God Uses Cyrus

45 This is what the Lord says to (A)Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken by the right (B)hand,
To (C)subdue nations before him
And [a]to (D)undo the weapons belt on the waist of kings;
To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
“I will go before you and (E)make the [b]rough places smooth;
I will (F)shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron (G)bars.
I will give you the [c](H)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 (I)calls you by your name.
For the sake of (J)Jacob My servant,
And Israel My chosen one,
I have also (K)called you by your name;
I have given you a title of honor
Though you have (L)not known Me.
I am the Lord, and (M)there is no one else;
(N)There is no God except Me.
I will [d](O)arm you, though you have not known Me,
So that (P)people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is (Q)no one besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no one else,
The One (R)forming light and (S)creating darkness,
Causing [e]well-being and (T)creating disaster;
I am the Lord who does all these things.

God’s Supreme Power

(U)Drip down, heavens, from above,
And let the clouds pour down righteousness;
Let the (V)earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
(W)And righteousness sprout with it.
I, the Lord, have created it.

“Woe to the one who (X)quarrels with [f]his Maker—
A piece of pottery [g]among the other earthenware pottery pieces!
Will the (Y)clay say to the [h]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 [i]giving birth?’”

11 This is what the (Z)Lord says, the Holy One of Israel and [j]his (AA)Maker:

[k](AB)Ask Me about the things to come [l]concerning My (AC)sons,
And you shall commit to Me (AD)the work of My hands.
12 It is I who (AE)made the earth, and created mankind upon it.
I (AF)stretched out the heavens with My hands,
And I [m]ordained (AG)all their [n]lights.
13 I have stirred him in (AH)righteousness,
And I will (AI)make all his ways smooth.
He will (AJ)build My city and let My exiles go (AK)free,
Without any payment or reward,” says the Lord of armies.

14 This is what the Lord says:

“The [o]products of (AL)Egypt and the merchandise of [p](AM)Cush
And the Sabeans, men of stature,
Will (AN)come over to you and will be yours;
They will walk behind you, they will come over in (AO)chains
And will (AP)bow down to you;
They will plead with you:
[q](AQ)God certainly is [r]with you, and (AR)there is no one else,
No other God.’”
15 Truly, You are a God who (AS)hides Himself,
God of Israel, (AT)Savior!
16 They will be (AU)put to shame and even humiliated, all of them;
The (AV)manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.
17 Israel has been saved by the Lord
With an (AW)everlasting salvation;
You (AX)will not be put to shame or humiliated
To all eternity.

18 For this is what the Lord says, He who (AY)created the heavens (He is the God who (AZ)formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it [s]as a (BA)waste place, but formed it to be (BB)inhabited):

“I am the Lord, and (BC)there is no one else.
19 (BD)I have not spoken in secret,
In [t]some dark land;
I did not say to the [u](BE)offspring of Jacob,
(BF)Seek Me in [v]a wasteland’;
I, the Lord, (BG)speak righteousness,
(BH)Declaring things that are right.

20 (BI)Gather yourselves and come;
Come together, you survivors of the nations!
(BJ)They have no knowledge,
Who (BK)carry around [w]their wooden idol
And (BL)pray to a god who cannot save.
21 (BM)Declare and present your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
(BN)Who has announced this long ago?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, the Lord?
And there is (BO)no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a (BP)Savior;
There is none except Me.
22 (BQ)Turn to Me and (BR)be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 (BS)I have sworn by Myself;
The (BT)word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me (BU)every knee will bow, every tongue will (BV)swear allegiance.
24 They will say of Me, ‘Only (BW)in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’
People will come to Him,
And (BX)all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
Will be (BY)justified and will (BZ)boast.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:1 Lit I will loose
  2. Isaiah 45:2 Another reading is mountains
  3. Isaiah 45:3 Or hoarded treasures
  4. Isaiah 45:5 Or embrace
  5. Isaiah 45:7 Or peace
  6. Isaiah 45:9 Lit He who formed him
  7. Isaiah 45:9 Lit with
  8. Isaiah 45:9 Lit he who formed him
  9. Isaiah 45:10 Lit in labor pains with
  10. Isaiah 45:11 Lit He who formed him
  11. Isaiah 45:11 Or Will you ask
  12. Isaiah 45:11 Or upon
  13. Isaiah 45:12 Or commanded
  14. Isaiah 45:12 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
  15. Isaiah 45:14 Lit labor
  16. Isaiah 45:14 Or Ethiopia
  17. Isaiah 45:14 Or God is with you alone
  18. Isaiah 45:14 Or in
  19. Isaiah 45:18 LXX in vain
  20. Isaiah 45:19 Lit a place of a land of darkness
  21. Isaiah 45:19 Lit seed
  22. Isaiah 45:19 Or vain
  23. Isaiah 45:20 Lit the wood of their carved image

Cyrus, God’s Instrument

45 “Thus says the Lord to His anointed,
To (A)Cyrus, whose (B)right hand I have [a]held—
(C)To subdue nations before him
And (D)loose the armor of kings,
To open before him the double doors,
So that the gates will not be shut:
‘I will go before you
(E)And[b] make the [c]crooked places straight;
(F)I will break in pieces the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron.
I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden riches of secret places,
(G)That you may know that I, the Lord,
Who (H)call you by your name,
Am the God of Israel.
For (I)Jacob My servant’s sake,
And Israel My elect,
I have even called you by your name;
I have named you, though you have not known Me.
I (J)am the Lord, and (K)there is no other;
There is no God besides Me.
(L)I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
(M)That they may (N)know from the rising of the sun to its setting
That there is none besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and (O)create calamity;
I, the Lord, do all these things.

“Rain(P) down, you heavens, from above,
And let the skies pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation,
And let righteousness spring up together.
I, the Lord, have created it.

“Woe to him who strives with (Q)his Maker!
Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!
(R)Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’
Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?
10 Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’
Or to the woman, ‘What have you brought forth?’ ”

11 Thus says the Lord,
The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:
(S)“Ask Me of things to come concerning (T)My sons;
And concerning (U)the work of My hands, you command Me.
12 (V)I have made the earth,
And (W)created man on it.
I—My hands—stretched out the heavens,
And (X)all their host I have commanded.
13 (Y)I have raised him up in righteousness,
And I will [d]direct all his ways;
He shall (Z)build My city
And let My exiles go free,
(AA)Not for price nor reward,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

The Lord, the Only Savior

14 Thus says the Lord:

(AB)“The labor of Egypt and merchandise of Cush
And of the Sabeans, men of stature,
Shall come over to you, and they shall be yours;
They shall walk behind you,
They shall come over (AC)in chains;
And they shall bow down to you.
They will make supplication to you, saying, (AD)‘Surely God is in you,
And there is no other;
(AE)There is no other God.’ ”

15 Truly You are God, (AF)who hide Yourself,
O God of Israel, the Savior!
16 They shall be (AG)ashamed
And also disgraced, all of them;
They shall go in confusion together,
Who are makers of idols.
17 (AH)But Israel shall be saved by the Lord
With an (AI)everlasting salvation;
You shall not be ashamed or (AJ)disgraced
Forever and ever.

18 For thus says the Lord,
(AK)Who created the heavens,
Who is God,
Who formed the earth and made it,
Who has established it,
Who did not create it [e]in vain,
Who formed it to be (AL)inhabited:
(AM)“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
19 I have not spoken in (AN)secret,
In a dark place of the earth;
I did not say to the seed of Jacob,
‘Seek Me [f]in vain’;
(AO)I, the Lord, speak righteousness,
I declare things that are right.

20 “Assemble yourselves and come;
Draw near together,
You who have escaped from the nations.
(AP)They have no knowledge,
Who carry the wood of their carved image,
And pray to a god that cannot save.
21 Tell and bring forth your case;
Yes, let them take counsel together.
(AQ)Who has declared this from ancient time?
Who has told it from that time?
Have not I, the Lord?
(AR)And there is no other God besides Me,
A just God and a Savior;
There is none besides Me.

22 “Look to Me, and be saved,
(AS)All you ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 (AT)I have sworn by Myself;
The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness,
And shall not return,
That to Me every (AU)knee shall bow,
(AV)Every tongue shall take an oath.
24 He shall say,
[g]‘Surely in the Lord I have (AW)righteousness and strength.
To Him men shall come,
And (AX)all shall be ashamed
Who are incensed against Him.
25 (AY)In the Lord all the descendants of Israel
Shall be justified, and (AZ)shall glory.’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:1 strengthened or sustained
  2. Isaiah 45:2 Tg. I will trample down the walls; Vg. I will humble the great ones of the earth
  3. Isaiah 45:2 DSS, LXX mountains
  4. Isaiah 45:13 Or make all his ways straight
  5. Isaiah 45:18 Or empty, a waste
  6. Isaiah 45:19 Or in a waste place
  7. Isaiah 45:24 Or Only in the Lord are all righteousness and strength

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:
“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,
(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.
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.
(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,
(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.
I form light and create darkness;
    I make well-being and (M)create calamity;
    I am the Lord, who does all these things.

(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.

(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

  1. Isaiah 45:2 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint level the mountains
  2. Isaiah 45:11 A slight emendation yields will you question me about my children, or command me concerning the work of my hands?
  3. Isaiah 45:19 Hebrew in emptiness
  4. Isaiah 45:23 Septuagint every tongue shall confess to God

Kyros som Herrens redskap

45 Så säger Herren till sin smorde, Kyros,
    som han har tagit vid högra handen
för att lägga folken under honom,
    för att avväpna kungar
och för att öppna portar för honom,
    som aldrig mer ska stängas.
’Jag ska gå före dig och jämna ut bergen,[a]
    krossa kopparportar
och slå sönder järnbommar.
    Jag ska ge dig skatter
som ligger gömda i mörkret,
    och hemliga rikedomar,
för att du ska förstå att jag
    som kallar dig vid ditt namn
    är Herren, Israels Gud.
För min tjänare Jakobs skull,
    för Israel, min utvalde,
kallade jag dig vid namn
    och gav dig ett hedersnamn,
    fastän du inte känner mig.
Jag är Herren, ingen annan finns,
    utom mig finns ingen Gud.
    Fastän du inte känner mig så ska jag styrka dig,
för att man i hela världen från öster till väster
    ska förstå att det inte finns någon annan än jag.
Jag är Herren, och det finns ingen annan.
    Jag skapar både ljus och mörker.
Jag skapar lycka och olycka.
    Jag, Herren, gör allt detta.’

Låt det regna, himlar där ovan!
    Låt rättfärdighet flöda ur skyarna!
Låt jorden öppna sig, frälsningen bära frukt,
    och rättfärdigheten växa fram.
Jag, Herren, har skapat allt detta.

Ve den som tvistar med sin Skapare,
    den som bara är en av många krukskärvor på marken.
Inte säger väl leran till den som formar den:
    ’Vad gör du?’
Eller säger ditt verk:
    ’Denne har inga händer.’
10 Ve den som säger till sin far:
    ’Vad är det du avlar?’
eller till sin mor:
    ’Vad är det du föder?’ ”

11 Så säger Herren, Israels Helige,
    dess skapare:
”När det gäller det som ska komma,
    ställer ni frågor till mig om mina barn,
eller befaller ni mig
    vad jag ska göra?
12 Det är jag som skapat jorden och människorna på den.
    Med mina händer har jag utbrett himlarna
och gett order till hela dess härskara.
13     Jag har låtit honom[b] uppstå i rättfärdighet,
och jag ska jämna hans väg.
    Han ska bygga upp min stad
och befria mina bortförda,
    utan betalning, utan lön,”
säger härskarornas Herre.

14 Så säger Herren:

”Egyptens rikedomar,
    Kushs handel och Sebas resliga folk
ska överföras till dig,
    alltsammans ska bli ditt.
De ska följa dig som fångar i kedjor
    och falla ner inför dig och be och säga:
’Gud är sannerligen med dig,
    ingen annan finns,
ingen annan är Gud.’ ”

15 Du är sannerligen en dold Gud,
    du Israels räddare.
16 Alla avgudatillverkare ska få skämmas
    och komma i vanära,
    förnedring är vad som väntar dem.
17 Men Israel kommer att räddas av Herren,
    han räddar dem för evigt.
Ni kommer aldrig någonsin
    att hamna i skam eller vanära.

18 Så säger Herren som skapat himlarna,
    han som är Gud,
som formade jorden,
    gjorde den, grundlade den,
    skapade den,
inte till att vara tom utan bebodd:
    ”Jag är Herren, och det finns ingen annan.
19 Jag har inte talat i hemlighet,
    någonstans i ett mörkt land,
inte uppmanat Jakobs ättlingar
    att söka mig i tomheten.
Jag är Herren,
    vad jag talar är rättfärdigt och sant,
    mina ord är att lita på.

20 Samlas här, kom hit, kom samman,
    ni som räddats bland folken!
De som bär omkring på trägudar
    och ber till en gud som inte kan hjälpa dem
    är utan vett.
21     Berätta, lägg fram vad ni har att säga,
rådgör med varandra.
    Vem har förutsagt detta i en gången tid,
berättat det för länge sedan?
    Är det inte jag, Herren?
Det finns ingen annan Gud än jag,
    en rättfärdig Gud och en räddare.
Ingen annan finns.

22 Vänd er till mig för att bli räddade,
    alla från jordens ändar!
    För jag är Gud, och det finns ingen annan.
23 Jag har svurit vid mig själv,
    rättfärdighetens ord har utgått ur min mun
    och kan aldrig tas tillbaka:
Alla människor ska böja knä inför mig,
    och alla ska komma till mig med sin bekännelse.
24 ’Endast i Herren finns rättfärdighet och styrka,’
    ska man säga.
Alla som har rasat mot honom
    ska komma inför honom i skam.
25 Genom Herren ska alla Israels ättlingar
    vinna rättfärdighet och seger.”

Footnotes

  1. 45:2 Det hebreiska ordets betydelse är osäker; översättningen är gjord utifrån Septuaginta och Jesajarullen från Qumran.
  2. 45:13 Syftar på Kyros.