耶和华使塞鲁士兴起

45 “我耶和华膏立塞鲁士为王,
我牵着他的右手帮助他征服列国、降服列王;
我使城门洞开,
让他通行无阻。
我对他说,
‘我要走在你前面,
为你铲平高山,
打破铜门,
砍断铁闩。
我要把隐藏的宝物和秘密收藏的财富赐给你,
好叫你知道点名呼召你的是我——以色列的上帝耶和华。
虽然你不认识我,
但为了我的仆人雅各,
我所拣选的以色列,
我还是点名呼召你,
赐给你一个尊贵的名号。
我是独一无二的耶和华,
除我以外再没有上帝。
虽然你不认识我,
但我还是赐你力量。
这样,从日出之地到日落之处,
普天下都知道除我以外,
别无他神,
我耶和华独一无二。
我造光明,也造黑暗;
赐平安,也降灾祸。
这一切都是我耶和华的作为。

“‘我使诸天降下甘露,
云彩降下公义,
使大地裂开,
萌生拯救和公义,
这是我耶和华的作为。’

“跟造物主争辩的人有祸了!
他不过是世上瓦器中的一件。
陶泥怎能对陶匠说,‘你在做什么’?
受造之物怎能说,‘造我的没手艺’?
10 对父亲说‘你生的是什么’
或对母亲说‘你产的是什么’的人有祸了!”
11 耶和华——以色列的圣者和创造主说:
“你们就我子民将来的事质问我吗?
你们发号施令要告诉我如何做吗?
12 是我造了大地,又造了地上的人;
我亲手铺展穹苍,
布置天上的万象。
13 我凭公义使塞鲁士王兴起,
我要让他的道路畅通无阻。
他必重建我的城,
释放我被掳的子民,
不是为了得报酬或奖赏。
这是万军之耶和华说的。”

14 耶和华说:
“埃及的出产和古实的货物必归你所有。
身材高大的西巴人必来归附你,
戴着锁链跟在你身后。
他们要向你下拜,
在你面前恳求,
并说,‘上帝真的与你们同在,
祂独一无二,除祂以外,
别无他神。’”
15 救主——以色列的上帝啊,
你真是一位隐藏自己的上帝。
16 制造偶像的都必蒙羞受辱,
一同惭愧。
17 但以色列必蒙耶和华拯救,
享受永远的救恩,
永远不会再蒙羞受辱。

18 创造诸天、塑造和建立大地给人居住、没有使地荒凉的耶和华上帝说:
“我是耶和华,是独一无二的上帝。
19 我没有在隐秘处暗暗地说话,
我没有对雅各的后裔说,
‘你们找不到我。’
我耶和华宣扬真理,
传讲正义。

20 “列国的流亡者啊,
你们要聚集到这里来。
那些抬着木头神像、
向不能救人的神明祷告的人真愚昧!
21 你们要彼此商议,
陈明你们的理由。
谁早已预言过今天发生的事?
谁很久以前就说过这些预言?
难道不是我耶和华吗?
除我以外别无他神。
我是公义的上帝,我是救主,
除我以外别无他神。
22 普世的人啊,归向我吧,
你们必蒙拯救,
因为我是独一无二的上帝。
23 我凭自己起誓,
我口中的话真实可靠,绝不更改,
‘万膝必向我跪拜,
万口必起誓效忠于我。’
24 他们必说,
‘只有耶和华那里才有公义和能力。’”
向祂发怒的必在祂面前蒙羞。
25 以色列的后裔必被耶和华称为义人,得到荣耀。

God Chooses Cyrus to Free Israel

45 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus [44:28], his ·appointed king [anointed one; messiah]:
    “I hold your right hand
and will help you ·defeat [subdue] nations
    and ·take away other kings’ power [or remove kings’ armor; L open the loins of kings].
I will open doors for you
    so city gates will not ·stop you [be shut].
I will go before you
    and ·make the mountains flat [level mountains; 40:4].
I will ·break down [shatter; smash] the bronze gates of the cities
    and cut through their iron bars.
I will give you the ·wealth that is stored away [L treasures of darkness]
    and the ·hidden riches [hoards in secret places]
so you will know I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
I do these things for ·my servants, the people of Jacob [L the sake of Jacob my servant],
    and for ·my chosen people, the Israelites [Israel, my chosen].
·Cyrus, I call [L I call] you by name,
    and I give you a title of honor even though you don’t know me.
I am the Lord. There is no other God;
    I am the only God.
I will ·make you strong [or arm you for battle; L gird you],
    even though you don’t know me,
so that everyone will know
    there is ·no other God [none besides me].
From the ·east [rising of the sun] to ·the west [its setting] they will know
    I alone am the Lord.
I make the light
    and create the darkness.
I bring ·peace [prosperity; wholeness; C Hebrew shalom], and I ·cause [create] ·troubles [disaster; calamity].
    I, the Lord, do all these things.

“·Sky [Heavens] above, make ·victory [or righteousness] fall like rain;
    clouds, pour down ·victory [or righteousness].
Let the earth ·receive it [open up],
    and let salvation grow,
and let ·victory [or righteousness] grow with it.
    I, the Lord, have created it.

“·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] those who argue with ·the God who made them [their Maker].
    ·They are like a piece of broken pottery [L A potsherd] among ·many pieces [L potsherds of the earth].
·The clay does not [L Does the clay…?] ask the potter [64:8; Rom. 9:20],
    ‘What are you doing?’
The thing that is made doesn’t say to its maker,
    ‘You have no ·hands [or skill].’
10 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the child who says to his father,
    ‘·Why are you giving me life [or What have you fathered]?’
·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the child who says to his mother,
    ‘·Why are you giving birth to me [or What have you given birth to]?’”

11 This is what the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel [1:4], and its Maker, says:
“You ask me about what will happen.
    ·You [or Do you…?; or How dare you…!] question me about my children.
    ·You [or Do you…?; or How dare you…!] give me orders about ·what I have made [the work of my hands].
12 I made the earth
    and all the people living on it.
With my own hands I stretched out the ·skies [heavens],
    and I commanded all ·the armies in the sky [or the stars in the sky; T their host].
13 I will ·bring [raise/stir up] ·Cyrus [L him; 44:28] ·to do good things [or for my righteous purpose; in my righteousness],
    and I will make his ·work easy [ways/paths straight].
He will rebuild my city
    and set my ·people [L exiles] free
without any payment or ·reward [gift; or bribe].
    The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says this.”

14 The Lord says,
“The ·goods made in [L labor of] Egypt and the ·products [merchandise; or revenue] of ·Cush [Ethiopia]
    and the tall people of Seba [43:3]
will ·come to [or be brought to] you
    and will become yours.
·The Sabeans [L They] will walk behind you,
    coming along in chains [C Israel is depicted as a great empire, receiving tribute from other nations].
They will bow down before you
    and pray to you [C because they recognize Israel as God’s representative], saying,
‘God is with you,
    and there is no other God.’”

15 God and Savior of Israel,
    ·you are [or how, then, can you be…?] a God ·that people cannot see [L who hides himself].
16 All the people who make idols will be put to great shame;
    they will go off together in ·disgrace [humiliation; or confusion].
17 But Israel will be saved by the Lord,
    and that salvation will continue forever.
Never again will Israel be ·put to shame [shamed; disgraced].

18 The Lord created the heavens.
    He is the God who formed the earth and made it.
He did not ·want [create] it to be ·empty [or formless; chaotic; Gen. 1:2],
    but he ·wanted life on the earth [L formed it to be inhabited].
This is what the Lord says:
    “I am the Lord. There is no other God.
19 I did not speak in secret
    or hide my words in some dark place.
I did not tell the ·family [descendants; offspring; seed] of Jacob
    to ·look for me in empty places [or seek me in vain].
I am the Lord, and I speak the truth;
    I say what is right.

20 “You ·people who have escaped [fugitives; refugees] from other nations,
    gather together and come before me;
    come near together.
People who carry idols of wood ·don’t know what they are doing [know nothing; or are fools].
    They pray to a god who cannot save them.
21 ·Tell these people to come to me [or Declare and bring your case].
    Let them ·talk about these things [take counsel] together.
Who told you long ago that this would happen?
    Who told about it long ago?
I, the Lord, said these things.
    There is no other God besides me.
I am the only good God. I am the Savior.
    There is no other God.

22 “All ·people everywhere [the ends of the earth],
    ·follow [turn] and be saved.
    I am God. There is no other God.
23 I ·will make a promise by my own power [L have sworn by myself],
    and ·my promise is true [L a righteous/right/true word goes out of my mouth];
    what I say will not ·be changed [be revoked; L return].
·I promise that everyone will bow before me [L For to me every knee will bow]
    and ·will promise to follow me [L every tongue will swear; C allegiance; Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10].
24 People will say about me, ‘·Goodness [Righteousness; or Deliverance] and ·power [strength]
    come only from the Lord.’”
Everyone who has been angry with him
    will come to him and be ashamed.
25 But with the Lord’s help, the ·people [descendants; offspring; seed] of Israel
    will be ·found to be good [justified; vindicated; or victorious],
and they will ·praise [boast/glory in] him.