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, saith Yahweh, to his Anointed, to Cyrus—Whose right hand I have firmly grasped To subdue before him, nations, And the loins of kings, will I ungird, —To open, before him, the two-leaved doors, And, the gates, shall not be shut:
2 I will go ahead of you and level the mountains. I will break down bronze gates and cut through iron bars.
I, before thee, will go, And the hills, will I level—The doors of bronze, will I break in pieces, And the bars of iron, will I cut asunder;
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.
Then will I give thee The treasures of darkness, Even the hoards of hidden places, —That thou mayest get to know That I—Yahweh, who am calling thee by thy 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, Even Israel my chosen Therefore have I called unto thee by thy name, I give thee a title though thou hast 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,
I, am Yahweh, and there is none else, Besides me, there is no God, —I gird thee, though thou hast 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 men may get to know. From the rising of the sun And from the west. That there is none besides me, —I, am Yahweh, and there is none else:
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.
Forming light and creating darkness, Making prosperity, and creating misfortune, —I—Yahweh, who doeth all these.
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 drops fall ye heavens, from above, Yea, let, the skies, pour down righteousness, —Let the earth open and let them bear as their fruit—deliverance And let, justice, spring forth therewith, I—Yahweh, have created it.
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!”
Alas for him who contendeth with his Fashioner, —A potsherd, [should contend] with the potsherds of the ground! Shall it be said by the clay, unto him that is fashioning it, What wouldst thou make? Or, thy work say, of thee, He hath no hands?
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?”!
Alas, for one who saith to a father, What begettest thou? Or to a woman What dost thou bring 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?
Thus, saith, Yahweh, The Holy One of Israel And his Fashioner, As to things to come, they have asked me, Concerning my sons and concerning the work of my hands, they would 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, made the earth, And man upon it, I created, —I—mine own hands, stretched out the heavens, And all their host, I commanded:
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 roused him up in righteousness, And all his roads, will I level, —He, shall build my city, And my captives, shall he let go, Not for price, nor for bribe, Saith Yahweh 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, saith Yahweh—The produce of Egypt and the gain of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of great stature, Unto thee, shall come over, And thine, shall they become, After thee, shall they journey, In chains, shall they come over, —And unto thee, shall they bow down Unto thee, shall they pray [saying], —Surely, in thee, is a GOD And there is none else—no, God!
15 Yet you are a God who hides himself, God of Israel, Savior.
Surely, thou, art a GOD utterly hiding thyself, —O God of Israel, able to save!
16 Everyone who makes idols are ashamed and humiliated, all of them are disgraced.
They have turned pale and even been put to shame, all of them, —Together have they gone into disgrace, have the makers of images:
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, hath been delivered by Yahweh, with an age-abiding deliverance, —Ye shall neither turn pale nor he put to shame, unto the ages of futurity,
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.
For, Thus, saith Yahweh, Who created the heavens God himself! Who fashioned the earth—And made it Himself, established it, …Not a waste, created he it To be dwelt in, he fashioned it, …I, am Yahweh, and there is none else:
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.
Not in secret, have I spoken In a place of the earth that is dark, —I have not said unto the seed of Jacob, In a waste, seek ye me, —I, am Yahweh, Speaking the thing that is right, Declaring the things that are just.
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 Draw near together, ye escaped of the nations, —They know not Who carry the wood of their carved image, And pray unto a GOD who cannot 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.
Tell ye—and bring near, Yea let them take counsel, together, —Who let this be known aforetime. In time past, declared it? Was it not, I—Yahweh? And there is none else that is God besides me, A GOD, righteous and ready to save, There is none, besides me!
22 Everyone on earth, come to me and be saved, for I am God and there is no God apart from me.
Turn unto me—and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth, —For, I, am GOD, and there is none else.
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, have I sworn, Gone forth out of my mouth, is righteousness as a decree And shall not turn back, —That, unto myself, Shall bow every knee, Shall swear every tongue:
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.
Only in Yahweh—for me, Hath one said, Is there righteousness and strength, Unto him, shall come and turn pale—All who have been incensed against him:
25 But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel will be made right, and they will glory in him.
In Yahweh, shall be justified and shall boast themselves—All the seed of Israel.
