< Isaiah 45 >

1 Thus said YHWH, To His anointed, to Cyrus, Whose right hand I have laid hold on, To subdue nations before him, Indeed, I loose loins of kings, To open double doors before him, Indeed, gates are not shut: 2 “I go before you, and make crooked places straight, I shatter doors of bronze, And I cut bars of iron apart, 3 And have given to you treasures of darkness, Even treasures of secret places, So that you know that I, YHWH, Who am calling on your name—[am] the God of Israel. 4 For the sake of My servant Jacob, And of Israel My chosen, I also call you by your name, I surname you, And you have not known Me. 5 I [am] YHWH, and there is none else, There is no God except Me, I gird you, and you have not known Me. 6 So that they know from the rising of the sun, And from the west, that there is none besides Me, I [am] YHWH, and there is none else, 7 Forming light, and creating darkness, Making peace, and creating calamity, I [am] YHWH, doing all these things. 8 Drop, you heavens, from above, And clouds cause righteousness to flow, Earth opens, and they are fruitful, Salvation and righteousness spring up together, I, YHWH, have created it. 9 Woe [to] him who is striving with his Former (A potsherd with potsherds of the ground!) Does clay say to its Framer, What [are] you doing? And your work, He has no hands? 10 Woe [to] him who is saying to a father, What do you beget? Or to a wife, What do you bring forth?” 11 Thus said YHWH, The Holy One of Israel, and his Former: “Ask Me of the things coming concerning My sons, Indeed, concerning the work of My hands, you command Me. 12 I made earth, and created man on it, My hands stretched out the heavens, And I have commanded all their host. 13 I have stirred him up in righteousness, And I make all his ways straight, He builds My city, and sends out My captivity, Not for price, nor for bribe,” said YHWH of Hosts. 14 Thus said YHWH: “The labor of Egypt, And the merchandise of Cush, And of the Sebaim—men of measure, Pass over to you, and they are yours, They go after you, they pass over in chains, And they bow themselves to you, They pray to you: Surely God [is] in you, And there is none else, no [other] God.” 15 Surely You [are] a God hiding Yourself, God of Israel—Savior! 16 They have been ashamed, And they have even blushed—all of them, Those carving images have gone together in confusion. 17 Israel has been saved in YHWH, A perpetual salvation! You are not ashamed nor confounded For all ages of eternity! 18 For thus said YHWH, Creator of the heavens, He is God, Former of earth, and its Maker, He established it—He did not create it empty, For He formed it to be inhabited: “I [am] YHWH, and there is none else. 19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth, I have not said to the seed of Jacob, Seek Me in vain, I [am] YHWH, speaking righteousness, Declaring uprightness. 20 Be gathered, and come in, Come near together, you escaped of the nations, They have not known, Who are lifting up the wood of their carved image, And praying to a god [that] does not save. 21 Declare, and bring near, Indeed, they take counsel together, Who has proclaimed this from of old? [Who] has declared it from that time? Is it not I—YHWH? And there is no other god besides Me, A God righteous and saving, there is none except Me. 22 Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth, For I [am] God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by Myself, A word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness, And it does not return, That to Me, every knee bows, every tongue swears. 24 Only in YHWH, one has said, Do I have righteousness and strength, He comes to Him, And all those displeased with Him are ashamed. 25 In YHWH are all the seed of Israel justified, And they boast themselves.”

< Isaiah 45 >