Isaiah 44:24-45:13
New American Standard Bible
24 This is what the Lord says, He who is your (A)Redeemer, and the one who (B)formed you from the womb:
“I, the Lord, am the maker of all things,
(C)Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth [a]alone,
25 (D)Causing the [b]omens of diviners to fail,
[c]Making fools of fortune-tellers;
(E)Causing wise men to turn back
And [d]making their knowledge ridiculous,
26 (F)Confirming the word of His servant
And [e]carrying out the purpose of His messengers.
It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’
And of the (G)cities of Judah, ‘(H)They shall be built.’
And I will raise her ruins again.
27 I am the One who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Dry up!’
And I will make your rivers (I)dry up.
28 It is I who says of (J)Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd,
And he will carry out all My desire.’
And [f]he says of Jerusalem, ‘(K)She will be built,’
And of the temple, ‘[g]Your foundation will be laid.’”
God Uses Cyrus
45 This is what the Lord says to (L)Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken by the right (M)hand,
To (N)subdue nations before him
And [h]to (O)undo the weapons belt on the waist of kings;
To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
2 “I will go before you and (P)make the [i]rough places smooth;
I will (Q)shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron (R)bars.
3 I will give you the [j](S)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 (T)calls you by your name.
4 For the sake of (U)Jacob My servant,
And Israel My chosen one,
I have also (V)called you by your name;
I have given you a title of honor
Though you have (W)not known Me.
5 I am the Lord, and (X)there is no one else;
(Y)There is no God except Me.
I will (Z)[k]arm you, though you have not known Me,
6 So that (AA)people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is (AB)no one besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no one else,
7 The One (AC)forming light and (AD)creating darkness,
Causing [l]well-being and (AE)creating disaster;
I am the Lord who does all these things.
God’s Supreme Power
8 “(AF)Drip down, heavens, from above,
And let the clouds pour down righteousness;
Let the (AG)earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
(AH)And righteousness sprout with it.
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “Woe to the one who (AI)quarrels with [m]his Maker—
A piece of pottery [n]among the other earthenware pottery pieces!
Will the (AJ)clay say to the [o]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 [p]giving birth?’”
11 This is what the (AK)Lord says, the Holy One of Israel and [q]his (AL)Maker:
“[r](AM)Ask Me about the things to come [s]concerning My (AN)sons,
And you shall commit to Me (AO)the work of My hands.
12 It is I who (AP)made the earth, and created mankind upon it.
I (AQ)stretched out the heavens with My hands,
And I [t]ordained (AR)all their [u]lights.
13 I have stirred him in (AS)righteousness,
And I will (AT)make all his ways smooth.
He will (AU)build My city and let My exiles go (AV)free,
Without any payment or reward,” says the Lord of armies.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 44:24 Or who was with Me?
- Isaiah 44:25 Lit signs
- Isaiah 44:25 Lit He makes
- Isaiah 44:25 Lit He turns
- Isaiah 44:26 Lit He performs
- Isaiah 44:28 Lit to say
- Isaiah 44:28 Lit You will be founded
- Isaiah 45:1 Lit I will loose
- Isaiah 45:2 Another reading is mountains
- Isaiah 45:3 Or hoarded treasures
- Isaiah 45:5 Or embrace
- Isaiah 45:7 Or peace
- 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.
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