Isaiah 45
1599 Geneva Bible
45 1 The deliverance of the people by Cyrus. 9 God is just in all his works. 20 The calling of the Gentiles.
1 Thus saith the Lord unto [a]Cyrus his [b]anointed, whose right hand I have holden to [c]subdue nations before him: therefore will I weaken the loins of kings, and open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut.
2 I will go before thee, and make the [d]crooked straight: I will break the brazen doors, and burst the iron bars.
3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and the things hid in secret places, that thou mayest [e]know that I am the Lord which call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob my servant’s [f]sake, and Israel mine elect, I will even call thee by thy name, and name thee, though thou hast not known me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is none other; there is no God besides me: I [g]girded thee, though thou hast not known me.
6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the West, that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is none other.
7 I form the [h]light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
8 Ye heavens send the dew from above, and let the clouds drop down [i]righteousness: let the earth open, and let salvation and justice grow forth: let it bring them forth together: I the Lord have [j]created him.
9 [k]Woe be unto him that striveth with his maker, the potsherd with the potsherds of the earth: shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, [l]It hath none hands?
10 Woe unto him that saith to his father, What hast thou begotten? or to his mother, What hast thou brought forth?
11 Thus saith the Lord, the only one of Israel, and his maker, Ask me [m]of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the works of mine hands: commend you me.
12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, whose hands have spread out the heavens, I have even commanded all their [n]army.
13 I have raised [o]him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for [p]price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts.
14 Thus saith the Lord, The labor [q]of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and of the Sabeans, men of stature shall come unto thee, and they shall be [r]thine: they shall follow thee, and shall go in chains: they shall fall down before thee, and make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee, and there is none other God besides.
15 Verily, thou O God [s]hidest thyself, O God, the Savior of Israel.
16 All they shall be ashamed and also confounded: they shall go to confusion together, that are the makers of images.
17 But Israel shall be saved in the Lord, with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
18 For this saith the Lord (that created heaven, God himself that formed the earth, and made it: he that prepared it, he created it not in vain: he formed it to be [t]inhabited) I am the Lord, and there is none other.
19 I have not spoken in secret, neither [u]in a place of darkness in the earth: I said not in vain unto the seed of Jacob, Seek you me: I the Lord do speak righteousness, and declare righteous things.
20 Assemble yourselves, and come: draw near together, [v]ye abject of the Gentiles: they have no knowledge, that set up the wood of their idol, and pray unto a god, that cannot save them.
21 Tell ye and bring them, and let them take counsel together, who hath declared this from the beginning, or hath told it of old? Have not I the Lord? and there is none other God beside me, a just God, and a Savior: there is none beside me.
22 Look unto me, and ye shall be saved: all [w]the ends of the earth shall be saved: for I am God, and there is none other.
23 I have sworn by myself: the word is gone out of my mouth in [x]righteousness, and shall not return, That every [y]knee shall bow unto me, and every tongue shall swear by me.
24 Surely [z]he shall say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength: he shall come unto him, and all that [aa]provoke him shall be ashamed.
25 The whole seed of Israel shall be justified, and glory in the Lord.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 45:1 To assure the Jews of their deliverance against the great tentations that they should abide, he nameth the person and the means.
- Isaiah 45:1 Because Cyrus should execute the office of a deliverer, God called him his anointed for a time, but after another sort than he called David.
- Isaiah 45:1 To guide him in the deliverance of my people.
- Isaiah 45:2 I will take away all impediments and lets.
- Isaiah 45:3 Not that Cyrus did know God to worship him aright, but he had a certain particular knowledge as profane men may have of his power, and so was compelled to deliver God’s people.
- Isaiah 45:4 Not for any thing that is in thee, or for thy worthiness.
- Isaiah 45:5 I have given thee strength, power and authority.
- Isaiah 45:7 I send peace and war, prosperity and adversity, as Amos 3:6.
- Isaiah 45:8 He comforteth the Jews, as if he would say, Though when ye look to the heavens and earth for succor, ye see nothing now but signs of God’s wrath, yet will cause them to bring forth most certain tokens of your deliverance, and of the performance of my promise: which is meant by righteousness.
- Isaiah 45:8 I have appointed Cyrus to this use and purpose.
- Isaiah 45:9 Hereby he bridleth their impatience, which in adversity and trouble murmur against God, and will not tarry his pleasure: willing that man should match with his like, and not contend against God.
- Isaiah 45:9 That is, it is not perfectly made.
- Isaiah 45:11 Instead of murmuring, humble yourselves, and ask what ye will for the consolation of my children, and you shall be sure of it, as ye are of these things which are at your commandment. Some read it with an interrogation, and make it the application of the similitude.
- Isaiah 45:12 That is, the stars.
- Isaiah 45:13 To wit, Cyrus, that I may show by him the faithfulness of my promise in delivering my people.
- Isaiah 45:13 Meaning, freely and without ransom, or any grievous condition.
- Isaiah 45:14 These people were tributaries to the Persians, and so king Artaxerxes gave this money toward the building of the Temple, Ezra 7:27.
- Isaiah 45:14 Whereas to fore they were thine enemies, they shall now honor thee, and thou shalt rule them: which was accomplished in the time of Christ.
- Isaiah 45:15 Hereby he exhorteth the Jews to patience, though their deliverance be deferred for a time: showing that they should not repent their long patience, but the wicked and idolaters shall be destroyed.
- Isaiah 45:18 To wit, of men, but chiefly of his Church.
- Isaiah 45:19 As do the false gods, which give uncertain answers.
- Isaiah 45:20 All ye idolaters which though you seem to have never so much worldly dignity, yet in God’s sight you are vile and abject.
- Isaiah 45:22 He calleth the idolaters to repentance, willing them to look unto him with the eye of faith.
- Isaiah 45:23 That is, that the thing which I have promised shall be faithfully performed.
- Isaiah 45:23 The knowledge of God and the true worshipping shall be through all the world, Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10, whereby he signifieth that we must not only serve God in heart, but declare the same also by outward profession.
- Isaiah 45:24 Meaning, the faithful shall feel and confess this.
- Isaiah 45:24 All the contemners of God.
Isaiah 45
English Standard Version
Cyrus, God's Instrument
45 Thus says the Lord to (A)his anointed, to Cyrus,
(B)whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and (C)to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
2 “I will go before you
and (D)level the exalted places,[a]
(E)I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3 (F)I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, (G)who call you by your name.
4 For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
(H)I call you by your name,
(I)I name you, though you do not know me.
5 (J)I am the Lord, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
(K)I equip you, though you do not know me,
6 (L)that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness;
I make well-being and (M)create calamity;
I am the Lord, who does all these things.
8 (N)“Shower, O heavens, from above,
and (O)let the clouds rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
let the earth cause them both to sprout;
I the Lord have created it.
9 (P)“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him,
a pot among earthen pots!
(Q)Does the clay say to him who forms 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 labor?’”
11 Thus says (R)the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him:
(S)“Ask me of things to come;
will you command me (T)concerning my children and (U)the work of my hands?[b]
12 (V)I made the earth
and created man on it;
it was my hands (W)that stretched out the heavens,
and (X)I commanded all their host.
13 (Y)I have stirred him up in righteousness,
(Z)and I will make all his ways level;
(AA)he shall build my city
(AB)and set my exiles free,
not for price or reward,”
says the Lord of hosts.
The Lord, the Only Savior
14 Thus says the Lord:
(AC)“The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,
and the Sabeans, men of stature,
shall come over to you (AD)and be yours;
they shall follow you;
they shall come over in chains and bow down to you.
They will plead with you, saying:
‘Surely God is in you, and there is no other,
no god besides him.’”
15 (AE)Truly, you are a God who hides himself,
O God of Israel, the Savior.
16 (AF)All of them are put to shame and confounded;
the makers of idols go in confusion together.
17 But Israel is saved by the Lord
with everlasting salvation;
(AG)you shall not be put to shame or confounded
to all eternity.
18 (AH)For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he (AI)did not create it empty,
(AJ)he formed it to be inhabited!):
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
19 (AK)I did not speak in secret,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
(AL)‘Seek me in vain.’[c]
I the Lord speak (AM)the truth;
I declare what is right.
20 (AN)“Assemble yourselves and come;
draw near together,
you survivors of the nations!
(AO)They have no knowledge
who (AP)carry about their wooden idols,
(AQ)and keep on praying to a god
that cannot save.
21 (AR)Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God (AS)and a Savior;
there is none besides me.
22 “Turn to me and be saved,
(AT)all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 (AU)By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in (AV)righteousness
a word that shall not return:
(AW)‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’[d]
24 (AX)“Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and (AY)strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed
(AZ)all who were incensed against him.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
shall be justified and shall glory.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 45:2 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint level the mountains
- Isaiah 45:11 A slight emendation yields will you question me about my children, or command me concerning the work of my hands?
- Isaiah 45:19 Hebrew in emptiness
- Isaiah 45:23 Septuagint every tongue shall confess to God
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