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Woe to the one who strives with his maker,[a]
    a potsherd among[b] potsherds of earth!
Does the clay say to the one who fashions it,
    ‘What are you making?’
    and ‘Your work has no hands’?
10 Woe to the one who says to a father, ‘What you are begetting?’
    or[c] to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’”
11 Thus says Yahweh, the holy one of Israel,
    and its maker:[d]
“Ask me of the things to come about[e] my children,
    and you command me about the work of my hands.
12 I myself made the earth,
    and I created humankind upon it.
I, my hands, stretched out the heavens,
    and I commanded all their host.
13 I myself have stirred him up in righteousness,
    and I will make all his paths smooth.
He himself shall build my city,
    and he shall set my exiles free,

not for price or a gift,” says Yahweh of hosts.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:9 Literally “one who forms”
  2. Isaiah 45:9 Or “with”
  3. Isaiah 45:10 Or “and”
  4. Isaiah 45:11 Literally “one who forms”
  5. Isaiah 45:11 Literally “over”

“Woe to the one who quarrels with his makers,[a]
    a mere potsherd with the potsherds of the[b] earth!
Woe to the one who says[c] to the one forming him,
    ‘What are you making?’
        or ‘Your work has no human[d] hands?’!
10 Woe to the[e] one who says to his father,
    ‘What are you begetting?’
        or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’!”

11 This is what the Lord[f] says,
    the Creator of the signs:

“Question me about my children,[g]
    or give me orders about the work of my hands.
12 I myself made the earth
    and personally created humankind upon it.
My own hands stretched out the skies;
    I marshaled all their starry hosts.”

God will Bless Cyrus

13 “I have aroused him[h] in righteousness,
    and I’ll make all his pathways smooth.
It is he who will rebuild my city
    and set my exiles free,
but not for a price nor reward, ”
    says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:9 So 1QIsaa; MT reads maker
  2. Isaiah 45:9 So 1QIsaa; MT lacks the
  3. Isaiah 45:9 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read Will clay say
  4. Isaiah 45:9 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack human
  5. Isaiah 45:10 So 1QIsaa; MT lacks the
  6. Isaiah 45:11 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX 1QIsaa corrector reads the Lord, the Holy One of Israel
  7. Isaiah 45:11 So 1QIsaa LXX; Lit. my sons and daughters; MT reads says, and its creator: Question me of things to come about my children
  8. Isaiah 45:13 I.e. Cyrus, king of Persia

“Woe to those who quarrel(A) with their Maker,(B)
    those who are nothing but potsherds(C)
    among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,(D)
    ‘What are you making?’(E)
Does your work say,
    ‘The potter has no hands’?(F)
10 Woe to the one who says to a father,
    ‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
    ‘What have you brought to birth?’

11 “This is what the Lord says—
    the Holy One(G) of Israel, and its Maker:(H)
Concerning things to come,
    do you question me about my children,
    or give me orders about the work of my hands?(I)
12 It is I who made the earth(J)
    and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;(K)
    I marshaled their starry hosts.(L)
13 I will raise up Cyrus[a](M) in my righteousness:
    I will make all his ways straight.(N)
He will rebuild my city(O)
    and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,(P)
    says the Lord Almighty.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:13 Hebrew him