Isaiah 45

1 The Lord says this to Cyrus, his anointed,  * 45:1 Is 44:28

whose right hand I have grasped  * 45:1 Ps 73:23; Is 41:13; 42:6

to subdue nations before him

and disarm  * 45:1 Lit unloosen the waist of  kings,  * 45:1 Jb 12:21; Is 45:5

to open doors before him,

and even city gates will not be shut:

2 "I will go before you

and level the uneven places;  * 45:2 DSS, LXX read the mountains,* 45:2 Is 40:4

I will shatter the bronze doors

and cut the iron bars in two.  * 45:2 Ps 107:16

3 I will give you the treasures of darkness

and riches from secret places,  * 45:3 Jr 41:8; 50:37

so that you may know that I am the Lord.

I am the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.  * 45:3 Ex 33:12,17; Is 43:1; 49:1

4 I call you by your name,

for the sake of my servant Jacob  * 45:4 Is 41:8; 42:19

and Israel my chosen one.

I give a name to you,

though you do not know me.

5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;  * 45:5 Is 45:6,14,18,21; 46:9

there is no God but me.  * 45:5 Is 44:6,8

I will strengthen  * 45:5 Lit gird you,

though you do not know me,

6 so that all may know from the rising of the sun to its setting

that there is no one but me.  * 45:6 Ps 102:15; Is 37:20; Mal 1:11

I am the Lord, and there is no other.

7 I form light and create darkness,  * 45:7 Ps 104:20; 105:28

I make success and create disaster;  * 45:7 Gn 50:20; 1Sm 16:14; 1Kg 21:21; 22:8; 2Kg 6:33; Jb 2:10; Ps 78:49; Is 13:11; 31:2; 47:11; Jr 1:14; Lm 3:38; Am 3:6

I am the Lord, who does all these things.

8 "Heavens, sprinkle from above,

and let the skies shower righteousness.  * 45:8 Hs 10:12

Let the earth open up

so that salvation will sprout

and righteousness will spring up with it.  * 45:8 Ps 85:11; Is 61:11

I, the Lord, have created it.

9 "Woe to the one who argues with his Maker —

one clay pot among many.  * 45:9 Lit a clay pot with clay pots of the ground

Does clay say to the one forming it,

‘What are you making? ’  * 45:9 Is 29:16; 64:8; Jr 18:6; Rm 9:20–21

Or does your work say,

‘He has no hands’?  * 45:9 Or making? Your work has no hands.

10 Woe to the one who says to his father,

‘What are you fathering? ’

or to his mother,  * 45:10 Lit to a woman

‘What are you giving birth to? ’ "

11 This is what the  Lord,

the Holy One of Israel  * 45:11 Is 1:4 and its Maker, says:

"Ask me what is to happen to  * 45:11 Or me the coming things about  my sons,  * 45:11 Jr 31:9

and instruct me about the work of my hands.  * 45:11 Is 19:25; 29:23; 60:21; 64:8

12 I made the earth,

and created humans on it.

It was my hands that stretched out the heavens,  * 45:12 Ps 104:2; Is 42:5; 44:24

and I commanded everything in them.

13 I have stirred him up in righteousness,  * 45:13 Is 41:2

and will level all roads for him.

He will rebuild my city,  * 45:13 2Ch 36:22–23; Is 44:28

and set my exiles free,  * 45:13 Is 52:3

not for a price or a bribe,"

says the Lord of Armies.

God Alone Is the Savior

14 This is what the Lord says:

"The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush

and the Sabeans, men of stature,  * 45:14 Is 18:1; 43:3

will come over to you  * 45:14 Is 14:1–2; 49:23; 54:3

and will be yours;

they will follow you,

they will come over in chains

and bow down to you.

They will confess  * 45:14 Lit pray to you,

‘God is indeed with you,  * 45:14 1Co 14:25 and there is no other;

there is no other God.’ "

15 Yes, you are a God who hides,  * 45:15 Ps 44:24; Is 1:15; 8:17; 57:17

God of Israel, Savior.  * 45:15 Is 43:3

16 All of them are put to shame, even humiliated;  * 45:16 Is 42:17; 44:9

the makers of idols go in humiliation together.

17 Israel will be saved by the  Lord

with an everlasting salvation;

you will not be put to shame or humiliated

for all eternity.  * 45:17 Ps 37:19; Is 49:23; 50:7; 54:4; Jl 2:26–27; Zph 3:11; Rm 9:33; 10:11; 1Pt 2:6

18 For this is what the  Lord  says —

the Creator of the heavens,

the God who formed the earth and made it,

the one who established it

(he did not create it to be a wasteland,

but formed it to be inhabited)  * 45:18 Gn 1:26; Ps 115:16  —

he says, "I am the Lord,

and there is no other.

19 I have not spoken in secret,  * 45:19 Is 48:16

somewhere in a land of darkness.

I did not say to the descendants of Jacob:

Seek me in a wasteland.  * 45:19 2Ch 15:2; Ps 78:34; Jr 29:13–14

I am the Lord, who speaks righteously,  * 45:19 Ps 19:8; Is 45:23; 63:1

who declares what is right.

20 "Come, gather together,

and approach, you fugitives of the nations.

Those who carry their wooden idols

and pray to a god who cannot save  * 45:20 Is 44:17; 46:1,7; Jr 10:5

have no knowledge.  * 45:20 Is 44:18–19; 48:5–7

21 Speak up and present your case  * 45:21 Lit and approach,* 45:21 Is 41:21–23; 43:9  —

yes, let them consult each other.

Who predicted this long ago?

Who announced it from ancient times?

Was it not I, the Lord?

There is no other God but me,

a righteous God and Savior;  * 45:21 Is 43:3,11

there is no one except me.  * 45:21 Dt 4:35; 6:4; Mk 12:32

22 Turn to me and be saved,

all the ends of the earth.

For I am God,

and there is no other.

23 By myself I have sworn;  * 45:23 Gn 22:16; Is 62:8; Heb 6:13

truth has gone from my mouth,  * 45:23 Is 55:11

a word that will not be revoked:

Every knee will bow  * 45:23 Rm 14:11; Php 2:10 to me,

every tongue will swear allegiance.

24 It will be said about me, ‘Righteousness and strength

are found only in the  Lord.’ "

All who are enraged against him

will come to him and be put to shame.  * 45:24 Is 41:11

25 All the descendants of Israel

will be justified and boast in the  Lord.