Isaiah 45
1 Thus said YHWH, To His anointed, to Cyrus, Whose right hand I have laid hold on, To subdue nations before him, Indeed, I loose loins of kings, To open double doors before him, Indeed, gates are not 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 go before you, and make crooked places straight, I shatter doors of bronze, And I cut bars of iron apart,
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 And have given to you treasures of darkness, Even treasures of secret places, So that you know that I, YHWH, Who am calling on your name—[am] the God of Israel.
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 My servant Jacob, And of Israel My chosen, I also call you by your name, I surname you, And 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] YHWH, and there is none else, There is no God except Me, I gird you, and 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 they know from the rising of the sun, And from the west, that there is none besides Me, I [am] YHWH, and there is none else,
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 Forming light, and creating darkness, Making peace, and creating calamity, I [am] YHWH, doing all these things.
Forming the light, and creating darkness; making peace, and creating evil: I the Lord do all these things.
8 Drop, you heavens, from above, And clouds cause righteousness to flow, Earth opens, and they are fruitful, Salvation and righteousness spring up together, I, YHWH, 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 is striving with his Former (A potsherd with potsherds of the ground!) Does clay say to its Framer, What [are] you doing? And your work, 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 is saying to a father, What do you beget? Or to a wife, What do you bring forth?”
Woe unto him that saith unto [his] father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What bringest thou forth?
11 Thus said YHWH, The Holy One of Israel, and his Former: “Ask Me of the things coming concerning My sons, Indeed, concerning the work of My hands, you command Me.
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 I made earth, and created man on it, My hands stretched out the heavens, And I have commanded 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 have stirred him up in righteousness, And I make all his ways straight, He builds My city, and sends out My captivity, Not for price, nor for bribe,” said YHWH 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 Thus said YHWH: “The labor of Egypt, And the merchandise of Cush, And of the Sebaim—men of measure, Pass over to you, and they are yours, They go after you, they pass over in chains, And they bow themselves to you, They pray to you: Surely God [is] in you, And there is none else, 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 Surely You [are] a God hiding Yourself, God of Israel—Savior!
Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.
16 They have been ashamed, And they have even blushed—all of them, Those carving images have gone together in confusion.
They are ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: together shall they go to confusion that are makers of idols.
17 Israel has been saved in YHWH, A perpetual salvation! You are not ashamed nor confounded For all ages of eternity!
[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 said YHWH, Creator of the heavens, He is God, Former of earth, and its Maker, He established it—He did not create it empty, For He formed it to be inhabited: “I [am] YHWH, and there is none else.
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, in a dark place of the earth, I have not said to the seed of Jacob, Seek Me in vain, I [am] YHWH, speaking righteousness, Declaring uprightness.
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 Be gathered, and come in, Come near together, you escaped of the nations, They have not known, Who are lifting up the wood of their carved image, And praying to a god [that] does not 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 Declare, and bring near, Indeed, they take counsel together, Who has proclaimed this from of old? [Who] has declared it from that time? Is it not I—YHWH? And there is no other god besides Me, A God righteous and saving, there is none except 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 none else.
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 I have sworn by Myself, A word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness, And it does not return, That to Me, every knee bows, every tongue swears.
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 Only in YHWH, one has said, Do I have righteousness and strength, He comes to Him, And all those displeased with Him are ashamed.
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 YHWH are all the seed of Israel justified, And they boast themselves.”
In the Lord shall be justified, and shall glory themselves all the seed of Israel.
