God Uses Cyrus

45 This is what the Lord says to (A)Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken by the right (B)hand,
To (C)subdue nations before him
And [a]to (D)undo the weapons belt on the waist of kings;
To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
“I will go before you and (E)make the [b]rough places smooth;
I will (F)shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron (G)bars.
I will give you the [c](H)treasures of darkness
And hidden wealth of secret places,
So that you may know that it is I,
The Lord, the God of Israel, who (I)calls you by your name.
For the sake of (J)Jacob My servant,
And Israel My chosen one,
I have also (K)called you by your name;
I have given you a title of honor
Though you have (L)not known Me.
I am the Lord, and (M)there is no one else;
(N)There is no God except Me.
I will (O)[d]arm you, though you have not known Me,
So that (P)people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is (Q)no one besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no one else,
The One (R)forming light and (S)creating darkness,
Causing [e]well-being and (T)creating disaster;
I am the Lord who does all these things.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:1 Lit I will loose
  2. Isaiah 45:2 Another reading is mountains
  3. Isaiah 45:3 Or hoarded treasures
  4. Isaiah 45:5 Or embrace
  5. Isaiah 45:7 Or peace

Israel’s Obstinacy

48 (A)Hear this, house of Jacob, who are named Israel
And who came from the (B)waters of Judah,
Who (C)swear by the name of the Lord
And invoke the God of Israel,
But not in truth nor in (D)righteousness.
For they name themselves after the (E)holy city,
And (F)lean on the God of Israel;
The Lord of armies is His name.
I (G)declared the former things long ago,
And they went out of My mouth, and I proclaimed them.
(H)Suddenly I acted, and they (I)came to pass.
Because I know that you are [a](J)obstinate,
And your (K)neck is an iron tendon
And your (L)forehead bronze,
Therefore I declared them to you long ago,
Before [b]they took place I proclaimed them to you,
So that you would not say, ‘My (M)idol has done them,
And my carved image and my cast metal image have commanded them.’
You have heard; look at all this.
And you, will you not declare it?
I proclaim to you (N)new things from this time,
Hidden things which you have not known.
They are created now and not long ago;
And before today you have not heard them,
So that you will not say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
You have not (O)heard, you have not known.
Even from long ago your ear has not been open,
Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously;
And you have been called a [c](P)rebel from [d]birth.
(Q)For the sake of My name I (R)delay My wrath,
And for My praise I restrain it for you,
In order not to cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but (S)not as silver;
I have tested you in the (T)furnace of affliction.
11 (U)For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;
For how can My name be profaned?
And I will not give My (V)glory to another.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 48:4 Or harsh
  2. Isaiah 48:5 Lit it
  3. Isaiah 48:8 Or transgressor
  4. Isaiah 48:8 Lit the belly

Bible Gateway Recommends