
es viņus vadīšu,
tumsu to priekšā vērtīšu gaismā
un grambas līdzenumā –
tā es darīšu un neko nepametīšu!
17 Tad atkāpsies un paliks kaunā
tie, kas uz elkiem paļaujas
un kas lējumiem saka:
jūs esat mūsu dievi!
18 Kurlie, klausieties!
Aklie, skatiet, ka ieraugāt!
19 Kurš vēl ir tik akls kā mans kalps
un kurls kā manis sūtītais vēstnesis,
kurš ir tik akls kā mans uzticamais
un tik akls kā Kunga kalps?!
20 Tu gan redzi daudz, bet nepamani,
ausis vaļā, bet nedzird!”
Israēla nepaklausība
21 Kungs kāroja viņa taisnības dēļ
padarīt bauslību lielu un diženu, –
22 bet tā ir aplaupīta un aptīrīta tauta,
tie visi ir notverti alās
un cietumu namos ieslēgti,
par laupījumu tie kļuvuši,
un nav kas tos glābj,
par guvumu, un neviens nesaka:
atdodiet! –
23 Kurš no jums var uzklausīt šo,
lai ausās un klausās nākamībai!
24 Kas nodeva sirotājiem Jēkabu
un Israēlu laupītājiem –
vai ne Kungs, pret kuru mēs grēkojuši! –
un tie vēl negrib staigāt viņa ceļos
un klausīt viņa bauslībai!
25 Tad viņš pār to izlēja
savu dusmu kvēli un cīņas sparu,
dedza uguni tam visapkārt –
bet tas neapzinājās,
sveilēja viņu –
bet tas neņēma vērā!
