от Veren1Замълчете пред Мен, вие, острови! И племената нека подновят силата си; нека се приближат, тогава нека говорят; нека се приближим заедно на съд[1].2Кой издигна от изгрева праведния, призова го при краката Си, предаде му народи и му подчини царе, предаде ги на меча му като прах, на лъка му – като отвята плява[2]?3Преследва ги, безопасно минава по пътя, по който не е ходил с краката си.4Кой подейства и извърши това[3], кой повика поколенията отначало? Аз, ГОСПОД, съм първият и с последните, Аз Съм.5Островите видяха и се уплашиха, земните краища потрепериха, приближиха се и дойдоха.6Всеки помогна на другаря си и каза на брат си: Бъди силен!7И майсторът насърчаваше златаря, и този, който изглажда с чук – онзи, който удря на наковалнята, като казваше за спойката: Добра е. – и го закрепваше с гвоздеи, за да не се клати.8Но ти, Израилю, служителю Мой, Якове, когото избрах, потомство на Моя приятел Авраам,9ти, когото взех от краищата на земята и повиках от най-далечните ѝ страни, и ти казах: Ти си Мой служител, избрах те и не те отхвърлих. –10не бой се, защото Аз съм с теб; не се страхувай, защото Аз съм твой Бог. Ще те укрепя, да, ще ти помогна, да, ще те подпра с праведната Си десница.11Ето, ще се посрамят и опозорят всички, които ти се гневят, противниците ти ще станат като нищо и ще погинат.12Ще ги потърсиш и няма да ги намериш – онези, които се карат с теб. Като нищо, като че ги няма, ще станат онези, които воюват против теб.13Защото Аз, ГОСПОД, съм твоят Бог, който подкрепям десницата ти и ти казвам: Не бой се, Аз ще ти помогна.14Не бой се, червею Якове, и вие, хорица израилеви! Аз ще ти помагам, заявява ГОСПОД, и Изкупителят ти, Светият Израилев.15Ето, направих те нова остра назъбена диканя; ще овършееш планините и ще ги стриеш и хълмовете ще направиш като ситна плява.16Ще ги отвееш и вятърът ще ги отнесе, и бурята ще ги разпръсне. А ти ще се зарадваш в ГОСПОДА, ще се хвалиш в Светия Израилев.17Сиромасите и бедните, които търсят вода и няма, и езикът им съхне от жажда – Аз, ГОСПОД ще ги послушам, Аз, Израилевият Бог, няма да ги оставя.18Ще отворя реки на голите височини и извори сред долините; ще направя пустинята на водни езера и сухата земя – на водни извори.19Ще сложа в пустинята кедър, акация, мирта и маслинено дърво; в степта ще поставя заедно елха, явор и кипарис;20за да видят и да знаят, да разсъдят и да разберат всички заедно, че ръката на ГОСПОДА е направила това и Светият Израилев го е създал[4].21Представете делото си, казва ГОСПОД, приведете силните си доказателства[5], казва Царят на Яков.22Нека ги приведат и нека ни кажат какво ще стане! Кажете предишното, какво е било, за да го вземем присърце и да узнаем следствието му! Или известете ни бъдещето,23кажете какво идва после, за да познаем, че сте богове. Да, направете някакво добро или направете някакво зло, за да се ужасим и да го видим всички заедно.24Ето, вие сте по-малко от нищо и делата ви – по-малко от нула. Гнусота е, който ви избира.25Издигнах един от север и той идва; от изгрев слънце единст. 2;, който призовава Името Ми. И ще стъпче първенците като кал, както грънчарят тъпче глината.26Кой е изявил това отначало, за да знаем; и отнапред, че да кажем: Прав е? Да, никой не го е изявил; да, никой не го е казал; да, никой не е чул думите ви!27Пръв Аз казах на Сион: Ето, ето ги! И дадох на Ерусалим благовестител.28И прегледах и нямаше никой, и между тези нямаше съветник – да ги попитам и да ми отвърнат дума.29Ето, те всички са суета, делата им са нищо, вятър и празнота са излените им идоли.
1The LORD says, ‘People who live on the islands, come and stand quietly in front of me. Let the nations gain new strength in order to state their case. Let them come forward and speak. Let us go to court and find out who is right.2‘Who has stirred up a king from the east? Who has helped him win his battles? I hand nations over to him. I bring kings under his control. He turns them into dust with his sword. With his bow he turns them into straw blowing in the wind.3He hunts them down. Then he moves on unharmed. He travels so fast that his feet don’t seem to touch the ground.4Who has made that happen? Who has carried it out? Who has created all the people who have ever lived? I, the LORD, have done it. I was with the first of them. And I will be with the last of them.’5The people on the islands have seen that king coming. And it has made them afraid. People tremble with fear from one end of the earth to the other. They come and gather together.6They help one another. They say to one another, ‘Be strong!’7One skilled worker makes a statue of a god. Another covers it with gold. The first worker says to the second, ‘You have done a good job.’ Another worker smooths out the metal with a hammer. Still another gives the statue its final shape. The one who hammers says to the one who shapes, ‘You have done a good job.’ Then they nail the statue down so it won’t fall over.8The LORD says, ‘People of Israel, you are my servants. Family of Jacob, I have chosen you. You are the children of my friend Abraham.9I gathered you from one end of the earth to the other. From the farthest places on earth I brought you together. I said, “You are my servants.” I have chosen you. I have not turned my back on you.10So do not be afraid. I am with you. Do not be terrified. I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will hold you safe in my hands. I always do what is right.11‘All those who are angry with you will be put to shame. And they will be dishonoured. Those who oppose you will be destroyed. And they will vanish.12You might search for your enemies. But you will not find them. Those who go to war against you will completely disappear.13I am the LORD your God. I take hold of your right hand. I say to you, “Do not be afraid. I will help you.”14Family of Jacob, you are as weak as a worm. But do not be afraid. People of Israel, there are only a few of you. But do not be afraid. I myself will help you,’ announces the LORD. He is the one who sets his people free. He is the Holy One of Israel.15He says, ‘I will make you into a threshing sled. It will be new and sharp. It will have many teeth. You will grind the mountains down and crush them. You will turn the hills into nothing but straw.16You will toss them in the air. A strong wind will catch them and blow them away. You will be glad because I will make that happen. You will praise me. I am the Holy One of Israel.17‘Those who are poor and needy search for water. But there isn’t any. Their tongues are dry because they are thirsty. But I will help them. I am the LORD. I will not desert them. I am Israel’s God.18I will make streams flow on the bare hilltops. I will make springs come up in the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water. I will turn the dry and cracked ground into flowing springs.19I will make trees grow in the desert. I will plant cedar and acacia trees there. I will plant myrtle and olive trees there. I will make juniper trees grow in the dry and empty desert. I will plant fir and cypress trees there.20Then people will see and know that my powerful hand has done it. They will consider and understand that I have created it. I am the Holy One of Israel.’21The LORD says to the nations and their gods, ‘State your case.’ Jacob’s King says to them, ‘Prove your case to me.22Tell us, you false gods, what is going to happen. Tell us what happened in the past. Then we can check it out and see if it is really true. Or announce to us the things that will take place.23Tell us what will happen in the days ahead. Then we will know that you are gods. Do something. It does not matter whether it is good or bad. Then we will be terrified and filled with fear.24But you false gods are less than nothing. Your actions are completely worthless. I hate it when people worship you.25‘I have stirred up a king who will come from the north. He lives in the east. He will bring honour to me. He walks all over rulers as if they were mud. He steps on them just as a potter treads on clay.26Which one of you false gods said those things would happen before they did? Who told us about them so we could know them? Who told us in advance? Who told us so we could say, “You are right”? None of you false gods told us about them. None of you told us in advance. In fact, no one heard you say anything at all.27I was the first to tell Zion. I said, “Look! The people of Israel are coming back!” I sent a messenger to Jerusalem with the good news.28I look, but there is no one among the gods that can give me advice. None of them can answer when I ask them the simplest question.29So they are not really gods at all. What they do does not amount to anything. They are as useless as wind.