(A)“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him,
    a pot among earthen pots!
(B)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 (C)the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him:
(D)“Ask me of things to come;
    will you command me (E)concerning my children and (F)the work of my hands?[a]
12 (G)I made the earth
    and created man on it;
it was my hands (H)that stretched out the heavens,
    and (I)I commanded all their host.
13 (J)I have stirred him up in righteousness,
    (K)and I will make all his ways level;
(L)he shall build my city
    (M)and set my exiles free,
not for price or reward,”
    says the Lord of hosts.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:11 A slight emendation yields will you question me about my children, or command me concerning the work of my hands?

“Woe to those who quarrel(A) with their Maker,(B)
    those who are nothing but potsherds(C)
    among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,(D)
    ‘What are you making?’(E)
Does your work say,
    ‘The potter has no hands’?(F)
10 Woe to the one who says to a father,
    ‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
    ‘What have you brought to birth?’

11 “This is what the Lord says—
    the Holy One(G) of Israel, and its Maker:(H)
Concerning things to come,
    do you question me about my children,
    or give me orders about the work of my hands?(I)
12 It is I who made the earth(J)
    and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;(K)
    I marshaled their starry hosts.(L)
13 I will raise up Cyrus[a](M) in my righteousness:
    I will make all his ways straight.(N)
He will rebuild my city(O)
    and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,(P)
    says the Lord Almighty.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:13 Hebrew him