Isaiah 45
1 Cyrus is the one whom Yahweh has appointed [to be the emperor of Persia] and to whom he will give great power [IDM]; Yahweh will enable him to defeat other nations and to take away the power of their kings. He will cause gates of cities to be opened, and no one will ever be able to shut them.
This is what Yahweh says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold, in order to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, and to open the doors before him, so that gates remain open:
2 This is what Yahweh says to him: “Cyrus, I will go ahead of you and level the mountains. I will smash down bronze gates and cut through iron bars.
“I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut in pieces their iron bars,
3 I will give you treasures [that people have hidden] in dark secret places [DOU]. I will do that in order that you will know that I am Yahweh, the God to whom the Israelis belong, the God who calls you by your name.
and I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches hidden away, that you may know that it is I, Yahweh, who call you by your name, I, the God of Israel.
4 I have summoned you, calling out your name, for the sake of [the people of] Israel [DOU] whom I have chosen, who serve me. Even though you do not know me, I will give you a title which has great honor.
For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called you by your name, giving you a title of honor, though you have not known me.
5 I am Yahweh, and there is no other God [DOU]. Even though you do not know me, I will give you power
I am Yahweh, and there is no other; there is no God but me. I will arm you for battle, though you have not known me;
6 in order that everyone in the world, from the east to the west, will know that there is no other [God]. I am Yahweh, and there is no other [God].
that people may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is no god but me: I am Yahweh, and there is no other.
7 I created the light and the darkness. I cause there to be peace and I cause there to be disasters. I, Yahweh, do all those things.”
I form the light and create darkness; I bring peace and create disaster; I am Yahweh, who does all these things.
8 [And Yahweh also says, “I want my] rescue [of my people] [MET] to fall from the sky like rain. Just like the earth opens wide to accept rain, I will rescue/save my people and cause them to be treated justly. I, Yahweh, am the one who will cause both of those things to happen.
You heavens, rain down from above! Let the skies rain down righteousness. Let the earth absorb it, that salvation may sprout up, and righteousness spring up together with it. I, Yahweh, have created them both.
9 Terrible things will happen to those who argue with me, the one who created them. [They are like] [MET] a clay pot and [I am like] the one who made it; so they certainly cannot [RHQ] criticize me. A lump of clay certainly cannot [RHQ] argue with the one who shapes it [to form a pot], saying, ‘Why are you making me like this?’ The pot cannot say ‘[You have no skill, because] what you made has no handles!’
Woe to anyone who argues with the one who formed him, to him who is like any other earthen pot among all the earthen pots in the ground! Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has no handles on it'?
10 And it would be terrible if an unborn baby would say to its father, ‘Why are you [RHQ] causing me to be born?’ or if it said to its mother, ‘The result of your labor pains will be useless?’”
Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you fathering?' or to a woman, 'What are you giving birth to?'
11 Yahweh, the Holy One of the Israeli people, the one who created Israel, says this to them: “(Why do you ask questions about [what I do for you], my children?/You should not ask questions about [what I do for you], my children.) [RHQ] (Why do you tell me about the work that I should do?/You should not tell me about the work that I should do.) [RHQ]
This is what Yahweh says, the Holy One of Israel, his Maker: 'Why do you ask questions about what I will do for my children? Do you tell me what to do concerning the work of my hands?'
12 I am the one who created the earth and created people to live on it. I stretched out the sky with my hands, and I put the stars in their places.
'I made the earth and created man on it. It was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all the stars to appear.
13 And I will appoint Cyrus to do things that are right/just, and I will enable him to do all those things easily [MET]. His [workers] will rebuild my city, and he will free my people who have been (exiled/forced to leave their country). And he will do it without my rewarding/paying him! [Those things will surely happen because] I, the Commander of the armies of angels, have said it.
I stirred Cyrus up in righteousness, and I will smooth out all his paths. He will build my city; he will let my exiled people go home, and not for price nor bribe,'” says Yahweh of hosts.
14 And this is [also] what [I], Yahweh, say [to you, my people]: ‘You will rule the people of Egypt and Ethiopia, and the tall people of Seba [in Arabia] will become your slaves. They will come to you bringing all the things that they sell, and it will all be yours. [As prisoners], they will have chains on their arms as they follow you. They will prostrate themselves in front of you and say, “God is with/helping you and he is the only God; there is no other God.” '”
This is what Yahweh says, “The earnings of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush with the Sabeans, men of tall stature, will be brought to you. They will be yours. They will follow after you, coming in chains. They will bow down to you and plead with you saying, 'Surely God is with you, and there is no other except him.'”
15 God, although we cannot see you, you are the one to whom [we] Israeli people belong, the one who saves us.
Truly you are a God who hides yourself, God of Israel, Savior.
16 All those who make idols will be humiliated. They will all be disgraced together.
They will all be ashamed and disgraced together; those who carve idols will walk in humiliation.
17 But you, Yahweh, will rescue [us, your] Israeli people, and we will be free forever. Never again will we again be humiliated and disgraced.
But Israel will be saved by Yahweh with an everlasting salvation; you will never again be ashamed or humiliated.
18 Yahweh is God; he is the one who created the sky and created and formed the earth. He did not want it to remain with nothing living on it; he wanted people to live on it. [He says], “I am Yahweh; there is no other [God].
This is what Yahweh says, who created the heavens, the true God who created the earth and made it, who established it. He created it, not as a waste, but designed it to be inhabited: “I am Yahweh, and there is no other.
19 [What I proclaimed], I did not speak secretly or [hide what I was saying by speaking] in a dark place. When I spoke to the descendants of Jacob, I did not tell them ‘It will be useless for you to (seek for/pray to) me!’ I, Yahweh, speak [only] what is true and what is right.
I have not spoken in private, in some hidden place; I did not say to Jacob's descendants, 'Seek me in vain!' I am Yahweh, who speaks sincerely; I declare the things that are right.
20 You people who are still alive after experiencing great disasters, should come and gather together [and listen to this]: The people who carry around their wooden idols and pray to them are foolish, because those idols cannot rescue them!
Assemble yourselves and come! Gather together, you refugees from among the nations! They have no knowledge, those who carry carved images and pray to gods that cannot save.
21 Talk among yourselves, and decide what you will say to prove that [your praying to idols is good]. [And when you do that, I will ask you], ‘Who predicted long ago [what has now happened]? Did any idol tell you [that those things would happen] [RHQ]?’ No, it was [RHQ] only I, Yahweh, who told you, because I am the only God; there is no other God. I am a God who acts righteously and saves people; there is no other one [who does these things].
Come close and declare it to me, bring the evidence! Let them conspire together. Who has shown this from long ago? Who announced it? Was it not I, Yahweh? There is no God except me, a just God and a Savior; there is no one besides me.
22 Everyone in the world should ask me to save them, because I am the only God who can do that; there is no other one.
Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
23 I have solemnly declared, using my own name; I [SYN] have spoken what is true, and I will never change what I have said: [Some day], everyone [SYN] will bow in front of me, and they will all solemnly promise to be loyal to me.
By myself I swear, speaking my just decree, and it will not turn back: 'To me every knee will bend, every tongue will swear.
24 They will declare, ‘Yahweh is the one who enables us to live righteously and to be strong.’” And all those who have been angry at him will come to him, and they will be ashamed [for having been angry with him].
They will say of me, “In Yahweh alone are salvation and strength.”'” They will all be ashamed who are angry at him.
25 Yahweh is the only one who will enable [us] Israeli people in the future to defeat our enemies, [and then] we will boast about what he [has done for us].
In Yahweh all the descendants of Israel will be justified; they will take pride in him.
