Isaiah 45

¹Thus says the Lord to his anointed , to Cyrus , whose right hand I have grasped , to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings , to open doors before him that gates may not be closed :

²I will go before you and level the exalted places , I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron ,

³I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places , that you may know that it is I , the Lord, the God of Israel , who call you by your name .

⁴For the sake of my servant Jacob , and Israel my chosen , I call you by your name , I name you, though you do not know me.

⁵I am the Lord, and there is no other , besides me there is no God ; I equip you, though you do not know me,

⁶that people may know , from the rising of the sun and from the west , that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other .

⁷I form light and create darkness , I make well-being and create calamity , I am the Lord, who does all these things .

⁸Shower , O heavens , from above , and let the clouds rain down righteousness ; let the earth open , that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit ; let the earth cause them both to sprout ; I the Lord have created it.

⁹Woe to him who strives with him who formed him , a pot among earthen pots ! Does the clay say to him who forms it, What are you making ? or Your work has no handles ?

¹⁰Woe to him who says to a father , What are you begetting ? or to a woman , With what are you in labor ?

¹¹Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel , and the one who formed him : Ask me of things to come ; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands ?

¹²I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens , and I commanded all their host .

¹³I have stirred him up in righteousness , and I will make all his ways level ; he shall build my city and set my exiles free , not for price or reward , says the Lord of hosts .

¹⁴Thus says the Lord: The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush , and the Sabeans , men of stature , shall come over to you and be yours; they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you, saying: Surely God is in you, and there is no other , no god besides him.

¹⁵Truly , you are a God who hides himself , O God of Israel , the Savior .

¹⁶All of them are put to shame and confounded ; the makers of idols go in confusion together .

¹⁷But Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation ; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity .

¹⁸For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God !), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty , he formed it to be inhabited !): I am the Lord, and there is no other .

¹⁹I did not speak in secret , in a land of darkness ; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob , Seek me in vain . I the Lord speak the truth ; I declare what is right .

²⁰Assemble yourselves and come ; draw near together , you survivors of the nations ! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols , and keep on praying to a god that cannot save .

²¹Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together ! Who told this long ago ? Who declared it of old ? Was it not I , the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior ; there is none besides me.

²²Turn to me and be saved , all the ends of the earth ! For I am God , and there is no other .

²³By myself I have sworn ; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return : To me every knee shall bow , every tongue shall swear allegiance.

²⁴Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength ; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.

²⁵In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory .