< Isaiah 45 >
1 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:
Yahweh says to his anointed, to Cyrus, 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:
2 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;
“I will go before you and make the rough places smooth. I will break the doors of bronze in pieces and cut apart the bars of iron.
3 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.
I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, Yahweh, who calls you by your name, even the God of Israel.
4 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, —
For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called you by your name. I have given you a title, though you have not known me.
5 I, am Yahweh, and there is none else, Besides me, there is no God, —I gird thee, though thou hast not known me:
I am Yahweh, and there is no one else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me,
6 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:
that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is no one besides me. I am Yahweh, and there is no one else.
7 Forming light and creating darkness, Making prosperity, and creating misfortune, —I—Yahweh, who doeth all these.
I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I am Yahweh, who does all these things.
8 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.
Rain, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, that it may produce salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it. I, Yahweh, have created it.
9 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?
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’?
10 Alas, for one who saith to a father, What begettest thou? Or to a woman What dost thou bring forth?
Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What have you become the father of?’ or to a mother, ‘What have you given birth to?’”
11 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!
Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel and his Maker says: “You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons, and you command me concerning the work of my hands!
12 I, made the earth, And man upon it, I created, —I—mine own hands, stretched out the heavens, And all their host, I commanded:
I have made the earth, and created man on it. I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens. I have commanded all their army.
13 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.
I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward,” says Yahweh of Armies.
14 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!
Yahweh says: “The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you, and they will be yours. They will go after you. They shall come over in chains. They will bow down to you. They will make supplication to you: ‘Surely God is in you; and there is no one else. There is no other god.
15 Surely, thou, art a GOD utterly hiding thyself, —O God of Israel, able to save!
Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.’”
16 They have turned pale and even been put to shame, all of them, —Together have they gone into disgrace, have the makers of images:
They will be disappointed, yes, confounded, all of them. Those who are makers of idols will go into confusion together.
17 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,
Israel will be saved by Yahweh with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.
18 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:
For Yahweh who created the heavens, the God who formed the earth and made it, who established it and didn’t create it a waste, who formed it to be inhabited says: “I am Yahweh. There is no other.
19 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.
I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness. I didn’t say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I, Yahweh, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right.
20 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.
“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.
21 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!
Declare and present it. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has shown this from ancient time? Who has declared it of old? Haven’t I, Yahweh? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior. There is no one besides me.
22 Turn unto me—and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth, —For, I, am GOD, and there is none else.
“Look 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, 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:
I have sworn by myself. The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not be revoked, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.
24 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:
They will say of me, ‘There is righteousness and strength only in Yahweh.’” Even to him will men come. All those who raged against him will be disappointed.
25 In Yahweh, shall be justified and shall boast themselves—All the seed of Israel.
All the offspring of Israel will be justified in Yahweh, and will rejoice!