The Prophet Condemns the People's Sins
1 Don't think that the Lord is too weak to save you or too deaf to hear your call for help! 2 It is because of your sins that he doesn't hear you. It is your sins that separate you from God when you try to worship him. 3 You are guilty of lying, violence, and murder.
4 You go to court, but you do not have justice on your side. You depend on lies to win your case. You carry out your plans to hurt others. 5-6 The evil plots you make are as deadly as the eggs of a poisonous snake. Crush an egg, out comes a snake! But your plots will do you no good—they are as useless as clothing made of cobwebs! 7 You are always planning something evil, and you can hardly wait to do it. You never hesitate to murder innocent people. You leave ruin and destruction wherever you go, 8 and no one is safe when you are around. Everything you do is unjust. You follow a crooked path, and no one who walks that path will ever be safe.
The People Confess Their Sin
9 The people say, “Now we know why God does not save us from those who oppress us. We hope for light to walk by, but there is only darkness, 10 and we grope about like blind people. We stumble at noon, as if it were night, as if we were in the dark world of the dead. 11 We are frightened and distressed. We long for God to save us from oppression and wrong, but nothing happens.
12 “Lord, our crimes against you are many. Our sins accuse us. We are well aware of them all. 13 We have rebelled against you, rejected you, and refused to follow you. We have oppressed others and turned away from you. Our thoughts are false; our words are lies. 14 Justice is driven away, and right cannot come near. Truth stumbles in the public square, and honesty finds no place there. 15 There is so little honesty that those who stop doing evil find themselves the victims of crime.”
The Lord Prepares to Rescue His People
The Lord has seen this, and he is displeased that there is no justice. 16 He is astonished to see that there is no one to help the oppressed. So he will use his own power to rescue them and to win the victory. 17 He will wear justice like a coat of armor and saving power like a helmet. He will clothe himself with the strong desire to set things right and to punish and avenge the wrongs that people suffer. 18 He will punish his enemies according to what they have done, even those who live in distant lands. 19 From east to west everyone will fear him and his great power. He will come like a rushing river, like a strong wind.
20 The Lord says to his people, “I will come to Jerusalem to defend you and to save all of you that turn from your sins. 21 And I make a covenant with you: I have given you my power and my teachings to be yours forever, and from now on you are to obey me and teach your children and your descendants to obey me for all time to come.”
Grēks
1 Redzi, Kunga roka nav par īsu,
ka nevarētu glābt,
viņa auss nav tik kurla,
ka nesadzirdētu!
2 Taču jūsu vainas
jūs nošķir no Dieva,
jūsu grēki apslēpj viņa vaigu,
ka viņš jūs nesadzird!
3 Jūsu rokas nošķiestas asinīm
un jūsu pirksti noziegumiem,
jūsu lūpas runā melus,
un jūsu mēles gvelž niekus!
4 Neviens nesauc pēc taisnības,
neviens netiesā pēc patiesības,
tik tukšībai paļaujas un runā niekus,
ļaunumu ieņēmuši, dzemdē postu!
5 Čūsku olas tie izperē
un zirnekļu tīklus noauž –
kas tās olas ēd, tas mirst,
kad tādu olu pāršķeļ, iznāk odze!
6 Ko tie auduši, tas drānām nederēs,
ar savu darinājumu tiem neapsegties,
viņu darbi ir netaisnības darbi,
un rokas tiem pilnas ļaundarības!
7 Kājas tiem tik uz ļaunu skrien,
tie steidz izliet nevainīgas asinis,
viņu domas ir pilnas nekrietnības,
posts un sagrāve, kur vien tie iet!
8 Miera ceļu tie nezina,
un nav tiesas viņu gaitās,
ceļi tiem greizi,
ikviens, kas tos iet,
nezina miera.
Nožēla
9 Tādēļ tiesa tālu no mums,
taisnības nav pie mums,
mēs cerējām uz gaismu,
bet, redzi, tumsa,
uz gaišuma,
un krēslā mums jāstaigā!
10 Kā akli taustāmies gar sienām,
taustāmies, it kā nebūtu acu,
dienas vidū klūpam kā mijkrēslī,
starp stipriniekiem mēs kā miroņi!
11 Mēs visi rēcam kā lāči,
kā dūjas vaidam un dūdojam,
uz tiesu ceram – bet nav,
uz glābiņu – bet tas tālu no mums!
12 Daudz mūsu pārkāpumu pret tevi,
mūsu grēki liecina pret mums –
tiešām, mums tikai pārkāpumi,
savas vainas mēs zinām!
13 Mēs noziedzāmies un noliedzām Kungu,
novērsāmies un nesekojām savam Dievam,
runājām tik par varasdarbiem un dumpi,
ar to mēs esam grūti,
no sirds nāk tik meli!
14 Tiesa ir prom no mums
un taisnība stāv iztālēm,
patiesība paklupusi ielās,
taisnīgums nevar atnākt!
Pestīšana
15 Nu re, patiesības trūkst,
kas atkāpjas no ļauna,
tas kļūst par laupījumu –
Kungs redz un nīst,
ka nav tiesas!
16 Viņš redzēja, ka nav neviena,
pārsteigts, ka nav, kas aizstāv,
tad viņš saņēmās –
savu elkoni un savu taisnību –
tos lika lietā!
17 Viņš apvilka taisnību kā krūšu bruņas,
glābšanas bruņucepuri uzlika galvā,
viņš apvilka atriebības drānas
un ietinās niknuma apmetnī!
18 Pēc viņu darbiem –
tā viņš tiem atmaksās,
atmaksās dusmās saviem pretiniekiem,
atmaksās saviem naidniekiem,
atmaksās piekrastes salām –
atdarīs!
19 Rietumos bīsies Kunga vārda
un austrumos – viņa goda,
jo viņš nāks kā krācoša upe,
kuru triec Kunga vējš!
20 “Viņš nāks uz Ciānu kā izpircējs –
pie tiem no Jēkaba cilts,
kas novērsušies no grēka,”
saka Kungs.
21 “Un es – šī ir mana derība ar viņiem,” saka Kungs, “mans Gars ir pār tevi, un tavā mutē es esmu ielicis savus vārdus. Lai tie nav tālu no tavas mutes, no tavu pēcnācēju mutes un no tavu pēcnācēju pēcnācēju mutes,” saka Kungs, “no šī brīža līdz mūžībai!”
