Isaiah 45
1 This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates will not be shut:
The Lord says to the man of his selection, to Cyrus, whom I have taken by the right hand, putting down nations before him, and taking away the arms of kings; making the doors open before him, so that the ways into the towns may not be shut;
2 “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.
I will go before you, and make the rough places level: the doors of brass will be broken, and the iron rods cut in two:
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and the riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
And I will give you the stores of the dark, and the wealth of secret places, so that you may be certain that I am the Lord, who gave you your name, even the God of Israel.
4 For the sake of Jacob My servant and Israel My chosen one, I call you by name; I have given you a title of honor, though you have not known Me.
Because of Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have taken for myself, I have sent for you by name, giving you a name of honour, though you had no knowledge of me.
5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me,
I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God but me: I will make you ready for war, though you had no knowledge of me:
6 so that all may know, from where the sun rises to where it sets, that there is none but Me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.
So that they may see from the east and from the west that there is no God but me: I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.
I am the giver of light and the maker of the dark; causing blessing, and sending troubles; I am the Lord, who does all these things.
8 Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open up that salvation may sprout and righteousness spring up with it; I, the LORD, have created it.
Let righteousness come down, O heavens, from on high, and let the sky send it down like rain: let the earth be open to give the fruit of salvation, causing righteousness to come up with it; I the Lord have made it come about.
9 Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker— one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?
Cursed is he who has an argument with his Maker, the pot which has an argument with the Potter! Will the wet earth say to him who is working with it, What are you doing, that your work has nothing by which it may be gripped?
10 Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘What have you brought forth?’”
Cursed is he who says to a father, To what are you giving life? or to a woman, What are you in birth-pains with?
11 Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: “How dare you question Me about My sons, or instruct Me in the work of My hands?
The Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, says, Will you put a question to me about the things which are to come, or will you give me orders about my sons, and the work of my hands?
12 It is I who made the earth and created man upon it. It was My hands that stretched out the heavens, and I ordained all their host.
I have made the earth, forming man on it: by my hands the heavens have been stretched out, and all the stars put in their ordered places.
13 I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild My city and set My exiles free, but not for payment or reward, says the LORD of Hosts.”
I have sent him out to overcome the nations, and I will make all his ways straight: I will give him the work of building my town, and he will let my prisoners go free, without price or reward, says the Lord of armies.
14 This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you; they will come over in chains and bow down to you. They will confess to you: ‘God is indeed with you, and there is no other; there is no other God.’”
The Lord says, The workmen of Egypt, and the traders of Ethiopia, and the tall Sabaeans, will come over the sea to you, and they will be yours; they will go after you; in chains they will come over: and they will go down on their faces before you, and will make prayer to you, saying, Truly, God is among you; and there is no other God.
15 Truly You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.
Truly, you have a secret God, the God of Israel is a Saviour!
16 They will all be put to shame and humiliated; the makers of idols will depart together in disgrace.
All those who have gone against him will be put to shame; the makers of images will be made low.
17 But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will not be put to shame or humiliated, to ages everlasting.
But the Lord will make Israel free with an eternal salvation: you will not be put to shame or made low for ever and ever.
18 For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens—He is God; He formed the earth and fashioned it; He established it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.
For this is the word of the Lord who made the heavens; he is God; the maker and designer of the earth; who made it not to be a waste, but as a living-place for man: I am the Lord, and there is no other.
19 I have not spoken in secret, from a place in a land of darkness. I did not say to the descendants of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in a wasteland.’ I, the LORD, speak the truth; I say what is right.
I have not given my word in secret, in a place in the underworld; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, Go into a waste land to make request of me: I the Lord say what is true, my word is righteousness.
20 Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save.
Come together, even come near, you nations who are still living: they have no knowledge who take up their image of wood, and make prayer to a god in whom is no salvation.
21 Speak up and present your case— yes, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago? Who announced it from ancient times? Was it not I, the LORD? There is no other God but Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is none but Me.
Give the word, put forward your cause, let us have a discussion together: who has given news of this in the past? who made it clear in early times? did not I, the Lord? and there is no God but me; a true God and a saviour; there is no other.
22 Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
Let your hearts be turned to me, so that you may have salvation, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is no other.
23 By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.
By myself have I taken an oath, a true word has gone from my mouth, and will not be changed, that to me every knee will be bent, and every tongue will give honour.
24 Surely they will say of Me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’” All who rage against Him will come to Him and be put to shame.
Only in the Lord will Jacob overcome and be strong: together all those who were angry with him will be put to shame and come to destruction.
25 In the LORD all descendants of Israel will be justified and will exult.
In the Lord will all the seed of Israel get their rights, and they will give glory to him.
