God Is Lord of the Future
1 Listen to this, people of Israel,
you that are descended from Judah:
You swear by the name of the Lord
and claim to worship the God of Israel—
but you don't mean a word you say.
2 And yet you are proud to say
that you are citizens of the holy city
and that you depend on Israel's God,
whose name is the Lord Almighty.
3 The Lord says to Israel,
“Long ago I predicted what would take place;
then suddenly I made it happen.
4 I knew that you would prove to be stubborn,
as rigid as iron and unyielding as bronze.
5 And so I predicted your future long ago,
announcing events before they took place,
to keep you from claiming
that your idols and images made them happen.
6 “All I foretold has now taken place;
you have to admit my predictions were right.
Now I will tell you of new things to come,
events that I did not reveal before.
7 Only now am I making them happen;
nothing like this took place in the past.
If it had, you would claim that you knew all about it.
8 I knew that you couldn't be trusted,
that you have always been known as a rebel.
That is why you never heard of this at all,
why no word of it ever came to your ears.
9 “In order that people will praise my name,
I am holding my anger in check;
I am keeping it back and will not destroy you.
10 I have tested you in the fire of suffering,
as silver is refined in a furnace.
But I have found that you are worthless.
11 What I do is done for my own sake—
I will not let my name be dishonored
or let anyone else share the glory
that should be mine and mine alone.”
Cyrus, the Lord's Chosen Leader
12 The Lord says,
“Listen to me, Israel, the people I have called!
I am God, the first, the last, the only God!
13 My hands made the earth's foundations
and spread the heavens out.
When I summon earth and sky,
they come at once and present themselves.
14 “Assemble and listen, all of you!
None of the gods could predict
that the man I have chosen would attack Babylon;
he will do what I want him to do.
15 I am the one who spoke and called him;
I led him out and gave him success.
16 “Now come close to me and hear what I say.
From the beginning I have spoken openly
and have always made my words come true.”
(Now the Sovereign Lord has given me his power and sent me.)
The Lord's Plan for His People
17 The holy God of Israel,
the Lord who saves you, says:
“I am the Lord your God,
the one who wants to teach you for your own good
and direct you in the way you should go.
18 “If only you had listened to my commands!
Then blessings would have flowed for you
like a stream that never goes dry.
Victory would have come to you
like the waves that roll on the shore.
19 Your descendants would be as numerous as grains of sand,
and I would have made sure they were never destroyed.”
20 Go out from Babylon, go free!
Shout the news gladly; make it known everywhere:
“The Lord has saved his servant Israel!”
21 When the Lord led his people through a hot, dry desert,
they did not suffer from thirst.
He made water come from a rock for them;
he split the rock open, and water flowed out.
22 “There is no safety for sinners,” says the Lord.
1 Klausaities jūs, kas no Jēkaba nama, kas saucas Israēla vārdā un kas cēlušies no Jūdas dzimuma, kas zvēr pie Tā Kunga Vārda un piesauc Israēla Dievu, bet ne patiesībā un taisnībā, 2 jo tie saucas pēc svētās pilsētas un paļaujas uz Israēla Dievu, kura vārds ir Tas Kungs Cebaots. 3 "Tās agrākās lietas Es jau sen biju zināmas darījis, tās ir nākušas no Manas mutes, Es tās esmu pasludinājis un piepeši tās arī izpildīju, tā ka tās ir notikušas. 4 Jo Es zināju, ka tu esi stūrgalvīgs, pretestīgs, tavs pakausis kā no dzelzs un tava piere kā no vara, 5 tādēļ Es tev jau sen pasludināju un liku to tev uzklausīt, pirms tas notiek, lai tu nesacītu: mans dieva tēls to darīja, mans elka tēls un mans dieveklis to pavēlēja. 6 Tagad tu to dzirdēji. Apdomā to visu! Un jūs - jūs negribat to apliecināt? Bet no šī brīža Es tev pasludinu ko jaunu, noslēpumainu, ko tu vēl nezināji. 7 Tikai tagad tas notiek un ne agrāk, un priekš šās dienas tu neko nebiji par to dzirdējis, lai tu nevarētu sacīt: es to jau zināju! 8 Nē, tu to nebiji ne dzirdējis, ne zinājis, tava auss nebija tam atvērta; Es zinu, ka tu esi neuzticams un ka tevi sauc par atkritēju jau no mātes miesām. 9 Sava Vārda dēļ Es pavilcināju Savas dusmas, un Sava goda dēļ Es izturos saudzīgi tev par labu, lai tevi neiznīcinātu. 10 Redzi, Es tevi šķīstīju, bet neatradu tevi līdzīgu sudrabam; Es tevi pārbaudīju ciešanu kausējamā krāsnī. 11 Manis dēļ, jā, Manis dēļ Es to daru, lai Mans Vārds netop zaimots! Savu godu Es citam nedošu! 12 Uzklausi Mani, Jēkab, un, tu Israēl, kuru Es izredzēju! Es esmu tas pats, Es esmu pirmais un arī pēdējais. 13 Mana roka lika zemei pamatus, un Mana labā roka izplēta debesis. Kad Es tām ko nosaku, tad tās visas ir Manā rīcībā. 14 Sapulcējieties visi un uzklausait! Kas no viņiem to paredzēja? Tas, ko Tas Kungs mīl, izpildīs Viņa prātu pret Bābeli, un Viņa elkonis darbosies arī pret kaldejiem. 15 Es - Es to pasludināju, Es arī aicināju viņu; Es pavēlēju viņam nākt, un viņa ceļš tam labi izdosies. 16 Nāciet šurp pie Manis un uzklausait Mani! Es to nerunāju no iesākuma slepenībā. Nē, kopš tā laika, kad tas sācies, Es biju tur klāt." Bet tagad Dievs Tas Kungs sūta mani un Savu Garu. 17 Tā saka Tas Kungs, tavs Pestītājs, Israēla Svētais: "Es, Tas Kungs, tavs Dievs, mācu tev to, kas tev par svētību, un vedu tevi pa to ceļu, pa kuru tev jāstaigā. 18 Kaut jel tu ievērotu Manus baušļus! Tad tava labklājība būtu kā straume un tava taisnība kā jūras viļņi! 19 Tad tavs dzimums būtu pēc daudzuma kā smiltis un tavi miesas augļi kā smilšu graudi, un viņu vārds neizzustu un netiktu iznīcināts Mana vaiga priekšā." 20 Izeita ārā un projām no Bābeles! Bēdziet no kaldeju zemes! Ar priecīgu balsi pasludiniet to un dariet zināmu! Lai šī vēsts aiziet līdz zemes galiem! Sludiniet: Tas Kungs ir izglābis Savu kalpu Jēkabu! 21 Tie nebija izslāpuši, kad Viņš tos vadīja pa tuksnesi. Ūdenim Viņš viņiem lika plūst no klintīm, Viņš pāršķēla klinti, un iztecēja ūdens. 22 "Bezdievjiem turpretī nav miera!" saka Tas Kungs.
