God's Punishment of the Rebellious
1 The Lord said, “I was ready to answer my people's prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find me, but they did not even try. The nation did not pray to me, even though I was always ready to answer, ‘Here I am; I will help you.’ 2 I have always been ready to welcome my people, who stubbornly do what is wrong and go their own way. 3 They shamelessly keep on making me angry. They offer pagan sacrifices at sacred gardens and burn incense on pagan altars. 4 At night they go to caves and tombs to consult the spirits of the dead. They eat pork and drink broth made from meat offered in pagan sacrifices. 5 And then they say to others, ‘Keep away from us; we are too holy for you to touch!’ I cannot stand people like that—my anger against them is like a fire that never goes out.
6 “I have already decided on their punishment, and their sentence is written down. I will not overlook what they have done, but will repay them 7 for their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They have burned incense at pagan hill shrines and spoken evil of me. So I will punish them as their past deeds deserve.”
8 The Lord says, “No one destroys good grapes; instead, they make wine with them. Neither will I destroy all my people—I will save those who serve me. 9 I will bless the Israelites who belong to the tribe of Judah, and their descendants will possess my land of mountains. My chosen people, who serve me, will live there. 10 They will worship me and will lead their sheep and cattle to pasture in the Plain of Sharon in the west and in Trouble Valley in the east.
11 “But it will be different for you that forsake me, who ignore Zion, my sacred hill, and worship Gad and Meni, the gods of luck and fate. 12 It will be your fate to die a violent death, because you did not answer when I called you or listen when I spoke. You chose to disobey me and do evil. 13 And so I tell you that those who worship and obey me will have plenty to eat and drink, but you will be hungry and thirsty. They will be happy, but you will be disgraced. 14 They will sing for joy, but you will cry with a broken heart. 15 My chosen people will use your name as a curse. I, the Sovereign Lord, will put you to death. But I will give a new name to those who obey me. 16 Anyone in the land who asks for a blessing will ask to be blessed by the faithful God. Whoever takes an oath will swear by the name of the faithful God. The troubles of the past will be gone and forgotten.”
The New Creation
17 The Lord says, “I am making a new earth and new heavens. The events of the past will be completely forgotten. 18 Be glad and rejoice forever in what I create. The new Jerusalem I make will be full of joy, and her people will be happy. 19 I myself will be filled with joy because of Jerusalem and her people. There will be no weeping there, no calling for help. 20 Babies will no longer die in infancy, and all people will live out their life span. Those who live to be a hundred will be considered young. To die before that would be a sign that I had punished them. 21-22 People will build houses and get to live in them—they will not be used by someone else. They will plant vineyards and enjoy the wine—it will not be drunk by others. Like trees, my people will live long lives. They will fully enjoy the things that they have worked for. 23 The work they do will be successful, and their children will not meet with disaster. I will bless them and their descendants for all time to come. 24 Even before they finish praying to me, I will answer their prayers. 25 Wolves and lambs will eat together; lions will eat straw, as cattle do, and snakes will no longer be dangerous. On Zion, my sacred hill, there will be nothing harmful or evil.”
Dieva taisnīgais spriedums
1 “Es atklājos tiem,
kas nevaicāja;
mani atrada tie,
kas mani nemeklēja.
Es teicu: es te! Es te! –
tautai, kas nepiesauc manu vārdu.
2 Es aizvien atvēru skaujas
pretestīgai tautai,
kas staigā nelabu ceļu,
pēc savām iedomām;
3 tautai, kas aizvaino mani
nemitīgi tieši sejā –
kas upurē dārzos,
kvēpina uz ķieģeļiem,
4 sēž kapu alās,
nakšņo slepenās vietās,
ēd cūkas gaļu,
kam nešķīsta vira traukos,
5 kas saka: “Tu paliec pie sevis!
Netuvojies man!
Jo esmu no tevis šķirta!”
Tie ir kodīgi dūmi man nāsīs,
uguns, kas deg visu dienu!
6 Redzi, kas rakstīts manā priekšā –
es neklusēšu, bet atmaksāšu,
un atmaksāšu tiem tieši krūtīs
7 viņu vainas un
viņu tēvu vainas pie viena!”
teica Kungs,
“tiem, kuri kvēpināja kalnos
un pakalnos zaimoja mani.
Un es atmērīšu
viņu agrākos darbus
tiem tieši krūtīs!”
8 Tā teica Kungs:
“Ja vien ir sula vīnogu ķekarā,
tad saka: neizposti,
jo ir svētība tajā! –
tāpat es darīšu
savu kalpu dēļ,
lai neizpostītu visu.
9 Es izvedīšu no Jēkaba sēklu,
no Jūdas – manu kalnu mantinieku,
un mani kalpi tur apmetīsies.
10 Šārona būs ganības avīm,
Āhoras ielejā atgulsies lopi
manai tautai, kas meklēja mani.
11 Bet jūs, kas atstājuši Kungu,
aizmirsuši manu svēto kalnu,
Laimnesim klājat galdu
un garšvielām jauktu vīnu
pildāt Likteņdieves kausā –
12 es lemšu jūs zobenam,
jūs visi kritīsit ceļos,
lai tiktu nokauti.
Jo es saucu, bet jūs neatbildējāt,
es runāju, bet jūs neklausījāties
un darījāt ļaunu manās acīs,
izvēlējāties to, kas man netīk.”
13 Tādēļ tā teica Kungs Dievs:
“Redzi, mani kalpi ēdīs,
bet jūs būsiet izsalkuši,
redzi, mani kalpi dzers,
bet jūs būsiet izslāpuši,
redzi, mani kalpi līksmos,
bet jūs būsiet apkaunoti;
14 redzi, mani kalpi no sirds gavilēs,
bet jūs no sirdssāpēm brēksiet
un garā satriekti vaimanāsiet.
15 Jūs atstāsiet savu vārdu
maniem izredzētajiem kā lāstu:
lai nonāvē tevi Kungs Dievs! –
bet viņš savus kalpus
sauks citā vārdā!
16 Kas svētī sevi šai zemē,
sevi svētīs Dievā, patiesi!
Un, kas zvēr šajā zemē,
tas zvērēs Dievā, patiesi! –
Jo ir aizmirstas agrākās bēdas,
tās ir apslēptas manām acīm.
Jaunas debesis un jauna zeme
17 Jo es, redzi, radu
jaunas debesis un jaunu zemi.
Iepriekšējās vairs nepieminēs,
tās vairs nenāks ne prātā.
18 Bet priecājieties un līksmojiet
mūžam par to, ko es radu,
jo es radu Jeruzālemi priekam
un tās tautu – līksmībai.
19 Es priecāšos par Jeruzālemi
un līksmošu par savu tautu,
vairs nedzirdēs tajā
nedz vaimanas, nedz raudas.
20 Tur nebūs vairs zīdaiņa,
kas dzīvo vien dažas dienas,
nedz sirmgalvja,
kas savu dienu mēru neizdzīvo.
Kas simts gados nomiris,
tas būs vēl jauneklis,
kas nesasniegs simts gadus,
būs ticis nolādēts.
21 Tie namus cels un tajos dzīvos,
vīnadārzus stādīs un augļus baudīs.
22 Tie nebūvēs, lai dzīvotu citi,
un nestādīs, lai baudītu citi.
Jo kā koka mūžs
būs manas tautas mūžs,
mani izredzētie paši
izmantos savu roku darbu.
23 Viņu pūliņi nebūs velti,
un bērni tiem nedzims postam,
tie būs Kunga svētības sēkla
un viņu pēcnācēji ar tiem.
24 Un būs tā –
pirms viņi sauks,
es jau atbildēšu,
vēl viņi runās,
es jau uzklausīšu.
25 Vilks un jēriņš ganīsies kopā,
un lauva ēdīs salmus kā vērsis,
bet čūskas barība būs pīšļi;
nedz ļauna, nedz posta nedarīs
visā manā svētajā kalnā,”
teica Kungs.
