Isaiah 45:9-13
New English Translation
The Lord Gives a Warning
9 One who argues with his Creator is in grave danger,[a]
one who is like a mere[b] shard among the other shards on the ground!
The clay should not say to the potter,[c]
“What in the world[d] are you doing?
Your work lacks skill!”[e]
10 Danger awaits one who says[f] to his father,
“What in the world[g] are you fathering?”
and to his mother,
“What in the world are you bringing forth?”[h]
11 This is what the Lord says,
the Holy One of Israel,[i] the one who formed him,
concerning things to come:[j]
“How dare you question me[k] about my children!
How dare you tell me what to do with[l] the work of my own hands!
12 I made the earth;
I created the people who live[m] on it.
It was me—my hands[n] stretched out the sky.[o]
I give orders to all the heavenly lights.[p]
13 It is me—I stir him up and commission him;[q]
I will make all his ways level.
He will rebuild my city;
he will send my exiled people home,
but not for a price or a bribe,”
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 45:9 tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who argues with the one who formed him.”
- Isaiah 45:9 tn The words “one who is like a mere” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and clarification.
- Isaiah 45:9 tn Heb “Should the clay say to the one who forms it,…?” The rhetorical question anticipates a reply, “Of course not!”
- Isaiah 45:9 tn The words “in the world” are supplied in the translation to approximate in English idiom the force of the sarcastic question.
- Isaiah 45:9 tn Heb “your work, there are no hands for it,” i.e., “your work looks like something made by a person who has no hands.”
- Isaiah 45:10 tn Heb “Woe [to] one who says” (NASB and NIV both similar); NCV “How terrible it will be.”
- Isaiah 45:10 tn See the note at v. 9. This phrase occurs a second time later in this verse.
- Isaiah 45:10 sn Verses 9-10 may allude to the exiles’ criticism that the Lord does not appear to know what he is doing.
- Isaiah 45:11 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 45:11 tc The Hebrew text reads “the one who formed him, the coming things.” Among various suggestions, some have proposed an emendation of יֹצְרוֹ (yotsero, “the one who formed him”) to יֹצֵר (yotser, “the one who forms”; the suffixed form in the Hebrew text may be influenced by vv. 9-10, where the same form appears twice) and takes “coming things” as the object of the participle (either objective genitive or accusative): “the one who brings the future into being.”
- Isaiah 45:11 tn Heb “Ask me.” The rhetorical command sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
- Isaiah 45:11 tn Heb “Do you command me about…?” The rhetorical question sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
- Isaiah 45:12 tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 45:12 tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.
- Isaiah 45:12 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
- Isaiah 45:12 tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.
- Isaiah 45:13 tn Heb “I stir him up in righteousness”; NASB “I have aroused him.” See the note at 41:2. Cyrus (cf. 44:28) is in view here.
Isaiah 45:9-13
New Living Translation
9 “What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator.
Does a clay pot argue with its maker?
Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying,
‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’
Does the pot exclaim,
‘How clumsy can you be?’
10 How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father,
‘Why was I born?’
or if it said to its mother,
‘Why did you make me this way?’”
11 This is what the Lord says—
the Holy One of Israel and your Creator:
“Do you question what I do for my children?
Do you give me orders about the work of my hands?
12 I am the one who made the earth
and created people to live on it.
With my hands I stretched out the heavens.
All the stars are at my command.
13 I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose,
and I will guide his actions.
He will restore my city and free my captive people—
without seeking a reward!
I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”
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