1‘This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armour, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:2I will go before you and will level the mountains[1]; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.3I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.4For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honour, though you do not acknowledge me.5I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me,6so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other.7I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.8‘You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the Lord, have created it.9‘Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, “What are you making?” Does your work say, “The potter has no hands”?10Woe to the one who says to a father, “What have you begotten?” or to a mother, “What have you brought to birth?”11‘This is what the Lord says – the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands?12It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshalled their starry hosts.13I will raise up Cyrus[2] in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the Lord Almighty.’14This is what the Lord says: ‘The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,[3] and those tall Sabeans – they will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you, coming over to you in chains. They will bow down before you and plead with you, saying, “Surely God is with you, and there is no other; there is no other god.” ’15Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself, the God and Saviour of Israel.16All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced; they will go off into disgrace together.17But Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting.18For this is what the Lord says – he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited – he says: ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other.19I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, “Seek me in vain.” I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.20‘Gather together and come; assemble, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save.21Declare what is to be, present it – let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Saviour; there is none but me.22‘Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.23By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.24They will say of me, “In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.” ’ All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame.25But all the descendants of Israel will find deliverance in the Lord and will make their boast in him.
Isaiah 45
English Standard Version
Cyrus, God’s Instrument
1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: (Job 12:21; Isa 22:21; Isa 41:13; Isa 44:28; Isa 45:5)2“I will go before you and level the exalted places,[1] I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, (Ps 107:16; Isa 40:4)3I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. (Isa 43:1; Jer 50:37; Jer 51:13)4For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. (Isa 45:3; Isa 62:2)5I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, (Job 12:21; Isa 22:21; Isa 44:8)6that people 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 other. (Isa 37:20; Mal 1:11)7I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things. (Isa 41:23; Am 3:6)8“Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the Lord have created it. (De 32:2; Ps 85:11; Ho 10:12)9“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’? (Ec 6:10; Isa 10:15; Isa 64:8; Ro 9:20)10Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’ or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’”11Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: “Ask me of things to come; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands?[2] (Isa 29:23; Isa 41:23; Isa 64:8; Jer 31:9; Eze 39:7)12I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. (Ge 2:1; Isa 42:5; Isa 44:24; Jer 27:5)13I have stirred him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways level; he shall build my city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward,” says the Lord of hosts. (Isa 41:2; Isa 44:28; Isa 45:2; Isa 49:25; Isa 51:14; Isa 52:3)
The Lord, the Only Savior
14Thus says the Lord: “The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and be yours; they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you, saying: ‘Surely God is in you, and there is no other, no god besides him.’” (Isa 14:2; Isa 43:3)15Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. (Isa 57:17)16All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together. (Isa 42:17)17But Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity. (Isa 54:4)18For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other. (Ge 1:2; Ps 115:16; Isa 42:5)19I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’[3] I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right. (De 30:11; Isa 45:23; Isa 48:16; Jer 29:13)20“Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. (Isa 41:1; Isa 44:17; Isa 44:18; Isa 46:1; Isa 46:7; Isa 48:5; Jer 10:5)21Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. (Isa 41:22; Isa 41:26; Isa 43:9; Isa 43:11)22“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. (Isa 11:12; Isa 43:5)23By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’[4] (Ge 22:16; Isa 45:19; Ro 14:11; Php 2:10)24“Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. (Isa 26:4; Isa 41:11; Isa 44:8)25In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.”