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:
Thus hath said the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whom I have taken hold of by his right hand, to subdue nations before him, even the loins of kings will I ungird, to open before him [city-]doors, and gates that they shall 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 myself will go before thee, and proud eminences will I level: doors of brass will I break in pieces, and bolts of iron will I cut asunder.
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 unto thee the treasures of darkness, and riches hidden in secret places; in order that thou mayest know that I am the Lord, who call thee by thy name, 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.
For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my elect; and I have called thee by thy name: I have designated thee, though thou hast not known 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 none else, beside me there is no god; I assisted thee, though thou hast not known 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.
In order that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from its setting, that there is nothing without me. I am the Lord, and there is no one else;
7 I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.
Forming the light, and creating darkness; making peace, and creating evil: I the Lord do 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.
Drop down ye heavens, and let the skies distil blessing; let the earth open and let them [all] be fruitful of prosperity, and let righteousness spring up likewise: I the Lord have created it.
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’?
Woe unto him that contendeth with the one who formed him—a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
10 Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘What have you brought forth?’”
Woe unto him that saith unto [his] father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What bringest thou forth?
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?
Thus hath said the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and he who hath formed him, About events to come will you ask me? concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands will ye command me?
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.
[When] I myself have made the earth, and created man upon it; [when] I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and I have ordained all their host.
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 myself have waked him up in righteousness, and all his ways will I make straight: he shall build my city, and my exiles shall he dismiss free, not for purchase-money nor for presents, saith the Lord of hosts.
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.’”
Thus hath said the Lord, The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and of the Sabeans, men of high stature, shall pass over unto thee, and thine shall they be: behind thee shall they walk; in chains shall they pass along, and unto thee shall they bow, unto thee shall they pray, [saying] Yea, only among thee is God; and there is no one else beside God.
15 Truly You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.
Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.
16 They will all be put to shame and humiliated; the makers of idols will depart together in disgrace.
They are ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: together shall they go to confusion that are makers of idols.
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] Israel shall be helped by the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed and not be confounded unto all eternity.
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 thus hath said the Lord the creator of the heavens; he, the God that formed the earth and made it; he that hath established it, —not for naught did he create it, to be inhabited did he form it: I am the Lord; and there is no one else.
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.
Not on a secret spot have I spoken, in a dark place of the earth; I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me for naught; [but] I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
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.
Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye escaped fugitives of the nations! They have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
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.
Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: Who hath announced this in ancient times? told it from the beginning? is it not I the Lord? and there is no other god without me, a just god and a saviour; there is none beside me.
22 Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
Turn unto me, so that ye may be helped, all ye ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no one else.
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 sworn, righteousness is gone out of my mouth, a word [which] shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bend, every tongue shall swear.
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, —shall men say of me, —there are righteousness and strength. Unto him shall come and be ashamed all that are incensed against him.
25 In the LORD all descendants of Israel will be justified and will exult.
In the Lord shall be justified, and shall glory themselves all the seed of Israel.
