Perserkongen Kyros som redskab til Israels befrielse
1Herren siger: „Lyt til mig, I fjerne lande! Tag mod til jer og kom, så vi kan tale sammen! Hvad har I at sige?2Hvem tilkaldte et redskab[1] fra østen til at udføre den retfærdige straf? Hvem gav ham sejr over talrige folkeslag og lod ham nedtrampe deres konger? Hvem hjalp ham besejre sine fjender med sværd og bue? (Es 45,1)3Han forfølger sine fjender, men forbliver selv uskadt, selv om han marcherer gennem ukendt terræn.4Hvem står bagved og trækker i trådene? Det gør jeg, Herren, jeg, som kalder på mit folk fra generation til generation. Jeg var til stede ved begyndelsen, og jeg vil være der ved afslutningen.5Fjerne lande ser til med gru, hele verden skælver af frygt, når hærene nærmer sig. Folk trøster hinanden. ‚Tab ikke modet!’ siger de.6-7Håndværkerne opmuntrer hinanden, mens de skynder sig at lave flere statuer af deres afguder. ‚Nu er den færdig!’ siger de og slår statuen fast med søm, så den ikke vælter.8Men du, Israel, min tjener, Jakob, min udvalgte, min ven Abrahams efterkommere, frygt ikke!9Jeg kalder mit folk hjem fra jordens ender og siger: Dig har jeg udvalgt, jeg forkaster dig ikke. Du er min tjener.10Vær ikke bange, for jeg er med dig. Tab ikke modet, for jeg er din Gud. Med min retfærdige hånd vil jeg styrke, hjælpe og beskytte dig.11Se, alle dine fjender lider nederlag, dine modstandere bukker skamfulde under.12Hvis du spejder efter fjenderne, ser du dem ikke, for de er alle døde og borte.13Jeg, Herren din Gud, griber din hånd og siger: Vær ikke bange! Jeg er her for at hjælpe dig.14Frygt ikke, Israel. Selv om ingen regner dig for noget, er jeg med dig for at frelse dig. Jeg er Herren, din Befrier. Jeg er Israels hellige Gud.15Jeg gør dig til et nyt og skarptandet tærskeredskab, som kan slå dine fjender, som man tærsker korn.16Du kaster dem i vejret, og de spredes for alle vinde. Da vil du juble over Herrens magt og fryde dig over din Gud, Israels Hellige.17Når de fattige og hjælpeløse forgæves søger efter vand, og deres tunger tørster efter noget at drikke, så vil jeg svare dem, når de råber til mig. Jeg er Herren, Israels Gud, og jeg svigter dem ikke.18Jeg lader bække strømme ned fra de golde bjerge og åbner kilder for dem i dalene. Jeg forvandler ørken til oase og det tørre land til kildevæld.19Jeg planter træer i ørkenen—cedre, akacier, myrter, oliventræer, cypresser, enebær- og fyrretræer.20Så vil de forstå, at det er Herren, der har gjort det, at det er Israels hellige Gud, der står bag.”
Herren udfordrer afguderne
21„Lad bare de andre folks guder stå frem,” siger Herren, Israels Konge. „Kom og vis, hvad I duer til.22Kan I forudsige, hvad der vil ske i fremtiden, eller forklare betydningen af det, der skete i fortiden? Fortæl, fortæl, så vi kan tage ved lære!23Hvis I er guder, så sig os, hvad der vil ske i fremtiden. Eller gør et mirakel, noget godt eller noget ondt, så vi kan stå og måbe af frygt!24Men nej, I er intet værd, I duer ikke til noget. Det er en skændsel at tilbede jer.25Jeg tilkaldte mit redskab fra østen. Han skal bringe ære til mit navn. Han kommer fra nord og tramper på fyrster, som en pottemager tramper i sit ler for at ælte det.26Hvem af jer, guder, forudsagde, at det ville ske, så man bagefter kunne sige: ‚Det var rigtigt nok.’? Ingen af jer sagde en lyd!27Jeg var den første til at fortælle Jerusalem de gode nyheder.28Jeg ser mig omkring, men ingen af guderne ved noget. De svarer ikke, når de bliver spurgt.29Så indse dog, at de intet er værd. De kan intet udrette. At stole på dem er fuldstændig absurd.”
1Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment. (Es 11,11; Hab 2,20; Zak 2,13)2Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step?[1] He gives up nations before him, so that he tramples kings underfoot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow. (Dom 4,10; 2.Krøn 36,23; Es 40,24; Es 45,1; Es 46,11)3He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths his feet have not trod.4Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he. (Es 41,26; Es 43,10; Es 44,6; Es 48,12; Åb 1,8; Åb 1,17; Åb 22,13)5The coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come. (Es 11,11)6Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother, “Be strong!”7The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good”; and they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved. (Es 40,19; Es 40,20)8But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; (5.Mos 7,6; 5.Mos 10,15; 5.Mos 14,2; 2.Krøn 20,7; Salm 135,4; Es 44,1; Jak 2,23; 1.Pet 2,9)9you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; (Es 41,8; Es 43,5)10fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Salm 48,10)11Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. (Es 45,24)12You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. (Salm 37,10; Es 40,17)13For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”14Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. (Salm 22,6; Salm 78,35; Es 43,14; Es 54,5)15Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff; (Es 2,14; Mika 4,13)16you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the Lord; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory. (Es 41,2; Es 45,25; Jer 51,2)17When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. (Es 44,3)18I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. (Salm 107,35; Es 35,6)19I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, (Es 35,1; Es 55,12; Es 60,13)20that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it. (Job 12,9)
The Futility of Idols
21Set forth your case, says the Lord; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.22Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come. (Es 41,26; Es 44,7; Es 45,21; Es 46,10)23Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified.[2] (Es 41,22; Es 45,7)24Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you. (Salm 115,8; Es 41,29; 1.Kor 8,4)25I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay. (Salm 44,5; Es 41,2; Jer 50,3)26Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know, and beforehand, that we might say, “He is right”? There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed, none who heard your words. (Es 41,22)27I was the first to say[3] to Zion, “Behold, here they are!” and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news. (Es 40,9; Es 51,12; Es 52,7)28But when I look, there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer. (Es 41,21)29Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind. (Es 41,12)