1The Lord will show tender love toward Jacob’s people.
Once again he will choose Israel.
He’ll give them homes in their own land.
Outsiders will join them.
They and the people of Jacob will become one people.
2Nations will help Israel
return to their own land.
Israel will possess other nations.
They will serve Israel as male and female servants in the Lord’s land.
The Israelites will make prisoners of those who had held them as prisoners.
Israel will rule over those who had crushed them.
3The Lord will put an end to Israel’s suffering and trouble. They will no longer be forced to do hard labor. At that time, 4they will make fun of the king of Babylon. They will say,
“See how the one who crushed others has fallen!
See how his anger has come to an end!
5The Lord has taken away the authority of evil people.
He has broken the power of rulers.
6When they became angry, they struck down nations.
Their blows never stopped.
In their anger they brought nations under their control.
They attacked them again and again.
7All the lands now enjoy peace and rest.
They break out into singing.
8Even the juniper trees show how happy they are.
The cedar trees of Lebanon celebrate too.
They say, ‘Babylon, you have fallen.
Now no one comes and cuts us down.’
9“King of Babylon, many people in the place of the dead are really excited.
They’re excited about meeting you when you go down there.
The spirits of the dead get up to welcome you.
At one time all of them were leaders in the world.
They were kings over the nations.
They get up from their thrones.
10All of them call out to you.
They say,
‘You have become weak, just as we are.
You have become like us.’
11Your grand show of power has been brought down to the grave.
The noise of your harps has come down here along with your power.
Maggots are spread out under you.
Worms cover you.
12“King of Babylon, you thought you were the bright morning star.
But now you have fallen from heaven!
You once brought down nations.
But now you have been thrown down to the earth!
13You said in your heart,
‘I will go up to the heavens.
I’ll raise my throne
above the stars of God.
I’ll sit as king on the mountain where the gods meet.
I’ll set up my throne on the highest slopes of Mount Zaphon.
14I will rise above the tops of the clouds.
I’ll make myself like the Most High God.’
15But now you have been brought down to the place of the dead.
You have been thrown into the deepest part of the pit.
16“Those who see you stare at you.
They think about what has happened to you.
They say to themselves,
‘Is this the man who shook the earth?
Is he the one who made kingdoms tremble with fear?
17Did he turn the world into a desert?
Did he destroy its cities?
Did he refuse to let his prisoners go home?’
18“All the kings of the nations are buried with honor.
Each of them lies in his own tomb.
19But you have been thrown out of your tomb.
You are like a branch that is cut off and thrown away.
You are covered with the bodies
of those who have been killed by swords.
You have been tossed into a stony pit along with them.
You are like a dead body that people have walked on.
20You won’t be buried like other kings.
That’s because you have destroyed your land.
You have killed your people.
“Let the children of that evil man be killed.
Let none of them be left to carry on the family name.
21So prepare a place to kill his children.
Kill them because of the sins of the rulers
who lived before them.
They must not rise to power.
They must not rule over the world.
They must not cover the earth with their cities.”
22“I will rise up against them,”
announces the Lord who rules over all.
“I will destroy Babylon.
It will not be remembered anymore.
No one will be left alive there.
I will destroy its people and their children after them,”
announces the Lord.
23“I will turn it into a place where nothing but owls can live.
I will turn it into a swamp.
I will sweep through it like a broom and destroy everything,”
announces the Lord who rules over all.
24The Lord who rules over all has made a promise. He has said,
“You can be sure that what I have planned will happen.
What I have decided will take place.
25I will crush the Assyrians in my land.
On my mountains I will walk all over them.
The yokes they put on my people will be removed.
The heavy load they put on their shoulders will be taken away.”
26That’s how the Lord carries out his plan all over the world.
That’s how he reaches out his powerful hand to punish all the nations.
27The Lord who rules over all has planned it.
Who can stop him?
He has reached out his powerful hand.
Who can keep him from using it?
A Prophecy Against the Philistines
28This prophecy came to me from the Lord in the year King Ahaz died. The Lord said,
29“The rod of Assyria has struck all of you Philistines.
But do not be glad that it is broken.
That rod is like a snake that will produce an even more poisonous snake.
It will produce a darting, poisonous serpent.
30Even the poorest people in Israel will have plenty to eat.
Those who are in need will lie down in safety.
But I will destroy your families.
They will die of hunger.
I will kill any of them who are still left alive.
31“Cities of Philistia, cry out for help! Scream in pain!
All you Philistines, melt away in fear!
An army is coming from the north in a cloud of dust.
No one in its ranks is falling behind.
32What answer should be given
to the messengers from that nation?
Tell them, ‘The Lord has made Zion secure.
His suffering people will find safety there.’ ”
Israels genoprettelse
1Herren vil forbarme sig over Israels folk. De vil igen blive hans udvalgte folk. Han lader dem bosætte sig i deres eget land, og folk fra andre nationer vil slutte sig til dem og blive en del af Israels folk. 2Fremmede folk skal føre dem hjem, og Israels folk vil bruge nogle af de fremmede som slaver i deres land. Deres fangevogtere bliver taget til fange, og deres undertrykkere bliver undertrykt.
En spottesang om Babylons konge
3Når Herren befrier sit folk fra deres sorg og lidelse og det hårde slavearbejde, de blev udsat for, 4vil de håne Babylons konge med sang:
„Så er tyrannen færdig!
Hans raseri er forbi!
5Herren har knækket den ondes scepter
og brudt den gudløses herskerstav,
6han, som jagtede andre folkeslag,
slog dem i sindssygt raseri
med skånselsløse stokkeslag.
7Nu er der stilhed, nu er der fred.
Hele jorden bryder ud i sang.
8Selv cypresserne glæder sig.
Libanons cedertræer synger:
‚Du havde tænkt at fælde os!
Men det var dig selv, der faldt!’
9Hele dødsriget er på tæerne
for at møde dig, når du ankommer.
Hensovne dødninge rejser sig op,
tidligere stormænd, konger og herskere.
10Som med én mund hilser de dig:
‚Også du blev afmægtig.
Nu er du som os!’
11Din herlighed endte i dødsriget,
harpernes klang forstummede.
Dit leje er redt med råddenskab,
dit tæppe er larver og orme.
12Tænk, at du faldt fra himlen,
du strålende morgenstjerne,
at du blev kastet til jorden,
du store verdenserobrer.
13Du sagde til dig selv:
‚Jeg vil stige op til himlen,
rejse min trone højt over stjernerne,
indtage min plads blandt guderne
på bjerget i det yderste nord.
14Jeg vil stige op til de øverste himle,
komme på højde med den almægtige Gud.’
15I stedet blev du styrtet i dødsriget,
i dets allerdybeste afgrund.
16De, der ser dig der, vil undre sig:
‚Er det ham, for hvem jorden bævede,
og verdens riger rystede?
17Er det ham, som lagde verdens lande øde,
som jævnede storbyer med jorden
og aldrig satte krigsfanger fri?’
18Alle jordens andre konger
hviler værdigt i deres grave,
19mens dit lig ligger henslængt,
nedtrampet som en knækket gren
mellem andre, der blev dræbt af sværdet,
et kadaver kastet i et hul
og dækket med sten.
20Du får ingen kongelig begravelse,
fordi du hærgede dit eget land
og bragte død over dit eget folk.
Din slægt skal uddø
på grund af din ondskab.
21Dine sønner skal dræbes
som straf for din synd.
De skal ikke herske over jorden
og fylde verden med byer.”
22„Jeg vil rejse mig imod Babyloniens folk,” siger Herren, den Almægtige. „Jeg vil udrydde dem og deres børn, så der ingen efterkommere bliver. 23Jeg gør Babylon til en sumpet ødemark, et hjemsted for ugler. Jeg fejer byen væk med ødelæggelsens kost.”
Profeti om Assyriens fald
24Herren, den Almægtige, har svoret: „De tanker, jeg tænker, bliver altid ført ud i livet. De planer, jeg lægger, kommer altid til at ske. 25Jeg vil knuse den assyriske hær i mit land, nedtrampe dem på mine bjerge. Undertrykkerens åg skal fjernes fra mit folk, de skal fritages fra byrden på deres skuldre. 26Sådan er min plan for hele jorden, min magt omfatter alle folkeslag. 27Hvem kan modsætte sig mine planer? Hvem kan gøre modstand, når jeg går til angreb?”
Profeti om filistrenes land
28Følgende budskab kom i det år, kong Ahaz døde:14,28 Ca. år 716 f.Kr. Det er efter, at Nordriget i 722 blev erobret af assyrerkongen Shalmanesar V. Denne konge døde kort efter, i 721, men blev afløst af kong Sargon II, som igen blev afløst af den frygtede kong Sankerib i 705. Sankerib belejrede Jerusalem, men Herren dræbte 185.000 assyriske krigere (2.Kong. 19).
29Glæd dig ikke for tidligt, Filisterland, fordi kæppen, som slog dig, er knækket. Var kæppen en slange, så kommer der nu en giftig øgle i dens sted. 30Jeg beskytter dem, der søger ly hos mig, som en hyrde våger over sine får, mens de græsser. Men din rest vil jeg dræbe med sult, de tiloversblevne slår jeg ihjel. 31Skrig højt i byerne, filistre, klag i portene, lad angsten gribe jer, for I er dømt. En vældig støvsky nærmer sig fra nord, en hær af ivrige krigere. 32Hvad skal vi svare folkenes sendebud? At Herren har lagt en grundvold på Zions bjerg, og dér kan de ydmyge blandt hans folk søge tilflugt.
