Isaiah

Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

1This is what the LORD says to Cyrus, the king he has chosen: "I have taken hold of your right hand to bring nations down before you. I will strip kings of their power and open doors ahead of you, so the gates stay open."

Note"His anointed" means the person God has picked out for a job. Here it is Cyrus, a Persian king who did not worship the God of Israel.

2I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

2"I will go ahead of you and make the rough ground level. I will smash bronze gates and cut through iron bars."

3And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

3"I will give you treasure stored in dark places and riches hidden away. Then you will know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name."

4For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

4"I call you by name for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen people. I have given you a title of honor, though you do not know me."

5I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

5"I am the LORD, and there is no other. There is no God but me. I make you ready for battle, though you do not know me."

6That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

6"I do this so people everywhere, from where the sun rises to where it sets, will know there is no one but me. I am the LORD, and there is no other."

7I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

7"I form the light and I make the darkness. I bring peace and I bring trouble. I, the LORD, do all these things."

NoteThe KJV says God creates "evil." The old word means disaster or trouble, the opposite of the peace named in the same line. It does not mean wickedness.

8Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.

8"Pour down from above, you skies. Let the clouds rain down what is right. Let the earth open so rescue grows up, and right living springs up with it. I, the LORD, have made it."

9Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

9Trouble is coming to anyone who fights with the God who made him. He is only a broken piece of pottery among other broken pieces. Does the clay ask the potter, "What are you making?" Does the finished pot say, "You have no hands"?

NoteA potsherd is a broken piece of a clay pot. The picture is one small piece of pottery arguing with the potter who shaped it.

10Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?

10Trouble is coming to anyone who says to his father, "Why did you have a child?" or to his mother, "Why did you give birth?"

11Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.

11This is what the LORD says, the Holy One of Israel, the God who made them: "Will you question me about my children? Will you give me orders about the work of my own hands?"

12I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

12"I made the earth, and I created the people who live on it. My own hands stretched out the sky, and I gave the orders to all the stars."

13I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.

13"I will raise up Cyrus to do what is right, and I will make all his paths straight. He will rebuild my city and set my captives free. He will not do it for money or any reward," says the LORD who commands the armies of heaven.

14Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.

14This is what the LORD says: "The goods Egypt works for, the trade of Ethiopia, and the tall men of Seba will come over to you. They will belong to you. They will walk behind you in chains. They will bow down to you and beg you, saying, 'God is surely with you, and there is no other. There is no other God.'"

15Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.

15Truly you are a God who hides himself, God of Israel, the one who saves.

16They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.

16Every one of them will be put to shame and disgraced. The people who make idols will go away in shame together.

17But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

17But Israel will be saved by the LORD, and that rescue will last forever. You will never be put to shame or disgraced, not for all time to come.

18For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

18This is what the LORD says, the one who created the sky. He is God. He shaped the earth and made it and set it firmly in place. He did not make it to sit empty; he made it to be lived in. "I am the LORD, and there is no other."

19I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

19"I have not spoken in secret, hidden away in some dark land. I did not tell Jacob's family to look for me where nothing can be found. I, the LORD, speak the truth. I say what is right."

20Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.

20"Gather together and come. Come close, all of you who escaped from the nations. People who carry wooden idols know nothing. They pray to a god that cannot save them."

21Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

21"Speak up and bring your case forward. Let them talk it over together. Who told this long ago? Who announced it back then? Was it not I, the LORD? There is no God but me, a fair God who saves. There is no one but me."

22Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

22"Turn to me and be saved, all you people to the farthest ends of the earth. I am God, and there is no other."

23I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

23"I have made a promise on my own name. What I have said is true and will not be taken back: every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will promise loyalty."

24Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.

24People will say, "Only in the LORD are right living and strength." All who were angry at him will come to him and be put to shame.

25In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

25In the LORD all the people of Israel will be put right with God, and they will be full of joy.