God Promises to Rescue His People
1 Israel, the Lord who created you says,
“Do not be afraid—I will save you.
I have called you by name—you are mine.
2 When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you;
your troubles will not overwhelm you.
When you pass through fire, you will not be burned;
the hard trials that come will not hurt you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the holy God of Israel, who saves you.
I will give up Egypt to set you free;
I will give up Ethiopia and Seba.
4 I will give up whole nations to save your life,
because you are precious to me
and because I love you and give you honor.
5 Do not be afraid—I am with you!
“From the distant east and the farthest west
I will bring your people home.
6 I will tell the north to let them go
and the south not to hold them back.
Let my people return from distant lands,
from every part of the world.
7 They are my own people,
and I created them to bring me glory.”
Israel Is the Lord's Witness
8 God says,
“Summon my people to court.
They have eyes, but they are blind;
they have ears, but they are deaf!
9 Summon the nations to come to the trial.
Which of their gods can predict the future?
Which of them foretold what is happening now?
Let these gods bring in their witnesses
to prove that they are right,
to testify to the truth of their words.
10 “People of Israel, you are my witnesses;
I chose you to be my servant,
so that you would know me and believe in me
and understand that I am the only God.
Besides me there is no other god;
there never was and never will be.
11 “I alone am the Lord,
the only one who can save you.
12 I predicted what would happen,
and then I came to your aid.
No foreign god has ever done this;
you are my witnesses.
13 I am God and always will be.
No one can escape from my power;
no one can change what I do.”
Escape from Babylon
14 Israel's holy God, the Lord who saves you, says,
“To save you, I will send an army against Babylon;
I will break down the city gates,
and the shouts of her people will turn into crying.
15 I am the Lord, your holy God.
I created you, Israel, and I am your king.”
16 Long ago the Lord made a road through the sea,
a path through the swirling waters.
17 He led a mighty army to destruction,
an army of chariots and horses.
Down they fell, never to rise,
snuffed out like the flame of a lamp!
18 But the Lord says,
“Do not cling to events of the past
or dwell on what happened long ago.
19 Watch for the new thing I am going to do.
It is happening already—you can see it now!
I will make a road through the wilderness
and give you streams of water there.
20 Even the wild animals will honor me;
jackals and ostriches will praise me
when I make rivers flow in the desert
to give water to my chosen people.
21 They are the people I made for myself,
and they will sing my praises!”
Israel's Sin
22 The Lord says,
“But you were tired of me, Israel;
you did not worship me.
23 You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you by demanding offerings
or wear you out by asking for incense.
24 You didn't buy incense for me
or satisfy me with the fat of your animals.
Instead you burdened me with your sins;
you wore me out with the wrongs you have committed.
25 And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins,
and I do this because of who I am.
I will not hold your sins against you.
26 “Let us go to court; bring your accusation!
Present your case to prove you are in the right!
27 Your earliest ancestor sinned;
your leaders sinned against me,
28 and your rulers profaned my sanctuary.
So I brought destruction on Israel;
I let my own people be insulted.”
Israēla Izpircējs un Glābējs
1 Tagad tā saka Kungs,
tavs Radītājs, Jēkab,
tavs Veidotājs, Israēl:
“Nebaidies, es tevi izpirkšu,
es tevi nosaucu tavā vārdā,
tu esi mans!
2 Kad tu iesi caur ūdeņiem,
es būšu ar tevi,
un cauri upēm,
tās tevi neaizraus,
kad caur uguni iesi, tu nesadegsi,
liesma tevi neapsvilinās!
3 Jo es esmu Kungs, tavs Dievs,
Israēla Svētais ir tavs glābējs,
par tevis izpirkšanu es atdevu Ēģipti,
Kūšu un Sebu – par tevi!
4 Tādēļ ka esi man vērtīgs,
tu pagodināts, un es mīlu tevi –
es atdošu ļaudis par tevi
un tautas par tavu dzīvību!
5 Nebīsties, jo es esmu ar tevi,
tavus pēcnācējus es pārvedīšu no austrumiem,
no vakariem tevi sapulcēšu,
6 ziemeļiem es teikšu: atdodiet, –
un dienvidiem: neturiet ciet!
Pārvediet manus dēlus no tālienes
un manas meitas no zemes malas! –
7 visus, kas saukti manā vārdā,
ko es esmu radījis savam godam,
veidojis un pats taisījis!”
8 Akla tauta, kaut tiem ir acis,
un kurlie, kaut tiem ir ausis, – lai nāk!
9 Visas tautas nu sapulcētas,
ļaudis kopā sanākuši,
kurš no tiem var pastāstīt,
kas bijis iepriekš, mums pasacīt –
lai tie dod savas liecības un būs attaisnoti,
lai klausās un saka: tā patiesība!
10 “Jūs mani liecinieki,” saka Kungs,
“un mani kalpi, ko izvēlējos,
tādēļ atzīstiet un uzticieties man,
apjēdziet, ka es tas esmu,
pirms manis neviena Dieva nav bijis
un nebūs pēc manis!
11 Es, es esmu Kungs,
nav cita Glābēja bez manis!
12 Es pasludināju, un es izglābu,
es jums jau sacīju:
jums nav neviena cita,
un jūs esat mani liecinieki, saka Kungs,
un es esmu Dievs!
13 Jau kopš tās dienas es tas esmu,
neviens neglābsies no manas rokas.
Kad es daru – kurš stāsies pretī?!”
14 Tā saka Kungs, jūsu Izpircējs, Israēla Svētais:
“Pēc jums es sūtīšu uz Bābeli,
un aizvedīšu kā bēgļus visus kaldiešus
kuģos, ar kuriem tie lepojās!
15 Es esmu Kungs, jūsu Svētais,
Israēla Radītājs, jūsu Ķēniņš!”
16 Tā saka Kungs,
kas jūrā pašķir ceļu
un taku varenos ūdeņos,
17 kas izved cīņā kararatus un zirgus,
gan karaspēku, gan stipriniekus –
tie guļ vienuviet un necelsies,
noplakuši kā apdzisis deglis!
18 “Nepieminiet bijušo
un nedomājiet par pagājušo.
19 Redzi, es visu darīšu jaunu,
jau tagad tas raisās,
vai vēl neapjēdzat –
es sataisīšu tuksnesī ceļu
un tukšatnē upes,
20 mani godās lauka zvēri,
šakāļi un strausenes,
jo es tuksnesī došu ūdeni
un upes tukšatnē,
lai padzirdītu savu izredzēto tautu,
21 tautu, ko es sev veidoju,
lai tie teic manu slavu!
22 Bet tu nepiesauci mani, Jēkab,
tu nepūlējies manis dēļ, Israēl!
23 Savu sadedzināmo upuru aunus tu man nenesi,
ar kaujamiem upuriem tu mani negodāji,
es tevi neapgrūtināju ar labības dāvanām,
nedz nopūlēju tevi ar vīraku!
24 Par sudrabu tu man nepirki kalmes,
ar savu kaujamo upuru taukiem mani nemieloji,
taču apgrūtināji mani ar saviem grēkiem,
nopūlēji mani ar savām vainām!
25 Es – es esmu tas,
kurš izdzēš tavus noziegumus pats sevis dēļ
un nepiemin tavus grēkus!
26 Atgādini man, un iesim tiesā,
nosauc savus attaisnojumus!
27 Tavs cilts tēvs ir grēkojis,
un tavi vidutāji noziegušies pret mani,
28 tad nu es pazemoju svētnīcas augstmaņus,
atdevu Jēkabu nīcības lāstam
un Israēlu – nievām!
