Isaiah 45

1Yahweh 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: 2and make the rough places smooth. and cut apart the bars of iron. “I will go before you, I will break the doors of brass in pieces, 3and hidden riches of secret places, even the God of Israel. I will give you the treasures of darkness, that you may know that it is I, Yahweh, who call you by your name, 4and Israel my chosen, I have given you a title, though you have not known me. For Jacob my servant’s sake, I have called you by your name. 5Besides me, there is no God. though you have not known me; I am Yahweh, and there is no one else. * you, 6and from the west, I am Yahweh, and there is no one else. that they may know from the rising of the sun, that there is no one besides me. 7and create darkness. and create calamity. who does all these things. I form the light, I make peace, I am Yahweh, 8and let the skies pour down righteousness. and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it. Rain, you heavens, from above, Let the earth open, that it may produce salvation, I, Yahweh, have created it. 9a clay pot among the clay pots of the earth! or your work, ‘He has no hands?’ Woe to him who strives with his Maker— Shall the clay ask him who fashions it, ‘What are you making?’ 10or to a mother, ‘To what have you given birth?’” Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What have you become the father of?’ 11and his Maker says: and you command me concerning the work of my hands! Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, “You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons, 12I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens; and I have commanded all their army. I have made the earth, and created man on it. 13and I will make straight all his ways. and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward,” says Yahweh of Armies. I have raised him up in righteousness, He shall build my city, 14and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you, and they shall be yours. They shall come over in chains; and they will bow down to you. ‘Surely God is in you; and there is no one else. There is no other god. Yahweh says: “The labor of Egypt, They will go after you. They will make supplication to you: 15God of Israel, the Savior.’” Most certainly you are a God who hidden yourself, 16yes, confounded, all of them. Those who are makers of idols will go into confusion together. They will be disappointed, 17You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting. Israel will be saved by Yahweh with an everlasting salvation. 18the 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: and there is no other. For Yahweh who created the heavens, “I am Yahweh; 19in a place of the land of darkness. I, Yahweh, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right. I have not spoken in secret, * of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ 20Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. and pray to a god that can’t save. “Assemble yourselves and come. Those have no knowledge who carry the wood of their engraved image, 21Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared it of old? Haven’t I, Yahweh? There is no one besides me. Declare and present it. Who has shown this from ancient time? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior; 22for I am God, and there is no other. “Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; 23The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not be revoked, every tongue shall take an oath. I have sworn by myself. that to me every knee shall bow, 24‘There is righteousness and strength only in Yahweh.’” and all those who raged against him shall be disappointed. They will say of me, Even to him shall men come; 25and will rejoice! All the offspring * of Israel will be justified in Yahweh,