The Lord Appoints Cyrus
1 The Lord has chosen Cyrus to be king.
He has appointed him to conquer nations;
he sends him to strip kings of their power;
the Lord will open the gates of cities for him.
To Cyrus the Lord says,
2 “I myself will prepare your way,
leveling mountains and hills.
I will break down bronze gates
and smash their iron bars.
3 I will give you treasures from dark, secret places;
then you will know that I am the Lord
and that the God of Israel has called you by name.
4 I appoint you to help my servant Israel,
the people that I have chosen.
I have given you great honor,
although you do not know me.
5 “I am the Lord; there is no other god.
I will give you the strength you need,
although you do not know me.
6 I do this so that everyone
from one end of the world to the other
may know that I am the Lord
and that there is no other god.
7 I create both light and darkness;
I bring both blessing and disaster.
I, the Lord, do all these things.
8 I will send victory from the sky like rain;
the earth will open to receive it
and will blossom with freedom and justice.
I, the Lord, will make this happen.”
The Lord of Creation and History
9 Does a clay pot dare argue with its maker,
a pot that is like all the others?
Does the clay ask the potter what he is doing?
Does the pot complain that its maker has no skill?
10 Do we dare say to our parents,
“Why did you make me like this?”
11 The Lord, the holy God of Israel,
the one who shapes the future, says:
“You have no right to question me about my children
or to tell me what I ought to do!
12 I am the one who made the earth
and created human beings to live there.
By my power I stretched out the heavens;
I control the sun, the moon, and the stars.
13 I myself have stirred Cyrus to action
to fulfill my purpose and put things right.
I will straighten out every road that he travels.
He will rebuild my city, Jerusalem,
and set my captive people free.
No one has hired him or bribed him to do this.”
The Lord Almighty has spoken.
14 The Lord says to Israel,
“The wealth of Egypt and Ethiopia will be yours,
and the tall men of Seba will be your slaves;
they will follow you in chains.
They will bow down to you and confess,
‘God is with you—he alone is God.
15 The God of Israel, who saves his people,
is a God who conceals himself.
16 Those who make idols will all be ashamed;
all of them will be disgraced.
17 But Israel is saved by the Lord,
and her victory lasts forever;
her people will never be disgraced.’”
18 The Lord created the heavens—
he is the one who is God!
He formed and made the earth—
he made it firm and lasting.
He did not make it a desolate waste,
but a place for people to live.
It is he who says, “I am the Lord,
and there is no other god.
19 I have not spoken in secret
or kept my purpose hidden.
I did not require the people of Israel
to look for me in a desolate waste.
I am the Lord, and I speak the truth;
I make known what is right.”
The Lord of the World and the Idols of Babylon
20 The Lord says,
“Come together, people of the nations,
all who survive the fall of the empire;
present yourselves for the trial!
The people who parade with their idols of wood
and pray to gods that cannot save them—
those people know nothing at all!
21 Come and present your case in court;
let the defendants consult one another.
Who predicted long ago what would happen?
Was it not I, the Lord, the God who saves his people?
There is no other god.
22 “Turn to me now and be saved,
people all over the world!
I am the only God there is.
23 My promise is true,
and it will not be changed.
I solemnly promise by all that I am:
Everyone will come and kneel before me
and vow to be loyal to me.
24 “They will say that only through me
are victory and strength to be found;
but all who hate me will suffer disgrace.
25 I, the Lord, will rescue all the descendants of Jacob,
and they will give me praise.
Kīrs – Dieva svaidītais
1 Tā saka Kungs savam svaidītajam, Kīram,
ko es esmu satvēris pie labās rokas,
lai viņam pakļautu tautas,
lai ķēniņiem gurnautus atraisītu –
viņa priekšā vērsies durvis
un vārtus neaizdarīs!
2 “Es iešu tev pa priekšu
un nolīdzināšu kalnus,
sadragāšu vara durvis
un satriekšu dzelzs aizšaujamos!
3 Es došu tev dārgumus, kas tumsā,
un apslēptas dārglietas,
lai tu zinātu, ka es esmu Kungs,
kas tevi vārdā saucis, –
es, Israēla Dievs!
4 Mana kalpa Jēkaba un mana izredzētā Israēla dēļ
es tevi saucu vārdā un tevi pagodināju,
kaut tu mani nepazini!
5 Es esmu Kungs, nav neviena cita,
nav cita Dieva, tik es,
es apjozu tevi,
kaut tu mani nepazini!
6 No saules lēkta līdz vakariem lai zināms,
ka nav neviena bez manis,
es esmu Kungs, un nav cita!
7 Es darinu gaismu un radu tumsu,
es dodu mieru un radu ļaunu,
es esmu Kungs, kas to visu dara!
8 Lejiet lietu, jūs debesis, augšā,
padebesis lai taisnību raso,
lai zeme atveras un glābšana dīgst,
un taisnība sazeļ –
es, Kungs, to radījis!
9 Vai! tam, kas savu Radītāju apstrīd –
tas tik šķemba no māla trauka!
Vai māls teiks savam veidotājam:
ko tu taisi? –
Darbs prasīs darītājam:
vai tev nav roku? –
10 Vai! tam, kas saka tēvam:
kādēļ tu dzemdini? –
un sievai: kādēļ tu dzemdē? –
11 Tā saka Kungs,
Israēla Svētais un Radītājs:
par nākamām lietām jautājiet man!
Par maniem dēliem un to, ko es darījis, –
man prasiet!
12 Es taisīju zemi
un radīju uz tās cilvēku,
ar savām rokām izpletu debesis
un visiem to pulkiem pavēlēju!
13 Es viņu atmodināju taisnībā,
visus viņa ceļus es nolīdzināju,
viņš uzcels manu pilsētu,
manus gūstekņus atsvabinās –
ne par maksu un ne par algu!”
saka Pulku Kungs.
14 Tā saka Kungs:
“Ēģiptes labumi un Kūšas preces,
un sebiešu turīgie vīri –
tie tiks tev un būs tavi,
tie staigās tev pakaļ važās,
tie zemosies tev un tevi lūgsies:
tik tev ir Dievs, nevienam citam nav Dieva!”
15 Tiešām tu esi apslēpies Dievs,
Israēla Dievs, Glābējs!
16 Apkaunoti un piebeigti tie visi,
staigā kaunā elku taisītāji!
17 Israēls glābsies pie Kunga,
paglābts uz mūžiem,
nepaliks kaunā un apsmieklā
nekad un nemūžam!
18 Jo tā saka Kungs,
kas radījis debesis,
viņš ir Dievs,
kas taisījis zemi un veidojis to,
viņš to ir iedibinājis, tā nestāv tukša,
viņš to radījis, kur ļaudīm dzīvot!
“Es esmu Kungs, un nav cita!
19 Ne noslēpumos es runāju,
ne kādā tumšā vietā uz zemes,
es nesacīju Jēkaba pēcnācējiem:
tukšībā meklējiet mani, –
es esmu Kungs, kas taisnību runā
un saka, kas patiess!
Vienīgi Kungā ir taisnība un palīdzība
20 Sapulcējieties un nāciet šurp visi,
kas tautās izglābušies!
Nav sajēgas tiem,
kas koka dievekļus apkārt staipa
un pielūdz dievu, kas nevar glābt!
21 Runājiet un apspriedieties,
tad visi kopā padomu rodiet –
kurš bija tas, kas jau sen to teica,
kas jau no senlaikiem stāstīja –
es esmu Kungs,
un nav cita Dieva bez manis,
taisns un glābējs Dievs –
nav cita Dieva bez manis!
22 Pievērsieties man,
un jūs būsiet glābti,
jūs, kas visās zemes malās,
jo es esmu Dievs un nav cita!
23 Pats pie sevis es esmu zvērējis,
mana mute taisnību runājusi,
vārdus, kas neatsaucami, –
manā priekšā locīsies visi ceļi,
un man zvērēs ik mēle!
24 Vienīgi Kungs,
tā teiks par mani,
taisnīgs un stiprs!
Tad ies pie viņa;
kaunā paliks visi,
kas strīdā ar viņu!
25 Kungu taisnībā slavē
visi Israēla pēcnācēji!”
