< Isaiah 45 >
1 The LORD 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:
Thus said Jehovah, To His anointed, to Cyrus, Whose right hand I have laid hold on, To subdue nations before him, Yea, loins of kings I loose, To open before him two-leaved doors, Yea, gates are not shut:
2 “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.
'I go before thee, and crooked places make straight, Two-leaved doors of brass I shiver, And bars of iron I cut asunder,
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 calls you by your name, even the God of Israel.
And have given to thee treasures of darkness, Even treasures of secret places, So that thou knowest that I, Jehovah, Who am calling on thy name — [am] the God of Israel.
4 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.
For the sake of my servant Jacob, And of Israel My chosen, I call also thee by thy name, I surname thee, And thou hast not known Me.
5 I am the LORD, and there is no one else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me,
I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else, Except Me there is no God, I gird thee, and thou hast not known Me.
6 that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is no one besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no one else.
So that they know from the rising of the sun, And from the west, that there is none besides Me, I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else,
7 I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I am the LORD, who does all these things.
Forming light, and preparing darkness, Making peace, and preparing evil, I [am] Jehovah, doing all these things.'
8 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, the LORD, have created it.
Drop, ye heavens, from above, And clouds do cause righteousness to flow, Earth openeth, and they are fruitful, Salvation and righteousness spring up together, I, Jehovah, have prepared 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 is striving with his Former, (A potsherd with potsherds of the ground!) Doth clay say to its Framer, 'What dost thou?' And thy work, 'He hath no hands?'
10 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?’”
Woe [to] him who is saying to a father, 'What dost thou beget?' Or to a wife, 'What dost thou bring forth?
11 The LORD, 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!
Thus said Jehovah, The Holy One of Israel, and his Former: Ask Me of the things coming concerning My sons, Yea, concerning the work of My hands, ye command Me.'
12 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.
I made earth, and man on it prepared, I — My hands stretched out the heavens, And all their host I have commanded.
13 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 the LORD of Armies.
I have stirred him up in righteousness, And all his ways I make straight, He doth build My city, and My captivity doth send out, Not for price, nor for bribe, said Jehovah of Hosts.
14 The LORD 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.
Thus said Jehovah, 'The labour of Egypt, And the merchandise of Cush, And of the Sebaim — men of measure, Unto thee pass over, and thine they are, After thee they go, in fetters they pass over, And unto thee they bow themselves, Unto thee they pray: Only in thee [is] God, And there is none else, no [other] God.
15 Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.’”
Surely Thou [art] a God hiding Thyself, God of Israel — Saviour!
16 They will be disappointed, yes, confounded, all of them. Those who are makers of idols will go into confusion together.
They have been ashamed, And they have even blushed — all of them, Together gone in confusion have those carving images.
17 Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.
Israel hath been saved in Jehovah, A salvation age-during! Ye are not ashamed nor confounded Unto the ages of eternity!
18 For the LORD 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 the LORD. There is no other.
For thus said Jehovah, Creator of heaven, He is God, Former of earth, and its Maker, He established it — not empty He prepared it, For inhabiting He formed it: 'I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else.
19 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, the LORD, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right.
Not in secret have I spoken, in a dark place of the earth, I have not said to the seed of Jacob, In vain seek ye Me, I [am] Jehovah, speaking righteousness, Declaring uprightness.
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.
Be gathered, and come in, Come nigh together, ye escaped of the nations, They have not known, Who are lifting up the wood of their graven image, And praying unto a god [that] saveth not.
21 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, the LORD? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior. There is no one besides me.
Declare ye, and bring near, Yea, they take counsel together, Who hath proclaimed this from of old? From that time hath declared it? Is it not I — Jehovah? And there is no other god besides Me, A God righteous and saving, there is none save Me.
22 “Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
Turn to Me, and be saved, all ends of the earth, For I [am] God, and there is none else.
23 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.
By Myself I have sworn, Gone out from my mouth in righteousness hath a word, And it turneth not back, That to Me, bow doth every knee, every tongue swear.
24 They will say of me, ‘There is righteousness and strength only in the LORD.’” Even to him will men come. All those who raged against him will be disappointed.
Only in Jehovah, said hath one, Have I righteousness and strength, Unto Him he cometh in, And ashamed are all those displeased with Him.
25 All the offspring of Israel will be justified in the LORD, and will rejoice!
In Jehovah are all the seed of Israel justified, And they boast themselves.'