Isaiah 45
1 Thus sayeth the Lord vnto Cyrus his anointed, whose right hand I haue holden to subdue nations before him: therefore will I weaken the loynes of Kings and open the doores before him, and the gates shall not be shut:
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.
2 I will goe before thee and make the crooked streight: I will breake the brasen doores, and burst the yron barres.
I will go ahead of you and level the mountains. I will break down bronze gates and cut through iron bars.
3 And I will giue thee the treasures of darkenesse, and the things hid in secret places, that thou maist know that I am the Lord which call thee by thy name, euen the God of Israel.
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.
4 For Iaakob my seruants sake, and Israel mine elect, I will euen call thee by thy name and name thee, though thou hast not knowen me.
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.
5 I am the Lord and there is none other: there is no God besides me: I girded thee though thou hast not knowen me,
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,
6 That they may knowe from the rising of the sunne and from the West, that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is none other.
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.
7 I forme the light and create darkenes: I make peace and create euill: I the Lord doe all these things.
I create light, and I make darkness, I bring peace and I bring about disaster. I am the Lord and I do all this.
8 Ye heauens, send the dewe from aboue, and let the cloudes droppe downe righteousnesse: let the earth open, and let saluation and iustice growe foorth: let it bring them foorth together: I the Lord haue created him.
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.
9 Woe be vnto him that striueth with his maker, the potsherd with the potsherds of the earth: shall the clay say to him that facioneth it, What makest thou? or thy worke, It hath none hands?
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!”
10 Woe vnto him that sayeth to his father, What hast thou begotten? or to his mother, What hast thou brought foorth?
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?”!
11 Thus saith the Lord, the holy one of Israel, and his maker, Aske me of things to come concerning my sonnes, and concerning the workes of mine hands: commande you me.
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?
12 I haue made the earth, and created man vpon it: I, whose hands haue spred out the heauens, I haue euen commanded all their armie.
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.
13 I haue raised him vp in righteousnesse, and I will direct all his wayes: he shall build my citie, and he shall let goe my captiues, not for price nor rewarde, saith the Lord of hostes.
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.
14 Thus sayth the Lord, The labour of Egypt, and the marchandise of Ethiopia, and of the Sabeans, men of stature shall come vnto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall follow thee, and shall goe in chaines: they shall fall downe before thee, and make supplication vnto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee, and there is none other God besides.
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.’”
15 Verely thou, O God, hidest thy selfe, O God, the Sauiour of Israel.
Yet you are a God who hides himself, God of Israel, Savior.
16 All they shalbe ashamed and also confounded: they shall goe to confusion together, that are the makers of images.
Everyone who makes idols are ashamed and humiliated, all of them are disgraced.
17 But Israel shall be saued in the Lord, with an euerlasting saluation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded worlde without ende.
But Israel will be saved by the Lord with a salvation that lasts forever. You will never be ashamed or disgraced for all eternity.
18 For thus saith the Lord (that created heauen, God himselfe, that formed the earth, and made it: he that prepared it, he created it not in vaine: he formed it to be inhabited) I am the Lord, and there is none other.
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.
19 I haue not spoken in secrete, neither in a place of darkenes in the earth: I saide not in vaine vnto the seede of Iaakob, Seeke you me: I the Lord doe speake righteousnesse, and declare righteous things.
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.
20 Assemble your selues, and come: drawe neere together, ye abiect of the Gentiles: they haue no knowledge, that set vp the wood of their idole, and pray vnto a god, that cannot saue them.
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?
21 Tell ye and bring them, and let them take counsell together, who hath declared this from the beginning? or hath tolde it of olde? Haue not I the Lord? and there is none other God beside me, a iust God, and a Sauiour: there is none beside me.
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.
22 Looke vnto me, and ye shall be saued: all the endes of the earth shall be saued: for I am God, and there is none other.
Everyone on earth, come to me and be saved, for I am God and there is no God apart from me.
23 I haue sworne by my selfe: the worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse, and shall not returne, That euery knee shall bowe vnto me, and euery tongue shall sweare by me.
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.
24 Surely he shall say, In the Lord haue I righteousnesse and strength: he shall come vnto him, and all that prouoke him, shall be ashamed.
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.
25 The whole seede of Israel shall be iustified, and glorie in the Lord.
But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel will be made right, and they will glory in him.
