Isaiah

God Calls Cyrus

1This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed,whose right hand I have graspedto subdue nations before him,to disarm kings,to open the doors before him,so that the gates will not be shut:

2“I will go before youand level the mountains;I will break down the gates of bronzeand cut through the bars of iron.

3I will give you the treasures of darknessand the riches hidden in secret places,so that you may know that I am the LORD,the God of Israel, who calls you by name.

4For the sake of Jacob My servantand Israel My chosen one,I call you by name;I have given you a title of honor, though you have not known Me.

5I am the LORD, and there is no other;there is no God but Me.I will equip you for battle,though you have not known Me,

6so that all may know,from where the sun rises to where it sets,that there is none but Me;I am the LORD, and there is no other.

7I form the light and create the darkness;I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.

8Drip down, O heavens, from above,and let the skies pour down righteousness.Let the earth open up that salvation may sproutand righteousness spring up with it; I, the LORD, have created it.

9Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker—one clay pot among many.Does the clay ask the potter,‘What are you making?’Does your work say,‘He has no hands’?

10Woe to him who says to his father,‘What have you begotten?’or to his mother,‘What have you brought forth?’”

11Thus says the LORD,the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: “Concerning things to come, do you question Me about My sons,or instruct Me in the work of My hands?

12It is I who made the earthand created man upon it.It was My hands that stretched out the heavens,and I ordained all their host.

13I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness,and I will make all his ways straight.He will rebuild My cityand set My exiles free,but not for payment or reward,says the LORD of Hosts.”

14This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,along with the Sabeans, men of stature,will come over to youand will be yours;they will trudge behind you;they will come over in chains and bow down to you.They will confess to you:‘God is indeed with you, and there is no other; there is no other God.’”

15Truly You are a God who hides Himself,O God of Israel, the Savior.

16They will all be put to shame and humiliated;the makers of idols will depart together in disgrace.

17But Israel will be saved by the LORDwith an everlasting salvation;you will not be put to shame or humiliated,to ages everlasting.

18For thus says the LORD,who created the heavens—He is God;He formed the earth and fashioned it;He established it;He did not create it to be empty,but formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD,and there is no other.

19I have not spoken in secret,from a place in a land of darkness.I did not say to the descendants of Jacob,‘Seek Me in a wasteland.’I, the LORD, speak the truth;I say what is right.

20Come, gather together, and draw near,you fugitives from the nations.Ignorant are those who carry idols of woodand pray to a god that cannot save.

21Speak up and present your case—yes, let them take counsel together.Who foretold this long ago?Who announced it from ancient times?Was it not I, the LORD?There is no other God but Me,a righteous God and Savior;there is none but 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;truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked:Every knee will bow before Me,every tongue will swear allegiance.

24Surely they will say of Me,‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’” All who rage against Himwill come to Him and be put to shame.

25In the LORD all descendants of Israelwill be justified and will exult.

1The LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their armor, to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:

2“I will go before youand make the rough places smooth.I will break the doors of bronze in piecesand cut apart the bars of iron.

3I will give you the treasures of darknessand hidden riches of secret places,that you may know that it is I, the LORD, who calls you by your name,even the God of Israel.

4For Jacob my servant’s sake,and Israel my chosen,I have called you by your name.I have given you a title, though you have not known me.

5I am the LORD, and there is no one else.Besides me, there is no God.I will strengthenyou,though you have not known me,

6that they may know from the rising of the sun,and from the west,that there is no one besides me.I am the LORD, and there is no one else.

7I form the lightand create darkness.I make peaceand create calamity.I am the LORD,who does all these things.

8Rain, you heavens, from above,and let the skies pour down righteousness.Let the earth open, that it may produce salvation,and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it.I, the LORD, have created it.

9Woe to him who strives with his Maker—a clay pot among the clay pots of the earth!Shall the clay ask him who fashions it, ‘What are you making?’or your work, ‘He has no hands’?

10Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What have you become the father of?’or to a mother, ‘What have you given birth to?’”

11The LORD, the Holy One of Israeland his Maker says:“You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons,and you command me concerning the work of my hands!

12I have made the earth, and created man on it.I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens. I have commanded all their army.

13I have raised him up in righteousness,and I will make all his ways straight.He shall build my city,and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward,” says the LORD of Armies.

14The LORD says: “The labor of Egypt,and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you, and they will be yours.They will go after you.They shall come over in chains. They will bow down to you.They will make supplication to you:‘Surely God is in you; and there is no one else. There is no other god.

15Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself,God of Israel, the Savior.’”

16They will be disappointed,yes, confounded, all of them. Those who are makers of idols will go into confusion together.

17Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation.You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.

18For the LORD who created the heavens,the God who formed the earth and made it, who established it and didn’t create it a waste, who formed it to be inhabited says:“I am the LORD.There is no other.

19I have not spoken in secret,in a place of the land of darkness.I didn’t say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’I, the LORD, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right.

20“Assemble yourselves and come.Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations.Those have no knowledge who carry the wood of their engraved image,and pray to a god that can’t save.

21Declare and present it.Yes, let them take counsel together.Who has shown this from ancient time?Who has declared it of old? Haven’t I, the LORD?There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior.There is no one besides me.

22“Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth;for I am God, and there is no other.

23I have sworn by myself.The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not be revoked,that to me every knee shall bow,every tongue shall take an oath.

24They will say of me,‘There is righteousness and strength only in the LORD.’”Even to him will men come.All those who raged against him will be disappointed.

25All the offspring of Israel will be justified in the LORD,and will rejoice!