The Lord Is the Only God
1 The Lord says,
“Listen now, Israel, my servant,
my chosen people, the descendants of Jacob.
2 I am the Lord who created you;
from the time you were born, I have helped you.
Do not be afraid; you are my servant,
my chosen people whom I love.
3 “I will give water to the thirsty land
and make streams flow on the dry ground.
I will pour out my spirit on your children
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They will thrive like well-watered grass,
like willows by streams of running water.
5 “One by one, people will say, ‘I am the Lord's.’
They will come to join the people of Israel.
They each will mark the name of the Lord on their arms
and call themselves one of God's people.”
6 The Lord, who rules and protects Israel,
the Lord Almighty, has this to say:
“I am the first, the last, the only God;
there is no other god but me.
7 Could anyone else have done what I did?
Who could have predicted all that would happen
from the very beginning to the end of time?
8 Do not be afraid, my people!
You know that from ancient times until now
I have predicted all that would happen,
and you are my witnesses.
Is there any other god?
Is there some powerful god I never heard of?”
Idolatry Is Ridiculed
9 All those who make idols are worthless, and the gods they prize so highly are useless. Those who worship these gods are blind and ignorant—and they will be disgraced. 10 It does no good to make a metal image to worship as a god! 11 Everyone who worships it will be humiliated. The people who make idols are human beings and nothing more. Let them come and stand trial—they will be terrified and will suffer disgrace.
12 The metalworker takes a piece of metal and works with it over a fire. His strong arm swings a hammer to pound the metal into shape. As he works, he gets hungry, thirsty, and tired.
13 The carpenter measures the wood. He outlines a figure with chalk, carves it out with his tools, and makes it in the form of a man, a handsome human figure, to be placed in his house. 14 He might cut down cedars to use, or choose oak or cypress wood from the forest. Or he might plant a laurel tree and wait for the rain to make it grow. 15 A person uses part of a tree for fuel and part of it for making an idol. With one part he builds a fire to warm himself and bake bread; with the other part he makes a god and worships it. 16 With some of the wood he makes a fire; he roasts meat, eats it, and is satisfied. He warms himself and says, “How nice and warm! What a beautiful fire!” 17 The rest of the wood he makes into an idol, and then he bows down and worships it. He prays to it and says, “You are my god—save me!”
18 Such people are too stupid to know what they are doing. They close their eyes and their minds to the truth. 19 The maker of idols hasn't the wit or the sense to say, “Some of the wood I burned up. I baked some bread on the coals, and I roasted meat and ate it. And the rest of the wood I made into an idol. Here I am bowing down to a block of wood!”
20 It makes as much sense as eating ashes. His foolish ideas have so misled him that he is beyond help. He won't admit to himself that the idol he holds in his hand is not a god at all.
The Lord, the Creator and Savior
21 The Lord says,
“Israel, remember this;
remember that you are my servant.
I created you to be my servant,
and I will never forget you.
22 I have swept your sins away like a cloud.
Come back to me; I am the one who saves you.”
23 Shout for joy, you heavens!
Shout, deep places of the earth!
Shout for joy, mountains, and every tree of the forest!
The Lord has shown his greatness
by saving his people Israel.
24 “I am the Lord, your savior;
I am the one who created you.
I am the Lord, the Creator of all things.
I alone stretched out the heavens;
when I made the earth, no one helped me.
25 I make fools of fortunetellers
and frustrate the predictions of astrologers.
The words of the wise I refute
and show that their wisdom is foolishness.
26 But when my servant makes a prediction,
when I send a messenger to reveal my plans,
I make those plans and predictions come true.
I tell Jerusalem that people will live there again,
and the cities of Judah that they will be rebuilt.
Those cities will rise from the ruins.
27 With a word of command I dry up the ocean.
28 I say to Cyrus, ‘You are the one who will rule for me;
you will do what I want you to do:
you will order that Jerusalem be rebuilt
and that the foundations of the Temple be laid.’”
1 Bet nu klausies, Jēkab, Mans kalps, un, tu Israēl, ko Es esmu izredzējis! 2 Tā saka Tas Kungs, kas tevi radījis un tevi veidojis no mātes miesām un kas tev palīdz: nebīsties, Mans kalps Jēkab, un, tu Ješurūn, ko Es esmu izredzējis! 3 Jo, kā Es izleju ūdeni uz iztvīkušu zemi un straumes uz sausu zemi, tā Es izliešu Savu Garu uz tavu dzimumu un Savu svētību uz taviem pēcnācējiem, 4 ka tie zaļos kā zāle, kā vītoli pie ūdens upēm. 5 Šis sacīs: es piederu Tam Kungam; kāds cits sauksies Jēkaba vārdā, vēl kāds trešais ar savu roku pierakstīsies kā piederīgs Tam Kungam un ar godu nēsās Israēla vārdu. 6 Tā saka Tas Kungs, Israēla ķēniņš un Pestītājs, Tas Kungs Cebaots: Es esmu pirmais un pēdējais, un bez Manis nav cita Dieva! 7 Kas var Man līdzināties? Lai tas nāk un Man saka un ziņo! Kas sūtījis senlaikos tautas pasaulē un pasludinājis nākošo, kas vēl notiks? Lai tie to pasaka! 8 Nebīstieties un neuztraucieties! Vai Es to tev neesmu no senlaikiem darījis zināmu un pasludinājis? Tā jūs esat Mani liecinieki. Vai ir bez Manis vēl cits Dievs? Nē, nav nevienas citas klints, Es nezinu nevienas!" 9 Visi elka tēlu taisītāji nav nekas, un viņu vismīļākajiem tēliem nav nekādas vērtības. Tie ir gan viņu liecinieki, bet tie neredz un nesaprot nekā, un tie paliks kaunā. 10 Kas tad gan darina dievus un lej elku tēlus, kas nekam neder? 11 Lūk, paši lietpratēji un viņu biedri visi stāv nokaunējušies, jo tie ir tikai cilvēki! Lai tie vīri nāk un sapulcējas, tie izbīsies un paliks kaunā! 12 Kalējs strādā ar savu darba rīku ogļu uguns svelmē un vesera sitieniem veido ar stipru roku tēlu. Kad viņš cieš badu, tad viņa spēks iet mazumā, un, kad viņš nedzer ūdeni, tad viņš nogurst. 13 Kokgriezējs izstiepj savu mērauklu, uzzīmē tēlu ar zīmuli, izgrebj to ar grebli, nosprauž to ar cirkuli un izveido pēc vīra parauga par skaistu cilvēka tēlu, ko domāts novietot namā. 14 Viņš cērt ciedru kokus un cipresi vai ozolu un izmeklē kādu no meža kokiem. Viņš bija dēstījis egļu kokus, ko lietus izaudzējis. 15 Tie ir cilvēkiem dedzināmais, viņš sildās pie to uguns, viņš kurina ar tiem arī krāsni un cep maizi. Bet viņš veido no atsevišķa šāda koka arī elka tēlu un pielūdz to. 16 Vienu daļu no tā viņš sadedzina ugunī, ar pārējo viņš cep gaļu, paēd, sildās pie uguns un saka: cik labi, es sajūtu siltumu! 17 Bet no atlikušā viņš darina sev dievu, elka tēlu, tā priekšā viņš zemojas, metas ceļos un to pielūdz, sacīdams: palīdzi man, jo tu esi mans dievs! 18 Tiem nav atziņas un saprāta, jo viņu acis ir aizlipušas, ka tie neredz, viņu sirdis ir apcietinātas, ka tie nesaprot. 19 Tādēļ neviens to nepārdomā un nesajēdz, lai sacītu: vienu koka daļu es sadedzināju ugunī, cepu uz tās oglēm maizi un gaļu un ēdu. Un vai tad es no atlikušā lai taisu kauna un šausmu tēlu un koka stumbenu lai pielūdzu? 20 Kas savu cerību liek uz nīcīgām lietām, uz pelniem, to maldina viņa pieviltā sirds un apmātais prāts, ka viņš nenāk pie garīgas skaidrības, lai jautātu: vai tie nav maldi, uz ko es paļaujos? 21 Apdomā to, Jēkab, un, tu Israēl, jo tu esi Mans kalps! Es tevi radīju, tu esi Mans kalps; Israēl, Es tevi neaizmirsīšu! 22 Es izgaisinu tavus pārkāpumus kā miglu un lieku izklīst taviem grēkiem kā mākonim. Atgriezies pie Manis, jo Es tevi atpestīšu! 23 Gavilējiet debesis, jo Tas Kungs to darījis! Priecājieties, zemes dziļumi, paceliet priecīgi savu balsi, jūs, kalni, mežs un visi koki, kas tanī, jo Tas Kungs ir Jēkabu atpestījis un ir Israēlā pagodināts! 24 Tā saka Tas Kungs, tavs Pestītājs, kas tevi vadījis no mātes miesām: "Es esmu Tas Kungs, kas visu radījis, kas debesis izklājis, Es viens pats, un arī zemei nospraudis robežas, - bez Manis tur neviena cita nebija! 25 Kas murgotāju brīnuma zīmes padara par neesošām un pašus zīlniekus parāda neprašas esam, kas gudros apkaunotus piespiež pazust un viņu zināšanu pierāda muļķību esam, 26 bet kas īsteno sava kalpa vārdu un piepilda savu sūtņu iepriekš pasludināto lēmumu, kas par Jeruzālemi apsola: to atkal apdzīvos! - un par Jūdas pilsētām: tās atkal atjaunos, un Es to izpostītās vietas atkal atjaunošu! 27 Kas saka jūras dziļumam: izsīksti! - un: Es tavas straumes padarīšu sausas! 28 Kas par Kīru saka: tas ir Mans gans, viņš izpildīs Manu gribu, pavēlēdams atjaunot Jeruzālemi un atkal uzcelt Dieva namu!"
