The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 45 -

(2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4)

This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates will not be shut:

“I will go before you and level the mountains;(a) I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.

I will give you the treasures of darkness and the riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.

For the sake of Jacob My servant and Israel My chosen one, I call you by name; I have given you a title of honor, though you have not known Me.

I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me,

so that all may know, from where the sun rises to where it sets, that there is none but Me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.

Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open up that salvation may sprout and righteousness spring up with it; I, the LORD, have created it.

Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker— one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’(b) Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?

Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘What have you brought forth?’”

Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: “How dare you question Me about My sons, or instruct Me in the work of My hands?

It is I who made the earth and created man upon it. It was My hands that stretched out the heavens, and I ordained all their host.

I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild My city and set My exiles free, but not for payment or reward, says the LORD of Hosts.”

This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,(c) along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you; they will come over in chains and bow down to you. They will confess to you: ‘God is indeed with you, and there is no other; there is no other God.’”

Truly You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.

They will all be put to shame and humiliated; the makers of idols will depart together in disgrace.

But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will not be put to shame or humiliated, to ages everlasting.

For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens—He is God; He formed the earth and fashioned it; He established it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I have not spoken in secret, from a place in a land of darkness. I did not say to the descendants of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in a wasteland.’ I, the LORD, speak the truth; I say what is right.

Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save.

Speak up and present your case— yes, let them take counsel together. Who foretold 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; there is none but Me.

Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.

By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.(d)

Surely they will say of Me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’” All who rage against Him will come to Him and be put to shame.

In the LORD all descendants of Israel will be justified and will exult.

Footnotes

(a)45:2 DSS and LXX; MT level the terrain

(b)45:9 Cited in Romans 9:20

(d)45:23 Literally every tongue will swear; LXX every tongue will swear by God; cited in Romans 14:11

(2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4)

The LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their armor, to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:

“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 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.

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.

I am the LORD, and there is no one else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen(a) you, though you have not known me,

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.

I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I am the LORD, who does all these things.

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.

Woe to him who strives with his Maker— a clay pot among 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 says to a father, ‘What have you become the father of?’ or to a mother, ‘What have you given birth to?’”

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!

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 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 Armies.

The LORD says: “The labor 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.

Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.’”

They will be disappointed, yes, confounded, all of them. Those who are makers of idols will go into confusion together.

Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.

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.

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.

“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.

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 Savior. There is no one besides me.

“Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.

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.

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.

All the offspring of Israel will be justified in the LORD, and will rejoice!

Footnotes

(a)45:5 or, equip