God's Assurance to Israel
1 God says,
“Be silent and listen to me, you distant lands!
Get ready to present your case in court;
you will have your chance to speak.
Let us come together to decide who is right.
2 “Who was it that brought the conqueror from the east
and makes him triumphant wherever he goes?
Who gives him victory over kings and nations?
His sword strikes them down as if they were dust.
His arrows scatter them like straw before the wind.
3 He follows in pursuit and marches safely on,
so fast that he hardly touches the ground!
4 Who was it that made this happen?
Who has determined the course of history?
I, the Lord, was there at the beginning,
and I, the Lord, will be there at the end.
5 “The people of distant lands have seen what I have done;
they are frightened and tremble with fear.
So they all assemble and come.
6 The skilled workers help and encourage each other.
7 The carpenter says to the goldsmith, ‘Well done!’
The one who beats the idol smooth
encourages the one who nails it together.
They say, ‘The soldering is good’—
and they fasten the idol in place with nails.
8 “But you, Israel my servant,
you are the people that I have chosen,
the descendants of Abraham, my friend.
9 I brought you from the ends of the earth;
I called you from its farthest corners
and said to you, ‘You are my servant.’
I did not reject you, but chose you.
10 Do not be afraid—I am with you!
I am your God—let nothing terrify you!
I will make you strong and help you;
I will protect you and save you.
11 “Those who are angry with you
will know the shame of defeat.
Those who fight against you will die
12 and will disappear from the earth.
13 I am the Lord your God;
I strengthen you and tell you,
‘Do not be afraid; I will help you.’”
14 The Lord says,
“Small and weak as you are, Israel,
don't be afraid; I will help you.
I, the holy God of Israel, am the one who saves you.
15 I will make you like a threshing board,
with spikes that are new and sharp.
You will thresh mountains and destroy them;
hills will crumble into dust.
16 You will toss them in the air;
the wind will carry them off,
and they will be scattered by the storm.
Then you will be happy because I am your God;
you will praise me, the holy God of Israel.
17 “When my people in their need look for water,
when their throats are dry with thirst,
then I, the Lord, will answer their prayer;
I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.
18 I will make rivers flow among barren hills
and springs of water run in the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water
and the dry land into flowing springs.
19 I will make cedars grow in the desert,
and acacias and myrtles and olive trees.
Forests will grow in barren land,
forests of pine and juniper and cypress.
20 People will see this and know
that I, the Lord, have done it.
They will come to understand
that Israel's holy God has made it happen.”
The Lord's Challenge to False Gods
21 The Lord, the king of Israel, has this to say:
“You gods of the nations, present your case.
Bring the best arguments you have!
22 Come here and predict what will happen,
so that we will know it when it takes place.
Explain to the court the events of the past,
and tell us what they mean.
23 Tell us what the future holds—
then we will know that you are gods!
Do something good or bring some disaster;
fill us with fear and awe!
24 You and all you do are nothing;
those who worship you are disgusting!
25 “I have chosen a man who lives in the east;
I will bring him to attack from the north.
He tramples on rulers as if they were mud,
like a potter trampling clay.
26 Which of you predicted that this would happen,
so that we could say that you were right?
None of you said a word about it;
no one heard you say a thing!
27 I, the Lord, was the first to tell Zion the news;
I sent a messenger to Jerusalem to say,
‘Your people are coming! They are coming home!’
28 When I looked among the gods,
none of them had a thing to say;
not one could answer the questions I asked.
29 All these gods are useless;
they can do nothing at all—
these idols are weak and powerless.”
1 Klusēdamas uzklausiet Mani, jūs jūras zemes un salas, un tautas lai ņemas jaunu spēku, lai tās nāk un runā, tad iesim kopā tiesāties! 2 Kas ir no austrumiem to vīru saucis, kam taisnība un uzvara seko, kur vien viņš staigā? Kas nodevis tautas viņa varā, ka viņš valda pār ķēniņiem? Tie padoti viņa zobenam kā pīšļi un viņa stopam kā izpurinātas pelavas. 3 Viņš tos vajā, vajā pats neskarts un neaiztikts, nepieskardamies savai tekai ar savām kājām. 4 Kas to ir darījis un to veicis? Tas, kas cilvēku ciltis aicinājis esamībā no iesākuma, Es esmu Tas Kungs, kas esmu pirmais bijis un arī ar pēdējiem esmu vēl tas pats. - 5 Jūras salas to redzēja un izbijās, zemes gali drebēja. Tie nāca un tuvojās. 6 Cits citam palīdzēja, un ikviens sacīja savam brālim: esi stiprs! 7 Kalējs drošināja sudrabkali, un, kas ar āmuru strādā, teica smagā vesera cilātājam: metinājums būs labs! - Tad viņš to pienagloja, lai tas nekustas. 8 Bet tu, Israēl, Mans kalps, tu Jēkab, ko Es izredzēju, Mana mīļā Ābrahāma dzimums un atvase, 9 ko Es vadīju no zemes galiem un aicināju no tālajām zemes robežām un malām un teicu: "Tu esi Mans kalps, Es tevi izredzēju un neesmu atmetis." 10 Nebīsties, jo Es esmu ar tevi! Neatkāpies, jo Es esmu tavs Dievs! Es tevi stiprinu, Es tev arī palīdzu, Es tevi uzturu ar Savas taisnības labo roku! 11 Redzi, kaunā paliks un par apsmieklu kļūs visi, kas pret tevi iedegas naidā un dusmās; iznīks un ies bojā visi, kas meklē nesaskaņas ar tevi. 12 Tu tos meklēsi, bet vairs neatradīsi, kas ar tevi bija ienaidā; tie visi iznīks, kas karoja ar tevi. 13 Jo Es, Tas Kungs, tavs Dievs, daru stipru tavu labo roku, Es, kas tev saku: "Nebīsties, Es tev palīdzu!" 14 Nebīsties, tu tārpiņ Jēkab, Israēla pulciņ! Es tev palīdzu, saka Tas Kungs, tavs pestītājs ir Israēla Svētais. 15 Redzi, Es tevi daru par jauniem asiem kuļamiem rīkiem ar asām naglām; tu sakulsi un satrieksi kalnus un samalsi pakalnus par pelavām. 16 Tu tos vētīsi, ka vējš tos aiznes un viesulis tos izkaisa. Bet tu priecāsies ar To Kungu un leposies ar Israēla Svēto! 17 Cietēji un nabagi meklē ūdeni un neatrod, viņu mēle ir izslāpusi un iztvīkusi; Es, Tas Kungs, tos paklausīšu, Es, Israēla Dievs, tos neatstāšu. 18 Es likšu upēm iztecēt no kailiem kalniem un atvēršu strautus klajumos; Es darīšu tuksnesi par ūdens ezeru un sausu zemi par ūdens avotiem. 19 Es likšu augt tuksnesī ciedru kokiem, akācijām, mirtēm un eļļas kokiem. Un Es stādīšu sausā klajumā cipreses, gobas un pīnijas kopā, 20 lai visi šie koki redz un atzīst, lai tie apdomā un saprot visi kopā, ka Tā Kunga roka to ir darījusi un ka Israēla Svētais to ir lēmis. 21 Iesniedziet savu tiesas lietu, saka Tas Kungs, pierādiet savu taisnību, tā saka Jēkaba ķēniņš. 22 Lai viņi nāk un mums rāda, kam jānotiek. Ziņojiet mums par notikušo, lai mēs to savā sirdī apdomājam un saprotam, vai stāstiet mums par nākošo, kas sagaidāms. 23 Rādiet mums, kas notiks nākotnē, lai redzam, ka jūs esat dievi! Dariet labu vai ļaunu, lai mēs izbrīnā uz to raugāmies! 24 Lūk, jūs neesat nekas, un viss jūsu darbs ir niecība! Jums pieslieties ir neprāts! 25 Bet Es aicināju šurp kādu vīru no ziemeļiem, un viņš ir atnācis, viņš piesauc Manu Vārdu; viņš samin valdniekus, kā podnieks samin un samīca mālus. 26 Kas to sludinājis no iesākuma, lai mēs to zinātu un lai mēs to zinātu jau labi vien iepriekš, tā ka mēs varētu teikt: vai viņam tiešām taisnība? - Taču nav bijis neviena, kas to būtu teicis, neviena, kas to būtu sludinājis, nav neviena starp jums, kas būtu kādu vārdu dzirdējis. 27 Es kā pirmais saku Ciānai: "Redzi, te viņi ir!" Un Es sūtu Jeruzālemei prieka vēstnesi. 28 Ja raugos, tad tur tomēr nav neviena, kas varētu dot atbildi, viņu starpā nav neviena, kam Es varētu jautāt un kas Man atbildētu. 29 Redzi, tie visi ir niecīgi, un viņu darbs ir niecība, viņu elku tēli ir tukšs vējš!
