Isaiah 45:9-46:13
Young's Literal Translation
9 Wo [to] him who is striving with his Former, (A potsherd with potsherds of the ground!) Doth clay say to its Framer, `What dost thou?' And thy work, `He hath no hands?'
10 Wo [to] him who is saying to a father, `What dost thou beget?' Or to a wife, `What dost thou bring forth?
11 Thus said Jehovah, The Holy One of Israel, and his Former: Ask Me of the things coming concerning My sons, Yea, concerning the work of My hands, ye command Me.'
12 I made earth, and man on it prepared, I -- My hands stretched out the heavens, And all their host I have commanded.
13 I have stirred him up in righteousness, And all his ways I make straight, He doth build My city, and My captivity doth send out, Not for price, nor for bribe, said Jehovah of Hosts.
14 Thus said Jehovah, `The labour of Egypt, And the merchandise of Cush, And of the Sebaim -- men of measure, Unto thee pass over, and thine they are, After thee they go, in fetters they pass over, And unto thee they bow themselves, Unto thee they pray: Only in thee [is] God, And there is none else, no [other] God.
15 Surely Thou [art] a God hiding Thyself, God of Israel -- Saviour!
16 They have been ashamed, And they have even blushed -- all of them, Together gone in confusion have those carving images.
17 Israel hath been saved in Jehovah, A salvation age-during! Ye are not ashamed nor confounded Unto the ages of eternity!
18 For thus said Jehovah, Creator of heaven, He is God, Former of earth, and its Maker, He established it -- not empty He prepared it, For inhabiting He formed it: `I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else.
19 Not in secret have I spoken, in a dark place of the earth, I have not said to the seed of Jacob, In vain seek ye Me, I [am] Jehovah, speaking righteousness, Declaring uprightness.
20 Be gathered, and come in, Come nigh together, ye escaped of the nations, They have not known, Who are lifting up the wood of their graven image, And praying unto a god [that] saveth not.
21 Declare ye, and bring near, Yea, they take counsel together, Who hath proclaimed this from of old? From that time hath declared it? Is it not I -- Jehovah? And there is no other god besides Me, A God righteous and saving, there is none save Me.
22 Turn to Me, and be saved, all ends of the earth, For I [am] God, and there is none else.
23 By Myself I have sworn, Gone out from my mouth in righteousness hath a word, And it turneth not back, That to Me, bow doth every knee, every tongue swear.
24 Only in Jehovah, said hath one, Have I righteousness and strength, Unto Him he cometh in, And ashamed are all those displeased with Him.
25 In Jehovah are all the seed of Israel justified, And they boast themselves.'
46 Bowed down hath Bel, stooping is Nebo, Their idols have been for the beast and for cattle, Your burdens are loaded, a burden to the weary.
2 They have stooped, they have bowed together, They have not been able to deliver the burden, And themselves into captivity have gone.
3 Hearken unto Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of Israel, Who are borne from the belly, Who are carried from the womb,
4 Even to old age I [am] He, and to grey hairs I carry, I made, and I bear, yea, I carry and deliver.
5 To whom do ye liken Me, and make equal? And compare Me, that we may be like?
6 -- They are pouring out gold from a bag, And silver on the beam they weigh, They hire a refiner, and he maketh it a god, They fall down, yea, they bow themselves.
7 They lift him up on the shoulder, They carry him, and cause him to rest in his place, And he standeth, from his place he moveth not, Yea, one crieth unto him, and he answereth not, From his adversity he saveth him not.
8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men, Turn [it] back, O transgressors, to the heart.
9 Remember former things of old, For I [am] Mighty, and there is none else, God -- and there is none like Me.
10 Declaring from the beginning the latter end, And from of old that which hath not been done, Saying, `My counsel doth stand, And all My delight I do.'
11 Calling from the east a ravenous bird, From a far land the man of My counsel, Yea, I have spoken, yea, I bring it in, I have formed [it], yea, I do it.
12 Hearken unto Me, ye mighty in heart, Who are far from righteousness.
13 I have brought near My righteousness, It is not far off, And My salvation -- it doth not tarry, And I have given in Zion salvation, To Israel My glory!
Isaiah 45:9-46:13
New American Standard Bible
9 “Woe to the one who (A)quarrels with [a]his Maker—
A piece of pottery [b]among the other earthenware pottery pieces!
Will the (B)clay say to the [c]potter, ‘What are you doing?’
Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?
10 Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you fathering?’
Or to a woman, ‘To what are you [d]giving birth?’”
11 This is what the (C)Lord says, the Holy One of Israel and [e]his (D)Maker:
“[f](E)Ask Me about the things to come [g]concerning My (F)sons,
And you shall commit to Me (G)the work of My hands.
12 It is I who (H)made the earth, and created mankind upon it.
I (I)stretched out the heavens with My hands,
And I [h]ordained (J)all their [i]lights.
13 I have stirred him in (K)righteousness,
And I will (L)make all his ways smooth.
He will (M)build My city and let My exiles go (N)free,
Without any payment or reward,” says the Lord of armies.
14 This is what the Lord says:
“The [j]products of (O)Egypt and the merchandise of [k](P)Cush
And the Sabeans, men of stature,
Will (Q)come over to you and will be yours;
They will walk behind you, they will come over in (R)chains
And will (S)bow down to you;
They will plead with you:
‘[l](T)God certainly is [m]with you, and (U)there is no one else,
No other God.’”
15 Truly, You are a God who (V)hides Himself,
God of Israel, (W)Savior!
16 They will be (X)put to shame and even humiliated, all of them;
The (Y)manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.
17 Israel has been saved by the Lord
With an (Z)everlasting salvation;
You (AA)will not be put to shame or humiliated
To all eternity.
18 For this is what the Lord says, He who (AB)created the heavens (He is the God who (AC)formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it [n]as a (AD)waste place, but formed it to be (AE)inhabited):
“I am the Lord, and (AF)there is no one else.
19 (AG)I have not spoken in secret,
In [o]some dark land;
I did not say to the [p](AH)offspring of Jacob,
‘(AI)Seek Me in [q]a wasteland’;
I, the Lord, (AJ)speak righteousness,
(AK)Declaring things that are right.
20 “(AL)Gather yourselves and come;
Come together, you survivors of the nations!
(AM)They have no knowledge,
Who (AN)carry around [r]their wooden idol
And (AO)pray to a god who cannot save.
21 (AP)Declare and present your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
(AQ)Who has announced this long ago?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, the Lord?
And there is (AR)no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a (AS)Savior;
There is none except Me.
22 (AT)Turn to Me and (AU)be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 (AV)I have sworn by Myself;
The (AW)word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me (AX)every knee will bow, every tongue will (AY)swear allegiance.
24 They will say of Me, ‘Only (AZ)in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’
People will come to Him,
And (BA)all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
Will be (BB)justified and will (BC)boast.”
Babylon’s Idols and the True God
46 (BD)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle.
The things [s]that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary animal.
2 They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But [t]have themselves (BE)gone into captivity.
3 “(BF)Listen to Me, house of Jacob,
And all (BG)the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been (BH)carried by Me from [u]birth
And have been carried from the womb;
4 Even to your old age (BI)I [v]will be the same,
And even to your [w](BJ)graying years I will [x]carry you!
I have [y]done it, and I will bear you;
And I will [z]carry you and I will save you.
5 “(BK)To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal, and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
6 Those who (BL)lavish gold from the bag
And weigh silver on the scale,
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They (BM)bow down, indeed they worship it.
7 They (BN)lift it on the shoulder, carry it,
And set it in its place, and it stands there.
(BO)It does not move from its place.
Though one may shout to it, it (BP)cannot answer;
It (BQ)cannot save him from his distress.
8 “(BR)Remember this, and be [aa]assured;
(BS)Recall it to [ab]mind, you (BT)wrongdoers.
9 Remember the (BU)former things long past,
For I am God, and there is (BV)no other;
I am God, and there is (BW)no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘(BX)My plan will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a (BY)bird of prey from the (BZ)east,
The man of [ac]My purpose from a distant country.
Truly I have (CA)spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, I will certainly do it.
12 “(CB)Listen to Me, you (CC)stubborn-minded,
Who are (CD)far from righteousness.
13 I (CE)bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant (CF)salvation in Zion,
And My (CG)glory for Israel.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit He who formed him
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit with
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit he who formed him
- Isaiah 45:10 Lit in labor pains with
- Isaiah 45:11 Lit He who formed him
- Isaiah 45:11 Or Will you ask
- Isaiah 45:11 Or upon
- Isaiah 45:12 Or commanded
- Isaiah 45:12 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
- Isaiah 45:14 Lit labor
- Isaiah 45:14 Or Ethiopia
- Isaiah 45:14 Or God is with you alone
- Isaiah 45:14 Or in
- Isaiah 45:18 LXX in vain
- Isaiah 45:19 Lit a place of a land of darkness
- Isaiah 45:19 Lit seed
- Isaiah 45:19 Or vain
- Isaiah 45:20 Lit the wood of their carved image
- Isaiah 46:1 Lit carried by you
- Isaiah 46:2 Or their soul has
- Isaiah 46:3 Lit the belly
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit will be He
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit gray hairs
- Isaiah 46:4 Or support
- Isaiah 46:4 Or made you
- Isaiah 46:4 Or support
- Isaiah 46:8 Lit firm
- Isaiah 46:8 Lit heart
- Isaiah 46:11 Lit His
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.