Old/New Testament
Cyrus the Anointed
45 Thus says Adonai to His anointed, Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him,
to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
so that gates may not be shut.
2 I will go before you
and make crooked places straight.
I will shatter bronze doors
and cut through iron bars.
3 I will give you treasures of darkness
and hidden riches of secret places,
so you may know that I am Adonai,
the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.
4 For the sake of Jacob My servant,
and Israel My chosen one,
I have also called you by name,
I have given you a title of honor,
though you have not known Me.
5 I am Adonai—there is no other.
Besides Me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
though you have not known Me,
6 so they may know,
from the rising to the setting of the sun,
that there is no one besides Me.
I am Adonai—there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness.
I make shalom and create calamity.
I, Adonai, do all these things.
8 “Rain down, O heavens, from above,
and let the clouds pour down justice.
Let the earth open up,
let salvation sprout,
and righteousness spring up with it.
I, Adonai, have created it.”
9 Oy, to one who quarrels with his Maker,
like a pot among the pots of the earth!
Shall the clay say to the potter,
“What have you made?”
Or does your work say,
“It has no handles”?[a]
10 Oy, to him who says to his father,
“What have you begotten?”
Or to a woman,
“What have you born?”
11 Thus says Adonai,
the Holy One of Israel and its Maker,
“Ask Me about the things to come
upon My children.
Then you will commit to Me the work of My hands.
12 I made the earth and created man on it.
My hands stretched out the heavens
and I commanded all their host.
13 “I stirred Cyrus up in righteousness
and I will level all his roads.
He will build My city
and set My exiles free,
with no price or bribe,”
says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
14 Thus says Adonai:
“Egypt’s toil, Ethiopia’s merchandise, and the tall Sabeans
will come over to you and be yours.
They will walk behind you in chains.
They will bow down to you, and pray,
saying, ‘Surely God is with you!’
There is none else—no other God!”
Mystery of Creation
15 Truly You are a God who hides Himself,
O God of Israel, Savior!
16 All of them will be ashamed, disgraced—
idol-makers go in dishonor together.
17 Israel has been saved by Adonai
with an everlasting salvation.
You will not be put to shame
or disgraced, for ever and ever.
18 For thus says Adonai—
He is God who fashioned the heavens,
who formed the earth and made it,
He established it
and did not create it desolate
but formed it to be inhabited—
“I am Adonai—there is no other!”
19 “I have not spoken in secret,
in a place of a land of darkness.
I did not say to the seed of Jacob,
‘Seek Me in desolation.’
I, Adonai, speak righteousness,
declaring uprightly.”
No Other God and Savior
20 “Assemble yourselves and come,
draw near together, fugitives of the nations!
Those who carry their wooden idols have no knowledge,
praying to a god who cannot save.
21 Declare and present your case,
Indeed, let them consult together.
Who foretold this from ancient time?
Who has declared it of old?
Is it not I, Adonai?
There is no other God beside Me
—a righteous God and a Savior—
there is none besides Me![b]
22 Turn to Me, and be saved,
all the ends of the earth.
For I am God—there is no other.
23 By Myself I have sworn—
the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness,
and is irrevocable:
that to Me every knee will bow,
every tongue will swear.[c]
24 They will say of Me,
‘Only in Adonai is righteousness and strength.’
All who have raged against Him
will come to Him and be put to shame.
25 In Adonai all the seed of Israel
will be justified and give praise.”
Idols a Weary Burden
46 Bel bows down; Nebo stoops over.
Their idols are for beasts and cattle.
The things you carry are borne
as burdens on weary beasts.
2 They stoop, they bow down together,
they cannot save the burden,
but themselves go into captivity.
3 “Listen to Me, house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
borne by Me from birth,
carried from the womb.
4 Even to your old age I will be the same,
until you are gray I will carry you.
I have done it; I will bear you;
I will carry you; I will deliver you.
5 To whom will you liken Me,
or make Me equal or compare Me,
that we should be alike?
6 They lavish gold from a purse
and weigh out silver on the scales.
They hire a goldsmith so he makes a god.
They bow down. Yes, they worship it.
7 They lift it upon a shoulder and carry it.
They set in its place and there it stands.
It does not budge from its place.
Even if one cry to it, it cannot answer,
nor save anyone from his trouble.”
Purpose for Cyrus
8 “Remember this, and be assured.
Recall it to mind, you transgressors.
9 Remember the former things of old:
For I am God—there is no other.
I am God, and there is none like Me—
10 declaring the end from the beginning,
from ancient time, what is yet to come,
saying, “My purpose will stand,
and I will accomplish all that I please.”
11 From the east I am calling a bird of prey,
a man for My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; I will bring it to pass;
I have planned it; surely I will do it.
12 Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted,
who are far from righteousness:
13 I bring My justice near, it is not far off.
So My salvation will not delay.
I put salvation in Zion,
My glory in Israel.”
3 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind alone in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in proclaiming the Good News of Messiah, in order to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know we are destined for this. 4 For even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer persecution—just as has happened, as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faithfulness, for fear that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be in vain.
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you and brought us the good news of your faithfulness and love, and that you always have good memories of us, longing to see us just as we long to see you— 7 because of this, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and trouble, we were comforted about you by your faithfulness. 8 For now we live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 For what thanks would be enough to offer to God, in return for all the joy we feel before our God because of you? 10 Night time and day time we keep praying more than ever to see you face to face,[a] and mend any shortcomings in your faith.
Thanks, Joy, and Love Before God
11 Now may our God and Father Himself and Yeshua our Lord direct our way to you. 12 May the Lord also cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another and for all people, just as we also do for you, 13 in order to strengthen your hearts as blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Yeshua with all His kedoshim. Amen.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.