Isaiah 45
45
God Chooses Cyrus to Make Israel Free
1This is what the Lord said to Cyrus, his chosen king#45:1 chosen king Literally, “the anointed one.”:
“I took you by your right hand to help you defeat nations,
to strip other kings of their power,
and to open city gates that will not be closed again.
2I will go in front of you
and make the mountains flat.
I will break the city gates of bronze
and cut the iron bars on the gates.
3I will give you the wealth that is stored in secret places.
I will give you those hidden treasures.
Then you will know that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
4I do this for my servant, Jacob.
I do it for my chosen people, Israel.
Cyrus, I am calling you by name.
You don’t know me, but I know you.#45:4 I know you Or “I will give you a title.”
5I am the Lord, the only God.
There is no other God except me.
I put your clothes on you,#45:5 I put … you This also means “I made you strong.”
but still you don’t know me.
6I am doing this so that everyone will know
that I am the only God.
From the east to the west, people will know that I am the Lord
and that there is no other God.
7I made the light and the darkness.
I bring peace, and I cause trouble.
I, the Lord, do all these things.
8“May the clouds in the skies above
pour goodness on the earth like rain.
May the earth open up
to let salvation grow.
And may goodness grow with that salvation,
which I, the Lord, created.
God Controls His Creation
9“Look at these people! They are arguing with the one who made them. Look at them argue with me. They are like pieces of clay from a broken pot. Clay does not say to the one molding it, ‘Man, what are you doing?’ Things that are made don’t have the power to question the one who makes them. 10A father gives life to his children, and they cannot ask, ‘Why are you giving me life?’ They cannot question their mother and ask, ‘Why are you giving birth to me?’”
11The Lord God is the Holy One of Israel. He created Israel, and he says,
“My children, you asked me to show you a sign.
You told me to show you what I have done.#45:11 My children … done Or “Those who are coming asked for my children. They commanded me to give them the people I made with my own hands.”
12I made the earth,
and I created the people on it.
I used my own hands to make the skies.
And I command all the armies in the sky.#45:12 armies in the sky Sometimes this means the angels, and sometimes it means the stars.
13I was right to give power to Cyrus,#45:13 I was right … Cyrus Or “I gave Cyrus power to do something good.”
and I will make his work easy.
He will rebuild my city,
and he will set my people free without bribes or payment.”
The Lord All-Powerful said this.
14The Lord says, “Egypt and Ethiopia are rich,
but, Israel, you will get those riches.
The tall people from Seba will be yours.
They will walk behind you with chains around their necks.
They will bow down before you
and ask you to pray for them and say,
‘The true God really is with you,
and there is no other God.’”
15You are the God people cannot see.
You are the God who saves Israel.
16Many people make false gods,
but they will be disappointed.
All of them will go away ashamed.
17But Israel will be saved by the Lord.
That salvation will continue forever.
Never again will Israel be shamed.
18The Lord is God.
He made the skies and the earth.
He put the earth in its place.
He did not want the earth to be empty when he made it.
He created it to be lived on.
“I am the Lord.
There is no other God.
19I have spoken openly, not in secret.
I did not hide my words in a dark and secret place.
I did not tell the people of Jacob
to look for me in empty places.
I am the Lord, and I speak the truth.
I say only what is right.
The Lord Proves He Is the Only God
20“You people who escaped from other nations, gather together before me. (These people carry statues of false gods. They pray to useless gods, but they don’t know what they are doing. 21Tell them to come to me. Let them present their case and discuss these things.)
“Who told you about this before it happened? Who told you this so long ago? I, the Lord, am the one who said these things. I am the only God, the one who does what is right. I am the one who saves, and there is no other! 22So all you people in faraway places, turn to me and be saved, because I am God, and there is no other.
23“When I make a promise, that promise is true. It will happen. And I swear by my own power that everyone will bow before me and will take an oath to obey me. 24They will say, ‘Goodness and strength come only from the Lord.’”
And all who show their anger against him will be humiliated. 25The Lord will help the people of Israel live right#45:25 live right Or “find justice.” and praise their God.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 45
45
1“Thus said יהוה to His anointed, to Koresh, whose right hand I have strengthened, to subdue nations before him and ungird the loins of sovereigns, to open before him the double doors, so that gates are not shut:
2I go before you and make the crooked places straight; I shatter the gates of bronze and cut down the bars of iron.
3And I shall give you the treasures of darkness and hoarded wealth of secret places, so that you know that I, יהוה, who are calling you by your name, am the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.
4For the sake of Ya‛aqoḇ My servant, and of Yisra’ĕl My chosen, I also call you by your name, I give you a title, though you have not known Me.
5I am יהוה, and there is none else – there is no Elohim besides Me. I gird you, though you have not known Me,
6so that they know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none but Me. I am יהוה, and there is none else,
7forming light and creating darkness, making peace and creating evil. I, יהוה, do all these.’
8“Rain down, O heavens, from above, and let clouds pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, let them bring forth deliverance, and let righteousness spring up together. I, יהוה, have created it.
9“Woe to him who strives with his Maker! (a potsherd with the potsherds of the earth). Does clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ Or your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?
10“Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you bringing forth?’ Or to the woman, ‘What are you labouring over?’ ”
11Thus said יהוה, the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl, and his Maker, “Do you ask Me about My sons what is to come? And about the work of My hands do you command Me?
12“I have made the earth, and created man on it. I, My hands have stretched out the heavens, and all their host I have commanded.
13“I have stirred him up in righteousness, and all his ways I make straight. He builds My city and lets My exiles go, not for price nor reward,” declares יהוה of hosts.
14Thus said יהוה, “The labour of Mitsrayim and merchandise of Kush and of the Seḇaites, men of size, come over to you and they are yours. They walk behind you, they come over in chains, and they bow down to you. They make supplication to you, saying, ‘Indeed, Ěl is in you, and there is none else, no mighty one.’ ”
15Truly You are Ěl, who hide Yourself, O Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, Saviour!
16They shall be put to shame, and even be humiliated, all of them – the makers of idols shall go away together in humiliation.
17Yisra’ĕl shall be saved by יהוה with an everlasting deliverance. You are not to be ashamed nor hurt, forever and ever.
18For thus said יהוה, Creator of the heavens, He is Elohim, Former of earth and its Maker, He established it, He did not create it to be empty, He formed it to be inhabited: “I am יהוה, and there is none else.
19“I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth. I have not said to the seed of Ya‛aqoḇ, ‘Seek Me in vain.’ I am יהוה, speaking righteousness, declaring matters that are straight.
20“Gather yourselves and come; draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. No knowledge have they who are lifting up the wood of their carved image, and pray to a mighty one that does not save.
21“Declare and bring near, let them even take counsel together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has declared it from that time? Is it not I, יהוה? And there is no mighty one besides Me, a righteous Ěl and a Saviour, there is none besides Me.
22“Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am Ěl, and there is none else.
23“I have sworn by Myself, a word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, so that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue swear.
24“One shall say, ‘Only in יהוה do I have righteousness and strength’ – he comes to Him. And all those displeased with Him shall be put to shame.
25“In יהוה all the seed of Yisra’ĕl shall be declared right and boast.”
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