The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 45 -

(2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4)

Thus sayeth the Lord vnto Cyrus his anointed, whose right hand I haue holden to subdue nations before him: therefore will I weaken the loynes of Kings and open the doores before him, and the gates shall not be shut:

I will goe before thee and make the crooked streight: I will breake the brasen doores, and burst the yron barres.

And I will giue thee the treasures of darkenesse, and the things hid in secret places, that thou maist know that I am the Lord which call thee by thy name, euen the God of Israel.

For Iaakob my seruants sake, and Israel mine elect, I will euen call thee by thy name and name thee, though thou hast not knowen me.

I am the Lord and there is none other: there is no God besides me: I girded thee though thou hast not knowen me,

That they may knowe from the rising of the sunne and from the West, that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is none other.

I forme the light and create darkenes: I make peace and create euill: I the Lord doe all these things.

Ye heauens, send the dewe from aboue, and let the cloudes droppe downe righteousnesse: let the earth open, and let saluation and iustice growe foorth: let it bring them foorth together: I the Lord haue created him.

Woe be vnto him that striueth with his maker, the potsherd with the potsherds of the earth: shall the clay say to him that facioneth it, What makest thou? or thy worke, It hath none hands?

Woe vnto him that sayeth to his father, What hast thou begotten? or to his mother, What hast thou brought foorth?

Thus saith the Lord, the holy one of Israel, and his maker, Aske me of things to come concerning my sonnes, and concerning the workes of mine hands: commande you me.

I haue made the earth, and created man vpon it: I, whose hands haue spred out the heauens, I haue euen commanded all their armie.

I haue raised him vp in righteousnesse, and I will direct all his wayes: he shall build my citie, and he shall let goe my captiues, not for price nor rewarde, saith the Lord of hostes.

Thus sayth the Lord, The labour of Egypt, and the marchandise of Ethiopia, and of the Sabeans, men of stature shall come vnto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall follow thee, and shall goe in chaines: they shall fall downe before thee, and make supplication vnto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee, and there is none other God besides.

Verely thou, O God, hidest thy selfe, O God, the Sauiour of Israel.

All they shalbe ashamed and also confounded: they shall goe to confusion together, that are the makers of images.

But Israel shall be saued in the Lord, with an euerlasting saluation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded worlde without ende.

For thus saith the Lord (that created heauen, God himselfe, that formed the earth, and made it: he that prepared it, he created it not in vaine: he formed it to be inhabited) I am the Lord, and there is none other.

I haue not spoken in secrete, neither in a place of darkenes in the earth: I saide not in vaine vnto the seede of Iaakob, Seeke you me: I the Lord doe speake righteousnesse, and declare righteous things.

Assemble your selues, and come: drawe neere together, ye abiect of the Gentiles: they haue no knowledge, that set vp the wood of their idole, and pray vnto a god, that cannot saue them.

Tell ye and bring them, and let them take counsell together, who hath declared this from the beginning? or hath tolde it of olde? Haue not I the Lord? and there is none other God beside me, a iust God, and a Sauiour: there is none beside me.

Looke vnto me, and ye shall be saued: all the endes of the earth shall be saued: for I am God, and there is none other.

I haue sworne by my selfe: the worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse, and shall not returne, That euery knee shall bowe vnto me, and euery tongue shall sweare by me.

Surely he shall say, In the Lord haue I righteousnesse and strength: he shall come vnto him, and all that prouoke him, shall be ashamed.

The whole seede of Israel shall be iustified, and glorie in the Lord.

(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