< Isaiah 45 >
1 Thus says Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him. And I will loose the loins of kings to open the doors before him. And the gates shall not be shut.
Thus said Jehovah, To His anointed, to Cyrus, Whose right hand I have laid hold on, To subdue nations before him, Yea, loins of kings I loose, To open before him two-leaved doors, Yea, gates are not shut:
2 I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth. I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut apart the bars of iron.
'I go before thee, and crooked places make straight, Two-leaved doors of brass I shiver, And bars of iron I cut asunder,
3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou may know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.
And have given to thee treasures of darkness, Even treasures of secret places, So that thou knowest that I, Jehovah, Who am calling on thy name — [am] the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee by thy name. I have surnamed thee, though thou have not known me.
For the sake of my servant Jacob, And of Israel My chosen, I call also thee by thy name, I surname thee, And thou hast not known Me.
5 I am Jehovah, and there is none else. Besides me there is no God. I will gird thee, though thou have not known me,
I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else, Except Me there is no God, I gird thee, and thou hast not known Me.
6 that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me. I am Jehovah, and there is none else.
So that they know from the rising of the sun, And from the west, that there is none besides Me, I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else,
7 I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create evil. I am Jehovah who does all these things.
Forming light, and preparing darkness, Making peace, and preparing evil, I [am] Jehovah, doing all these things.'
8 Distil, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open that it may bring forth salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up together. I, Jehovah, have created it.
Drop, ye heavens, from above, And clouds do cause righteousness to flow, Earth openeth, and they are fruitful, Salvation and righteousness spring up together, I, Jehovah, have prepared it.
9 Woe to him who strives with his maker, a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him that fashions it, What are thou making? or thy work, He has no hands?
Woe [to] him who is striving with his Former, (A potsherd with potsherds of the ground!) Doth clay say to its Framer, 'What dost thou?' And thy work, 'He hath no hands?'
10 Woe to him who says to a father, What are thou begetting? or to a woman, With what are thou travailing?
Woe [to] him who is saying to a father, 'What dost thou beget?' Or to a wife, 'What dost thou bring forth?
11 Thus says Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel and his maker: Ask me of the things that are to come concerning my sons. And command ye me concerning the work of my hands.
Thus said Jehovah, The Holy One of Israel, and his Former: Ask Me of the things coming concerning My sons, Yea, concerning the work of My hands, ye command Me.'
12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it. I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host I have commanded.
I made earth, and man on it prepared, I — My hands stretched out the heavens, And all their host I have commanded.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways. He shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, says Jehovah of hosts.
I have stirred him up in righteousness, And all his ways I make straight, He doth build My city, and My captivity doth send out, Not for price, nor for bribe, said Jehovah of Hosts.
14 Thus says Jehovah: The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to thee, and they shall be thine. They shall go after thee. In chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down to thee. They shall make supplication to thee, saying, Surely God is in thee, and there is none else, no God.
Thus said Jehovah, 'The labour of Egypt, And the merchandise of Cush, And of the Sebaim — men of measure, Unto thee pass over, and thine they are, After thee they go, in fetters they pass over, And unto thee they bow themselves, Unto thee they pray: Only in thee [is] God, And there is none else, no [other] God.
15 Verily thou are a God who hides thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior.
Surely Thou [art] a God hiding Thyself, God of Israel — Saviour!
16 They shall be put to shame, yea, confounded, all of them. They shall go into confusion together who are makers of idols.
They have been ashamed, And they have even blushed — all of them, Together gone in confusion have those carving images.
17 But Israel shall be saved by Jehovah with an everlasting salvation. Ye shall not be put to shame nor confounded world without end.
Israel hath been saved in Jehovah, A salvation age-during! Ye are not ashamed nor confounded Unto the ages of eternity!
18 For thus says Jehovah who created the heavens, the God who formed the earth and made it, who established it and did not create it a waste, who formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah, and there is none else.
For thus said Jehovah, Creator of heaven, He is God, Former of earth, and its Maker, He established it — not empty He prepared it, For inhabiting He formed it: 'I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else.
19 I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness. I did not say to the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain. I, Jehovah, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right.
Not in secret have I spoken, in a dark place of the earth, I have not said to the seed of Jacob, In vain seek ye Me, I [am] Jehovah, speaking righteousness, Declaring uprightness.
20 Assemble yourselves and come, draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations. They have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, and pray to a god that cannot save.
Be gathered, and come in, Come nigh together, ye escaped of the nations, They have not known, Who are lifting up the wood of their graven image, And praying unto a god [that] saveth not.
21 Declare ye, and bring it forth. Yea, let them take counsel together. Who has shown this from ancient time? Who has declared it of old? Have not I, Jehovah? And there is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior. There is none besides me.
Declare ye, and bring near, Yea, they take counsel together, Who hath proclaimed this from of old? From that time hath declared it? Is it not I — Jehovah? And there is no other god besides Me, A God righteous and saving, there is none save Me.
22 Look to me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else.
Turn to Me, and be saved, all ends of the earth, For I [am] God, and there is none else.
23 By myself I have sworn, the word has gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue will confess to God.
By Myself I have sworn, Gone out from my mouth in righteousness hath a word, And it turneth not back, That to Me, bow doth every knee, every tongue swear.
24 Only in Jehovah, it is said of me, is righteousness and strength. Even to him men shall come, and all those who were incensed against him shall be put to shame.
Only in Jehovah, said hath one, Have I righteousness and strength, Unto Him he cometh in, And ashamed are all those displeased with Him.
25 In Jehovah all the seed of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory.
In Jehovah are all the seed of Israel justified, And they boast themselves.'