1‘Comfort my people,’ says your God. ‘Comfort them.2Speak tenderly to the people of Jerusalem. Announce to them that their hard labour has been completed. Tell them that their sin has been paid for. Tell them the LORD has punished them enough for all their sins.’3A messenger is calling out, ‘In the desert prepare the way for the LORD. Make a straight road through it for our God.4Every valley will be filled in. Every mountain and hill will be made level. The rough ground will be smoothed out. The rocky places will be made flat.5Then the glory of the LORD will appear. And everyone will see it together. The LORD has spoken.’6Another messenger says, ‘Cry out.’ And I said, ‘What should I cry?’ ‘Cry out, “All people are like grass. They don’t stay faithful to me any longer than wildflowers last.7The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. That happens when the LORD makes his wind blow on them. So people are just like grass.8The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand for ever.” ’9Zion, you are bringing good news to your people. Go up on a high mountain and announce it. Jerusalem, you are bringing good news to them. Shout the message loudly. Shout it out loud. Don’t be afraid. Say to the towns of Judah, ‘Your God is coming!’10The LORD and King is coming with power. He rules with a powerful arm. He has set his people free. He is bringing them back as his reward. He has won the battle over their enemies.11He takes care of his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms. He carries them close to his heart. He gently leads those that have little ones.12Who has measured the oceans by using the palm of his hand? Who has used the width of his hand to mark off the sky? Who has measured out the dust of the earth in a basket? Who has weighed the mountains on scales? Who has weighed the hills in a balance?13Who can ever understand the Spirit of the LORD? Who can ever give him advice?14Did the LORD have to ask anyone to help him understand? Did he have to ask someone to teach him the right way? Who taught him what he knows? Who showed him how to understand?15The nations are only a drop in a bucket to him. He considers them as nothing but dust on the scales. He weighs the islands as if they were only fine dust.16Lebanon doesn’t have enough trees to keep his altar fires burning. It doesn’t have enough animals to sacrifice as burnt offerings to him.17To him, all the nations don’t amount to anything. He considers them to be worthless. In fact, they are less than nothing in his sight.18So who will you compare God with? Is there any other god like him?19Will you compare him with a statue of a god? Anyone who works with metal can make a statue. Then another worker covers it with gold and makes silver chains for it.20But someone who is too poor to bring that kind of offering will choose some wood that won’t rot. Then they look for a skilled worker. They pay the worker to make a statue of a god that won’t fall over.21Don’t you know who made everything? Haven’t you heard about him? Hasn’t it been told to you from the beginning? Haven’t you understood it ever since the earth was made?22God sits on his throne high above the earth. Its people look like grasshoppers to him. He spreads out the heavens like a cover. He sets it up like a tent to live in.23He takes the power of princes away from them. He reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.24They are planted. They are scattered like seeds. They put down roots in the ground. But as soon as that happens, God blows on them and they dry up. Then a violent storm sweeps them away like straw.25‘So who will you compare me with? Who is equal to me?’ says the Holy One.26Look up towards the sky. Who created everything you see? The LORD causes the stars to come out at night one by one. He calls out each one of them by name. His power and strength are great. So none of the stars is missing.27Family of Jacob, why do you complain, ‘The LORD doesn’t notice our condition’? People of Israel, why do you say, ‘Our God doesn’t pay any attention to our rightful claims’?28Don’t you know who made everything? Haven’t you heard about him? The LORD is the God who lives for ever. He created everything on earth. He won’t become worn out or get tired. No one will ever know how great his understanding is.29He gives strength to those who are tired. He gives power to those who are weak.30Even young people become worn out and get tired. Even the best of them trip and fall.31But those who trust in the LORD will receive new strength. They will fly as high as eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not grow weak.
1‹‹Avutun halkımı›› diyor Tanrınız, ‹‹Avutun!2Yeruşalim halkına dokunaklı sözler söyleyin. Angaryanın bittiğini, Suçlarının cezasını ödediklerini, Günahlarının cezasını RAB'bin elinden İki katıyla aldıklarını ilan edin.››3Şöyle haykırıyor bir ses: ‹‹Çölde RAB'bin yolunu hazırlayın, Bozkırda Tanrımız için düz bir yol açın[1].4Her vadi yükseltilecek, Her dağ, her tepe alçaltılacak. Böylelikle engebeler düzleştirilecek, Sarp yerler ovaya dönüştürülecek.5O zaman RAB'bin yüceliği görünecek, Bütün insanlar hep birlikte onu görecek. Bunu söyleyen RAB'dir.››6Ses, ‹‹Duyur›› diyor. ‹‹Neyi duyurayım?›› diye soruyorum[2]. ‹‹İnsan soyu ota benzer, Bütün vefası[3] kır çiçeği gibidir.7RAB'bin soluğu esince üzerlerine, Ot kurur, çiçek solar. Gerçekten de halk ottan farksızdır.8Ot kurur, çiçek solar, Ama Tanrımız'ın sözü sonsuza dek durur.››
Eşsiz Tanrı
9Ey Siyon'a müjde getiren, Yüksek dağa çık! Ey Yeruşalim'e müjde getiren[4], Yükselt sesini, bağır, Sesini yükselt, korkma. Yahuda kentlerine, ‹‹İşte, Tanrınız!›› de.10İşte Egemen RAB gücüyle geliyor, Kudretiyle egemenlik sürecek. Ücreti kendisiyle birlikte, Ödülü önündedir.11Sürüsünü çoban gibi güdecek, Kollarına alacak kuzuları, Bağrında taşıyacak; Usul usul yol gösterecek emziklilere.12Kim denizleri avucuyla, Gökleri karışıyla ölçebildi? Yerin toprağını ölçeğe sığdıran, Dağları kantarla, Tepeleri teraziyle tartabilen var mı?13RAB'bin düşüncesine kim akıl erdirebildi? O'na öğüt verip öğretebilen var mı?14Akıl almak, adalet yolunu öğrenmek için RAB kime danıştı ki? O'na bilgi veren, anlayış yolunu bildiren var mı?15RAB için uluslar kovada bir damla su, Terazideki toz zerreciği gibidir. Adaları ince toz gibi tartar.16Adakları yakmaya yetmez Lübnan ormanı, Yakmalık sunu için az gelir hayvanları.17RAB'bin önünde bütün uluslar bir hiç gibidir, Hiçten bile aşağı, değersiz sayılır.18Öyleyse Tanrı'yı kime benzeteceksiniz? Neyle karşılaştıracaksınız O'nu?19Putu döküm işçisi yapar, Kuyumcu altınla kaplar, Gümüş zincirler döker.20Böyle bir sunuya gücü yetmeyen yoksul kişi Çürümez bir ağaç parçası seçer. Yerinden kımıldamaz bir put yapsın diye Usta bir işçi arar.21Bilmiyor musunuz, duymadınız mı? Başlangıçtan beri size bildirilmedi mi? Dünyanın temelleri atılalı beri anlamadınız mı?22Gökkubbenin üstünde oturan RAB'dir, Yeryüzünde yaşayanlarsa çekirge gibidir. Gökleri perde gibi geren, Oturmak için çadır gibi kuran O'dur.23O'dur önderleri bir hiç eden, Dünyanın egemenlerini sıfıra indirgeyen.24O önderler ki, yeni dikilmiş, yeni ekilmiş ağaç gibi, Gövdeleri yere yeni kök salmışken RAB'bin soluğu onları kurutuverir, Kasırga saman gibi savurur.25‹‹Beni kime benzeteceksiniz ki, Eşitim olsun?›› diyor Kutsal Olan.26Başınızı kaldırıp göklere bakın. Kim yarattı bütün bunları? Yıldızları sırayla görünür kılıyor, Her birini adıyla çağırıyor. Büyük kudreti, üstün gücü sayesinde hepsi yerli yerinde duruyor.27Ey Yakup soyu, ey İsrail! Neden, ‹‹RAB başıma gelenleri görmüyor, Tanrı hakkımı gözetmiyor?›› diye yakınıyorsun?28Bilmiyor musun, duymadın mı? Ebedi Tanrı, RAB, bütün dünyayı yaratan, Ne yorulur ne de zayıflar, O'nun bilgisi kavranamaz.29Yorulanı güçlendirir, Takati olmayanın kudretini artırır.30Gençler bile yorulup zayıf düşer, Yiğitler tökezleyip düşerler.31RAB'be umut bağlayanlarsa taze güce kavuşur, Kanat açıp yükselirler kartallar gibi. Koşar ama zayıf düşmez, Yürür ama yorulmazlar.