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.

1Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:

2I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron;

3and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.

4For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

5I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God. I will gird thee, though thou hast not known me;

6that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me: I am Jehovah, and there is none else.

7I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things.

8Distil, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, that it may bring forth salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up together; I, Jehovah, have created it.

9Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

10Woe unto him that saith unto a father, What begettest thou? or to a woman, With what travailest thou?

11Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask me of the things that are to come; concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands, command ye me.

12I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens; and all their host have I commanded.

13I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts.

14Thus saith Jehovah, The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall go after thee, in chains they shall come over; and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.

15Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.

16They shall be put to shame, yea, confounded, all of them; they shall go into confusion together that are makers of idols.

17But Israel shall be saved by Jehovah with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be put to shame nor confounded world without end.

18For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a waste, that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.

19I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness; I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I, Jehovah, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

20Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.

21Declare ye, and bring it forth; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath showed this from ancient time? who hath declared it of old? have not I, Jehovah? and there is no God else besides me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none besides me.

22Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.

23By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

24Only in Jehovah, it is said of me, is righteousness and strength; even to him shall men come; and all they that were incensed against him shall be put to shame.

25In Jehovah shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.