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Woe to those who strive with their Maker,
    earthen vessels with the potter![a]
Does the clay say to the one who fashions it, “What are you making”?
    or “Your work has no handles”?(A)
10 Woe to anyone who says to a father, “What are you fathering?”
    or to a woman, “With what are you in labor?”
11 Thus says the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel and its Maker:
Will you question me[b] about my children
    or command me concerning the work of my hands?(B)
12 I made the earth
    and created humankind upon it;
it was my hands that stretched out the heavens,
    and I commanded all their host.(C)
13 I have aroused Cyrus[c] in righteousness,
    and I will make all his paths straight;
he shall build my city
    and set my exiles free,
not for price or reward,
    says the Lord of hosts.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 45.9 Cn: Heb with the potsherds or with the potters
  2. 45.11 Cn: Heb Ask me of things to come
  3. 45.13 Heb him

“Woe to him who strives with his Maker,
    an earthen vessel with the potter![a]
Does the clay say to him who fashions it, ‘What are you making?’
    or ‘Your work has no handles’?
10 Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’
    or to a woman, ‘With what are you in travail?’”
11 Thus says the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:
“Will you question me[b] about my children,
    or command me concerning the work of my hands?
12 I made the earth,
    and created man upon it;
it was my hands that stretched out the heavens,
    and I commanded all their host.
13 I have aroused him in righteousness,
    and I will make straight all his ways;
he shall build my city
    and set my exiles free,
not for price or reward,”
    says the Lord of hosts.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:9 Cn: Heb potsherds or potters
  2. Isaiah 45:11 Cn: Heb Ask me of things to come

“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.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:13 Hebrew him