Isaiah, chapter 45

Cyrus Obeys the Lord's Commands

The Lord said to Cyrus, his chosen oneP:

I have taken hold of your right hand

to help you capture nations

and remove kings from power.

City gates will open for you; not one will stay closed.

²As I lead you, I will level mountains*

and break the iron bars on bronze gates of cities.

³I will give you treasures hidden in dark

and secret places.

Then you will know that I, the Lord God of Israel,

have called you by name.

⁴Cyrus, you don't even know me!

But I have called you by name and highly honored you*

because of Israel, my chosen servantP.

⁵Only I am the Lord! There are no other gods.

I have made you strong, though you don't know me.

⁶ CNow everyone from east to west

will learn that I am the Lord.

No other gods are real.

⁷I create light and darkness, happiness and sorrow.

I, the Lord, do all this.

⁸Tell the heavens to send down justice

like showers of rain.

Prepare the earth for my saving power to sproutI

and produce justice that I, the Lord, create.*

The Lord's Mighty Power

⁹ C Israel, you have no right to argue with your Creator.

You are merely a clay pot shaped by a potter.

The clay doesn't ask, “Why did you make me this way?

Where are the handles?”

¹⁰Children don't have the right to demand of their parents,

“What have you done to make us what we are?”

¹¹I am the Lord, the Creator, the holy GodI of Israel.

Do you dare question me about my own nation

or about what I have done?

¹²I created the world and covered it with people;

I stretched out the sky and filled it with stars.

¹³I have done the right thing by placing Cyrus in powerH,

and I will make the roads easy for him to follow.

I am the Lord All-Powerful! Cyrus will rebuild my city

and set my people free without being paid a thing.

I, the Lord, have spoken.

The Lord Alone Can Save

¹⁴My people, I, the Lord, promise

that the riches of Egypt and the treasures of Ethiopia*

will belong to you.

You will force into slavery those tall people of SebaG.

They will bow down and say,

“The only true God is with you;

there are no other gods.”

¹⁵People of Israel, your God is a mystery,

though he alone can save.

¹⁶ CAnyone who makes idols will be confused

and terribly disgraced.

¹⁷ CBut Israel, I, the Lord, will always keep you safe

and free from shame.

Everyone Is Invited

¹⁸The Lord alone is GodI! He created the heavens

and made a world where people can live,

instead of creating an empty desert.

The Lord alone is God; there are no others.

¹⁹The Lord did not speak in a dark secret place

or command Jacob's descendantsP

to search for him in vain.

The Lord speaks the truth, and this is what he says

²⁰to every survivor from every nation:

“Gather around me! Learn how senseless it is

to worship wooden idols or pray to helpless gods.

²¹“Why don't you get together and meet me in court?

Didn't I tell you long ago what would happenH?

I am the only God! There are no others.

I bring about justice, and have the power to save.

I am the only God! There are no others. I bring about justice, and have the power to save.

— Isa 45.21

²²“I invite the whole world to turn to me and be saved.

I alone am God! No others are real.

²³ C I have made a solemn promise, one that won't be broken:

Everyone will bow down and worship me.

²⁴They will admit that I alone can bring about justiceI.

Everyone who is angry with me will be terribly ashamed

and will turn to me.

²⁵I, the Lord, will give victory and great honor

to the people of Israel.”