The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

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- Chapter 45 -

(2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4)

Thus says the Lord to my anointed Cyrus, whose right hand I hold, so that I may subjugate the nations before his face, and I may turn the backs of kings, and I may open the doors before him, and so that the gates will not be shut.

I will go before you. And I will humble the glorious ones of the earth. I will shatter the gates of brass, and I will break apart the bars of iron.

And I will give you hidden treasures and the knowledge of secret things, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls your name.

For the sake of Jacob, my servant, and Israel, my elect, I have even called you by your name. I have taken you up, and you have not known me.

I am the Lord, and there is no one else. There is no god beside me. I girded you, and you have not known me.

So may those who are from the rising of the sun, and those who are from its setting, know that there is no one beside me. I am the Lord, and there is no other.

I form the light and create the darkness. I make peace and create disaster. I, the Lord, do all these things.(a)

(b)

Send down dew from above, O heavens, and let the clouds rain down upon the just! Let the earth open and spring forth a savior! And let justice rise up at once! I, the Lord, have created him.

Woe to him who contradicts his Maker, a mere shard from an earthen vessel! Should the clay say to the potter, “What are you making?” or, “Your work is not made by your hands?”

Woe to him who says to his father, “Why did you conceive?” or to a woman, “Why did you give birth?”

Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, his Maker: Would you question me about the future, concerning my sons, and command me concerning the work of my hands?

I made the earth, and I created man upon it. My hand stretched out the heavens, and I have commanded all their hosts.

I have raised him up unto justice, and I will direct all his ways. He himself will build my city and release my captives, but not for ransom or gifts, says the Lord, the God of hosts.

Thus says the Lord: The labor of Egypt, and the business dealings of Ethiopia, and of the Sabeans, men of stature, will pass to you and will be yours. They will walk behind you. They will travel, bound in irons. And they will adore you and petition you: “In you alone is God, and there is no God apart from you.

Truly, you are a hidden God, the God of Israel, the Savior.”(c)

They have all been confounded and should be ashamed! These fabricators of errors have departed together into confusion!

Israel is saved in the Lord by an eternal salvation. You will not be confounded, and you will not be ashamed, even forever and ever.

For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens, God himself who formed the earth and made it, the very Molder of it. He did not create it to no purpose. He formed it so that it would be inhabited. I am the Lord, and there is no other.

I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth. I have not said to the offspring of Jacob, “Seek me in vain.” I am the Lord, who speaks justice, who announces what is right.

Assemble yourselves, and approach, and draw near together, you who have been saved among the Gentiles. They lack knowledge, who lift up the wood of their sculpture, and who petition a god unable to save.

Announce it, and approach, and consult together. Who has caused this to be heard from the beginning, and who has foretold it from that time? Is it not I, the Lord? And is there some other god beside me? I am a just God who saves, and there is no one except me.

All ends of the earth, be converted to me, and you will be saved. For I am God, and there is no other.

I have sworn by myself. The Word of justice will proceed from my mouth, and it will not turn back.

For every knee shall bend to me, and every tongue shall swear it.

Therefore, he will say, “In the Lord are my justices and my dominion.” They will go to him. And all who fight against him will be confounded.

In the Lord, all the offspring of Israel will be justified and praised.

Footnotes

(a)45:7 The word ‘malum’ as contrasted with peace is not ‘evil,’ but rather harm or disaster.(Conte)

(b)45:7 Create evil, etc:The evils of afflictions and punishments, but not the evil of sin.(Challoner)

(c)45:15 This group of persons will be so awed by the true Catholic faith, that they will fall into the error of treating the faithful as if they were gods.(Conte)

(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