Isaiah 45
1 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Koresh, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him, and strip kings of their armor; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:
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:
2 "I will go before you, and make the mountains level. I will break the doors of bronze in pieces, and cut apart the bars of iron.
“I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, who call you by your name, even the God of Israel.
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.
4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called you by your name. I have surnamed you, though you have not known me.
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.
5 I am the LORD, and there is no other. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me;
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,
6 that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no one else.
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.
7 I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create calamity. I am the LORD, who does all these things.
I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.
8 Distil, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, that it may bring forth salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it.
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.
9 Woe to him who strives with his Maker, a clay pot among the clay pots of the earth. Shall the clay ask him who fashions it, 'What are you making?' or your work, 'He has no hands?'
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’?
10 Woe to him who says to a father, 'What have you become the father of?' or to a mother, 'To what have you given birth?'"
Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘What have you brought forth?’”
11 Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: "You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons, and you command me concerning the work of my hands.
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?
12 I have made the earth, and created man on it. I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens; and I have commanded all their army.
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.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways. He shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward," says the LORD of hosts.
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.”
14 Thus says the LORD: "The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you, and they shall be yours. They will go after you. They shall come over in chains; and they will bow down to you. They will make petition to you: 'Surely God is in you; and there is no other. There is no other god.
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.’”
15 Most certainly you are a God who hid yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.'"
Truly You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.
16 They will be disappointed, yes, confounded, all of them. Those who are makers of idols will go into confusion together.
They will all be put to shame and humiliated; the makers of idols will depart together in disgrace.
17 Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.
But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will not be put to shame or humiliated, to ages everlasting.
18 For thus says the LORD who created the heavens, the God who formed the earth and made it, who established it and did not create it a waste, who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other.
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.
19 I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness. I did not say to the descendants of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I, the LORD, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right.
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.
20 Assemble yourselves and come. Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. Those have no knowledge who carry the wood of their engraved image, and pray to a god that can't save.
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.
21 Declare and bring it forth. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who announced this from long ago, has told it from then? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior; there is no one besides me.
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.
22 Look to me, and be saved, every part of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear to God.
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.
24 Only in the LORD, it is said of me, is righteousness and strength; even to him shall men come; and all those who were incensed against him shall be disappointed.
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.
25 In the LORD shall all the descendants of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
In the LORD all descendants of Israel will be justified and will exult.
