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Woe to him who strives with his Maker—
    a clay pot among the clay pots of the earth!
Shall the clay ask him who fashions it, ‘What are you making?’
    or your work, ‘He has no hands?’
10 Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What have you become the father of?’
    or to a mother, ‘What have you given birth to?’”

11 Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel
    and his Maker says:
“You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons,
    and you command me concerning the work of my hands!
12 I have made the earth, and created man on it.
    I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens.
    I have commanded all their army.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness,
    and I will make all his ways straight.
He shall build my city,
    and he shall let my exiles go free,
    not for price nor reward,” says Yahweh of Armies.

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“Woe to the one who quarrels with his makers,[a]
    a mere potsherd with the potsherds of the[b] earth!
Woe to the one who says[c] to the one forming him,
    ‘What are you making?’
        or ‘Your work has no human[d] hands?’!
10 Woe to the[e] one who says to his father,
    ‘What are you begetting?’
        or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’!”

11 This is what the Lord[f] says,
    the Creator of the signs:

“Question me about my children,[g]
    or give me orders about the work of my hands.
12 I myself made the earth
    and personally created humankind upon it.
My own hands stretched out the skies;
    I marshaled all their starry hosts.”

God will Bless Cyrus

13 “I have aroused him[h] in righteousness,
    and I’ll make all his pathways smooth.
It is he who will rebuild my city
    and set my exiles free,
but not for a price nor reward, ”
    says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:9 So 1QIsaa; MT reads maker
  2. Isaiah 45:9 So 1QIsaa; MT lacks the
  3. Isaiah 45:9 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read Will clay say
  4. Isaiah 45:9 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack human
  5. Isaiah 45:10 So 1QIsaa; MT lacks the
  6. Isaiah 45:11 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX 1QIsaa corrector reads the Lord, the Holy One of Israel
  7. Isaiah 45:11 So 1QIsaa LXX; Lit. my sons and daughters; MT reads says, and its creator: Question me of things to come about my children
  8. Isaiah 45:13 I.e. Cyrus, king of Persia