< 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 armour, to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:
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:
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 you, and make crooked places straight, I shatter doors of bronze, And I cut bars of iron apart,
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 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.
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 also call you by your name, I surname you, And you have 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] YHWH, and there is none else, There is no God except Me, I gird you, and you have 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] YHWH, 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 creating darkness, Making peace, and creating calamity, I [am] YHWH, 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, 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.
9 Woe to him who strives with his Maker— a clay pot amongst 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!) Does clay say to its Framer, What [are] you doing? And your work, He has 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 do you beget? Or to a wife, What do you 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 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.
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 created man on it, My hands stretched out the heavens, And I have commanded all their host.
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 Hosts.
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.
14 The LORD says: “The labour 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 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.”
15 Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself, God of Israel, the Saviour.’”
Surely You [are] a God hiding Yourself, God of Israel—Savior!
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, Those carving images have gone together in confusion.
17 Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.
Israel has been saved in YHWH, A perpetual salvation! You are not ashamed nor confounded For all 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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 Saviour. There is no one besides me.
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.
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 the 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.
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.
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 YHWH, one has said, Do I have righteousness and strength, He comes to Him, And all those displeased with Him are ashamed.
25 All the offspring of Israel will be justified in the LORD, and will rejoice!
In YHWH are all the seed of Israel justified, And they boast themselves.”

< Isaiah 45 >