1 So sê die HERE aan sy gesalfde, aan Kores, wie se regterhand Ek gevat het om nasies voor hom neer te werp, terwyl Ek die lendene van konings losgord; om voor hom deure oop te maak, en poorte sal nie gesluit bly nie:
2 Ek self sal voor jou uit gaan en hoogtes gelykmaak; koperdeure sal Ek verbreek en ystergrendels stukkend slaan.
3 En Ek sal jou die skatte gee wat in die donkerheid is en die verborge rykdomme, sodat jy kan weet dat Ek die HERE is wat jou by jou naam roep, die God van Israel;
4 ter wille van Jakob, my kneg, en Israel, my uitverkorene, het Ek jou by jou naam geroep; Ek het jou 'n erenaam gegee, hoewel jy My nie geken het nie.
5 Ek is die HERE, en daar is geen ander nie; buiten My is daar geen God nie; Ek omgord jou, hoewel jy My nie geken het nie,
6 sodat hulle kan weet van die opgang van die son en van sy ondergang af dat daar buiten My geeneen is nie; Ek is die HERE, en daar is geen ander nie;
7 wat die lig formeer en die duisternis skep, die heil bewerk en die onheil skep: Ek, die HERE, is dit wat al hierdie dinge doen.
8 Laat dit drup, o hemele, van bo af, en laat die wolke vloei van geregtigheid; laat die aarde oopgaan, en laat heil voortkom en geregtigheid; laat hulle saam uitspruit. Ek, die HERE, het dit geskape.
9 Wee hom wat met sy Formeerder twis -- 'n potskerf by erdepotskerwe! Sal dan die klei sê aan die wat dit vorm: Wat maak jy? Of jou werk sê: Hy het geen hande nie!
10 Wee hom wat vir die vader sê: Waarom verwek u? en vir die vrou: Waarom het u weë?
11 So sê die HERE, die Heilige van Israel en sy Formeerder: Vra My aangaande die toekomstige dinge; vertrou my seuns en die werk van my hande aan My toe!
12 Ek het die aarde gemaak en die mens daarop geskape; Ek -- my hande het die hemel uitgespan, en Ek het aan sy ganse leërskare bevel gegee.
13 Ek het hom verwek in geregtigheid, en al sy weë sal Ek gelykmaak; hy sal my stad bou en my ballinge loslaat sonder koopprys en sonder geskenk, sê die HERE van die leërskare.
14 So sê die HERE: Die opbrings van Egipte en die handelswins van Kus en die Sabeërs, manne van hoë gestalte, sal na jou toe oorkom en joue wees; hulle sal agter jou loop; in kettings sal hulle oortrek en hulle voor jou buig; hulle sal jou smeek en sê: Waarlik, God is in jou; en anders is daar geen, geen God meer nie!
15 Waarlik, U is 'n God wat U verborge hou, die God van Israel, die Heiland.
16 Hulle het beskaamd gestaan en ook in die skande gekom, hulle almal; hulle het tesame met skande heengegaan -- die wat afgode maak.
17 Israel word verlos deur die HERE met 'n ewige verlossing; julle sal nie beskaamd staan of in die skande kom tot in alle ewigheid nie.
18 Want so sê die HERE, wat die hemele geskape het -- Hy is God! -- wat die aarde geformeer en dit gemaak het -- Hy het dit bevestig; Hy het dit nie geskape om woes te wees nie, maar dit geformeer om bewoon te word -- Ek is die HERE, en daar is geen ander nie.
19 Ek het in die geheim nie gespreek nie -- op 'n plek van die donker land; Ek het aan die geslag van Jakob nie gesê: Soek My tevergeefs nie. Ek is die HERE wat geregtigheid spreek, wat regte dinge verkondig.
20 Versamel julle en kom, kom almal nader, julle wat uit die nasies ontvlug het! Hulle weet niks, wat die hout van hul gesnede beeld dra en 'n god aanbid wat nie kan verlos nie.
21 Verkondig en bring voor, ja, laat hulle saam raad hou: Wie het dit van ouds af laat hoor, lank tevore dit verkondig? Is dit nie Ek, die HERE, nie? En buiten My is daar geen ander God nie: 'n regverdige en reddende God is daar buiten My nie.
22 Wend julle tot My en laat julle red, alle eindes van die aarde! Want Ek is God, en daar is geen ander nie.
23 Ek sweer by Myself; geregtigheid gaan uit my mond, 'n woord wat nie herroep word nie: dat voor My elke knie sal neerbuig, by My elke tong sal sweer.
24 Hulle sal van My sê: Alleen in die HERE is volle geregtigheid en sterkte; na Hom sal hulle kom; maar hulle almal sal beskaamd staan wat op Hom toornig is.
25 In die HERE sal geregverdig word en hulle beroem die hele geslag van Israel.
1 The Lord says to the man of his selection, to Cyrus, whom I have taken by the right hand, putting down nations before him, and taking away the arms of kings; making the doors open before him, so that the ways into the towns may not be shut;
2 I will go before you, and make the rough places level: the doors of brass will be broken, and the iron rods cut in two:
3 And I will give you the stores of the dark, and the wealth of secret places, so that you may be certain that I am the Lord, who gave you your name, even the God of Israel.
4 Because of Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have taken for myself, I have sent for you by name, giving you a name of honour, though you had no knowledge of me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God but me: I will make you ready for war, though you had no knowledge of me:
6 So that they may see from the east and from the west that there is no God but me: I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I am the giver of light and the maker of the dark; causing blessing, and sending troubles; I am the Lord, who does all these things.
8 Let righteousness come down, O heavens, from on high, and let the sky send it down like rain: let the earth be open to give the fruit of salvation, causing righteousness to come up with it; I the Lord have made it come about.
9 Cursed is he who has an argument with his Maker, the pot which has an argument with the Potter! Will the wet earth say to him who is working with it, What are you doing, that your work has nothing by which it may be gripped?
10 Cursed is he who says to a father, To what are you giving life? or to a woman, What are you in birth-pains with?
11 The Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, says, Will you put a question to me about the things which are to come, or will you give me orders about my sons, and the work of my hands?
12 I have made the earth, forming man on it: by my hands the heavens have been stretched out, and all the stars put in their ordered places.
13 I have sent him out to overcome the nations, and I will make all his ways straight: I will give him the work of building my town, and he will let my prisoners go free, without price or reward, says the Lord of armies.
14 The Lord says, The workmen of Egypt, and the traders of Ethiopia, and the tall Sabaeans, will come over the sea to you, and they will be yours; they will go after you; in chains they will come over: and they will go down on their faces before you, and will make prayer to you, saying, Truly, God is among you; and there is no other God.
15 Truly, you have a secret God, the God of Israel is a Saviour!
16 All those who have gone against him will be put to shame; the makers of images will be made low.
17 But the Lord will make Israel free with an eternal salvation: you will not be put to shame or made low for ever and ever.
18 For this is the word of the Lord who made the heavens; he is God; the maker and designer of the earth; who made it not to be a waste, but as a living-place for man: I am the Lord, and there is no other.
19 I have not given my word in secret, in a place in the underworld; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, Go into a waste land to make request of me: I the Lord say what is true, my word is righteousness.
20 Come together, even come near, you nations who are still living: they have no knowledge who take up their image of wood, and make prayer to a god in whom is no salvation.
21 Give the word, put forward your cause, let us have a discussion together: who has given news of this in the past? who made it clear in early times? did not I, the Lord? and there is no God but me; a true God and a saviour; there is no other.
22 Let your hearts be turned to me, so that you may have salvation, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself have I taken an oath, a true word has gone from my mouth, and will not be changed, that to me every knee will be bent, and every tongue will give honour.
24 Only in the Lord will Jacob overcome and be strong: together all those who were angry with him will be put to shame and come to destruction.
25 In the Lord will all the seed of Israel get their rights, and they will give glory to him.