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.
1Мълчете пред Мене, вие, острови; и племената нека подновят силата си; нека приближат и тогава нека говорят; нека застанем заедно на съд. (Zec 2:13)2Кой е издигнал един от изток, когото повика с правда при краката Си? Предава му народи и го поставя господар над царе, и тях предава на меча му като прах, на лъка му – като отвята плява. (Ge 14:14; Isa 41:25; Isa 45:1; Isa 46:11)3Подгонва ги и безопасно минава пътя, по който не беше ходил с краката си.4Кой издейства и извърши това, като повика още в началото бъдещите поколения? Аз, ГОСПОД, първият и последният, Аз съм. (Isa 41:26; Isa 43:10; Isa 44:6; Isa 44:7; Isa 46:10; Isa 48:12; Re 1:17; Re 22:13)5Островите видяха и се уплашиха, земните краища се разтрепераха, приближиха се и дойдоха.6Всеки помогна на другаря си и каза на брат си: Дерзай! (Isa 40:19; Isa 44:12)7И така, дърводелецът насърчаваше златаря и този, който кове с чука – онзи, който удря на наковалнята, като казваше: Добре е споено, и го закрепваше с гвоздей, за да не се клати. (Isa 40:19; Isa 40:20)8Но ти, Израилю, служителю Мой, Якове, когото Аз избрах, потомство на Моя приятел Авраам, (De 7:6; De 10:15; De 14:2; 2Ch 20:7; Ps 135:4; Isa 43:1; Isa 44:1; Jas 2:23)9ти, когото взех от краищата на земята и повиках от най-далечните и страни, и ти казах: Ти си Мой слуга, Аз те избрах и не те отхвърлих, (Isa 41:13; Isa 41:14; Isa 43:5)10не бой се, защото Аз съм с тебе; не се ужасявай, защото Аз съм твой Бог; ще те укрепя, да! Ще ти помогна. Да! Ще те подкрепя с праведната Си десница. (De 31:6; De 31:8)11Ето, всички, които са разгневени на тебе, ще се засрамят и смутят; съперниците ти ще станат като нищо и ще загинат. (Ex 23:22; Isa 45:24; Isa 60:12; Zec 12:3)12Ще потърсиш онези, които се сражават против теб, и няма да ги намериш; онези, които воюват против тебе, ще станат като нищо – все едно, че не са били.13Защото Аз, ГОСПОД, твоят Бог, съм, Който подкрепям десницата ти и ти казвам: Не бой се, Аз ще ти помогна. (Isa 41:10)14Не бой се, червею Якове, и вие, малцината Израилеви; Аз ще ти помагам, казва ГОСПОД, твоят изкупител, Святият Израилев.15Ето, Аз ще те направя на нова остра назъбена диканя; ще вършееш планините и ще ги стриеш, и ще обърнеш хълмовете на дребна плява; (Mic 4:13; 2Co 10:4; 2Co 10:5)16ще ги отвееш и вятърът ще ги отнесе, и вихрушката ще ги разпръсне; а ти ще се зарадваш в ГОСПОДА, ще се похвалиш в Святия Израилев. (Isa 45:25; Jer 51:2)17Когато сиромасите и немотните потърсят вода, а 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 обърна пустинята на водни езера и сухата земя – на водни извори. (Ps 107:35; Isa 35:6; Isa 35:7; Isa 43:19; Isa 44:3)19В пустинята ще насадя кедър, ситим, митра и маслиново дърво; в ненаселената земя ще поставя заедно елха, явор и кипарис,20за да видят и да знаят, да разсъдят и разберат всички, че ръката ГОСПОДНЯ е направила това и Святият Израилев го е създал. (Job 12:9)21Представете делото си, казва ГОСПОД; приведете силните си доказателства, казва Якововият Цар.22Нека ги приведат и нека ни кажат какво има да стане; обяснете миналото, кажете какво е било, за да приложим сърцата си в него и да узнаем сетнината му; или ни известете бъдещето, (Isa 45:21)23известете какво има да стане после, за да познаем, че сте богове; дори докарвайте добро или зло докарвайте, за да се ужасим, като го видим всички. (Isa 42:9; Isa 44:7; Isa 44:8; Isa 45:3; Jer 10:5; Joh 13:19)24Ето, вие сте по-малко от нищо; и това, което вършите – по-малко от нищо; мерзост е онзи, който ви избира. (Ps 115:8; Isa 44:9; 1Co 8:4)25Издигнах един от север и той е дошъл, от изток – един, който призовава Моето име; и ще нагази първенците като кал, както грънчарят тъпче глината. (Ezr 1:2; Isa 41:2)26Кой е изявил това отначало, за да знаем, и отпреди време, за да кажем: Той има право? Напротив, няма някой да го е изявил, няма някой да го е казал, няма някой да е чул думите ви. (Isa 43:9)27Пръв Аз казах на Сион: Ето ги! Ето ги! И дадох на Йерусалим благовестител. (Isa 40:9; Isa 41:4)28Защото, когато прегледах, нямаше никой. Да! Между тях нямаше съветник, който да може да отговори и дума, когато ги попитах. (Isa 63:5)29Ето, те всички са суета, делата им са нищо, излетите им идоли са вятър и срам. (Isa 41:24)