Isaiah 45

God Uses Cyrus

1This is what the Lord says to 1Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right 2hand, To 3subdue nations before him And 4to 5undo the weapons belt on the waist of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:2“I will go before you and 6make the 7rough places smooth; I will 8shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron 9bars.3I will give you the 1011treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who 12calls you by your name.4For the sake of 13Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also 14called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have 15not known Me.5I am the Lord, and 16there is no one else; 17There is no God except Me. I will 1819arm you, though you have not known Me,6So that 20people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is 21no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no one else,7The One 22forming light and 23creating darkness, Causing 24well-being and 25creating disaster; I am the Lord who does all these things.

God’s Supreme Power

8“26Drip down, heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the 27earth open up and salvation bear fruit, 28And righteousness sprout with it. I, the Lord, have created it.

9“Woe to the one who 29quarrels with 30his Maker-- A piece of pottery 31among the other earthenware pottery pieces! Will the 32clay say to the 33potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?10Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you fathering?’ Or to a woman, ‘To what are you 34giving birth?’”

11This is what the 35Lord says, the Holy One of Israel and 36his 37Maker: “3839Ask Me about the things to come 40concerning My 41sons, And you shall commit to Me 42the work of My hands.12It is I who 43made the earth, and created mankind upon it. I 44stretched out the heavens with My hands, And I 45ordained 46all their 47lights.13I have stirred him in 48righteousness, And I will 49make all his ways smooth. He will 50build My city and let My exiles go 51free, Without any payment or reward,” says the Lord of armies.

14This is what the Lord says: “The 52products of 53Egypt and the merchandise of 5455Cush And the Sabeans, men of stature, Will 56come over to you and will be yours; They will walk behind you, they will come over in 57chains And will 58bow down to you; They will plead with you: ‘5960God certainly is 61with you, and 62there is no one else, No other God.’”15Truly, You are a God who 63hides Himself, God of Israel, 64Savior!16They will be 65put to shame and even humiliated, all of them; The 66manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.17Israel has been saved by the Lord With an 67everlasting salvation; You 68will not be put to shame or humiliated To all eternity.

18For this is what the Lord says, He who 69created the heavens (He is the God who 70formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it 71as a 72waste place, but formed it to be 73inhabited): “I am the Lord, and 74there is no one else.1975I have not spoken in secret, In 76some dark land; I did not say to the 7778offspring of Jacob, ‘79Seek Me in 80a wasteland’; I, the Lord, 81speak righteousness, 82Declaring things that are right.

20“83Gather yourselves and come; Come together, you survivors of the nations! 84They have no knowledge, Who 85carry around 86their wooden idol And 87pray to a god who cannot save.2188Declare and present your case; Indeed, let them consult together. 89Who has announced this long ago? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is 90no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a 91Savior; There is none except Me.2292Turn to Me and 93be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.2394I have sworn by Myself; The 95word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me 96every knee will bow, every tongue will 97swear allegiance.24They will say of Me, ‘Only 98in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’ People will come to Him, And 99all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.25In the Lord all the offspring of Israel Will be 100justified and will 101boast.”