Chapter 45

Isaiah

1Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus,whose right hand I have grasped,to subdue nations before himand to loose the belts of kings,to open doors before himthat gates may not be closed:2“I will go before youand level the exalted places,I will break in pieces the doors of bronzeand cut through the bars of iron,3I will give you the treasures of darknessand 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 sunand 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.8“Shower, 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.9“Woe 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 earthand 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 cityand 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 LORDwith everlasting salvation;you shall not be put to shame or confoundedto 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.20“Assemble yourselves and come;draw near together,you survivors of the nations!They have no knowledgewho carry about their wooden idols,and keep on praying to a godthat 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.22“Turn 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 righteousnessa word that shall not return:‘To me every knee shall bow,every tongue shall swear allegiance.’24“Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me,are righteousness and strength;to him shall come and be ashamedall who were incensed against him.25In the LORD all the offspring of Israelshall be justified and shall glory.”

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.