Isaiah 45
1 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, the one he has anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to direct him to defeat nations and to make kings weak, to open doors before him and gates that will not be shut.
Thus says the Lord God to my anointed Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, that nations might be obedient before him; and I will break through the strength of kings; I will open doors before him, and cities shall not be closed.
2 I will go ahead of you and level the mountains. I will break down bronze gates and cut through iron bars.
I will go before you, and will level mountains: I will break to pieces brazen doors, and burst iron bars.
3 I will give you hidden treasure, treasure concealed in secret places, so that you can know for sure that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.
And I will give you the treasures of darkness, I will open to you hidden, unseen [treasures], that you may know that I, the Lord your God, that call you by name, am the God of Israel.
4 I call you by name and I have given you a title of honor, for the sake of Jacob my servant, and Israel the one I chose, even though you don't know me.
For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel mine elect, I will call you by your name, and accept you: but you have not known me.
5 I am the Lord, there is no God apart from me. Apart from me there is no God. I will make you strong, even though you don't know me,
For I am the Lord God, and there is no other God beside me; I strengthened you, and you have not known me.
6 so that everyone, from the east to the west, will know that there is no God apart from me, that I am the Lord, and there is none apart from me.
That they that [come] from the east and they that [come] from the west may know that there is no God but me. I am the Lord God, and there is none beside.
7 I create light, and I make darkness, I bring peace and I bring about disaster. I am the Lord and I do all this.
I am he that prepared light, and formed darkness; who make peace, and create evil; I am the Lord God, that does all these things.
8 Let the rain fall from the sky above, let goodness fall from the clouds, let the earth open up to receive goodness and salvation so they can grow together. I, the Lord, created them.
Let the heaven rejoice from above, and let the clouds rain righteousness: let the earth bring forth, and blossom [with] mercy, and bring forth righteousness likewise: I am the Lord that created you.
9 What trouble people face when they fight with their Creator—they're just pots among all the other pots on earth! Does the clay tell the potter who is shaping it, “What are you doing?” or “What you're making is so bad it's like you have no hands!”
What excellent thing have I prepared as clay of the potter? Will the ploughman plough the earth all day? shall the clay say to the potter, What are you doing that you do not work, nor have hands? shall the thing formed answer him that formed it?
10 How bad it would be if you said to your father, “Why did you have me?” or to your mother, “Why was I ever born?”!
As though one should say to [his] father, What will you beget me? and to his mother, What are you bringing forth?
11 This is what the Lord says, the Holy One of Israel, your Creator: You can ask me about things to come. But are you going to lecture me about my children and what I do?
For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, who has formed the things that are to come, Enquire of me concerning my sons, and concerning the works of my hands command me.
12 I'm the one who made the earth, and I created human beings to live there. It was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I ordered all the stars to come into being.
I have made the earth, and man upon it: I with my hand have established the heaven; I have given commandment to all the stars.
13 Because I do what's right, I will encourage him and smooth out all the roads he takes. He will rebuild my city and will set my exiles free without being paid or bribed to do so, says the Lord Almighty.
I have raised him up [to be] a king with righteousness, and all his ways are right: he shall build my city, and shall turn the captivity of my people, not for ransoms, nor for rewards, says the Lord of hosts.
14 This is what the Lord says: “The productive Egyptians and the Ethiopian traders, as well as the tall Sabean people, will come over to you and will belong to you. They will walk behind you in chains and bow down to you, pleading with you, saying, ‘God is certainly with you, and there is no other God besides him.’”
Thus says the Lord of hosts, Egypt has laboured [for you]; and the merchandise of the Ethiopians, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall pass over to you, and shall be your servants; and they shall follow after you bound in fetters, and shall pass over to you, and shall do obeisance to you, and make supplication to you: because God is in you; and there is no God beside you, [O Lord].
15 Yet you are a God who hides himself, God of Israel, Savior.
For you are God, yet we knew [it] not, the God of Israel, the Saviour.
16 Everyone who makes idols are ashamed and humiliated, all of them are disgraced.
All that are opposed to him shall be ashamed and confounded, and shall walk in shame: you isles, keep a feast to me.
17 But Israel will be saved by the Lord with a salvation that lasts forever. You will never be ashamed or disgraced for all eternity.
Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation: they shall not be ashamed nor confounded for evermore.
18 For this is what the Lord says, the God who created the heavens, who formed and made the earth, he founded it. He didn't make it to be left empty, but formed it to be inhabited. He is the one who says, I am the Lord, and there is no God apart from me.
Thus says the Lord that made the heaven, this God that created the earth, and made it; he marked it out, he made it not in vain, but formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord, and there is none beside.
19 I haven't been talking in secret in an obscure place. I didn't tell the descendants of Jacob: Look for me in a place where no one can be found. I, the Lord, tell the truth—I say what's right.
I have not spoken in secret, nor in a dark place of the earth: I said not to the seed of Jacob, Seek vanity: I, even I, am the Lord, speaking righteousness, and proclaiming truth.
20 Gather yourselves together, and come, come close, you refugees of the nations. Aren't they stupid, these people who carry around their wooden idols, and who pray to a god that can't save them?
Assemble yourselves and come; take counsel together, you that escape of the nations: they that set up wood, [even] their graven image, have no knowledge, nor they who pray to gods that do not save.
21 Discuss this together, and then speak up, present your case. Who predicted this long ago? Who said what would happen in the future back in the past? Wasn't that me, the Lord? There is no other God except me, no other God who does what is right, and who saves. There is no God apart from me.
If they will declare, let them draw near, that they may know together, who has caused these things to be heard from the beginning: then was it told you. I am God, and there is not another beside me; a just [God] and a Saviour; there is none but me.
22 Everyone on earth, come to me and be saved, for I am God and there is no God apart from me.
Turn you to me, and you shall be saved, you that [come] from the end of the earth: I am God, and there is none other.
23 I have sworn by my own self, I have spoken what is right, and I won't ever go back on it. Everyone shall bow before me; everyone shall acknowledge me.
By myself I swear, righteousness shall surely proceed out of my mouth; my words shall not be frustrated; that to me every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall swear by God,
24 They will say about me, “Salvation and strength can only be found in the Lord.” Everyone who has fought against him will come to him and will be ashamed.
saying, Righteousness and glory shall come to him: and all that remove them from their borders shall be ashamed.
25 But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel will be made right, and they will glory in him.
By the Lord shall they be justified, and in God shall all the seed of the children of Israel be glorified.
