Isaiah 45:11-18

11The Lord is Israel's Holy God. He is the one who created Israel. He says this about the things that will happen: ‘You should not ask me questions about my children. You should not tell me what to do with the people that I have made

12It is I who made the earth. I created the people who live on it. I hung up the sky like a curtain. I did that with my own hands! I put all the stars in their places.

13Now I have woken up Cyrus to do for me things that are right. I will make all his paths easy to travel on. He will build again my city, and he will make my people free to return home. Nobody will have to pay him any money or give him a bribe to do that.’ That is what the Lord Almighty says.

14This is what the Lord says to his people: ‘I promise you that you will rule Egypt and Ethiopia, and also those tall people from Seba. They will bring to you the things that they buy and sell. Those valuable things will belong to you. They will walk behind you in chains, as your slaves. They will bend down low in front of you, and they will even pray to you. They will agree, “Surely God is with you. There is nobody else like him. There is no other God.” ’

15Yes, you are a God who hides yourself! You are Israel's God, our Saviour!

16People who make idols will all become ashamed. People will insult them as they leave together.

17The Lord will make Israel safe. Israel will be safe and free for ever. You will never be ashamed again. People will never insult you again.

18The Lord created the heavens. He is the true God. He created the earth and he put it in its place. He built it to be strong. He did not create it as an empty place. He made it for people to live there. He says, ‘I am the Lord. There is nobody else who is like me.