Isaiah 45

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 chose for a job. "I have held your right hand. I will help you win over nations. I will take the strength away from kings. I will open the doors ahead of you, and the gates will not be shut."

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. I will make the rough places smooth. I will smash gates made of bronze. I will cut through bars made of iron."

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 hidden in dark and secret places. Then you will know that I am the LORD. I am the God of Israel, and I call you by your 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 my servant Jacob. Israel is the people I chose. I gave you a name of honor, even 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 strong for battle, even 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"Then people will know, from where the sun comes up to where it goes down. There is no God 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 make the light, and I make the dark. I bring good times, and I bring hard times. I, the LORD, do all these things."

NoteThe KJV says God creates "evil." Here that old word means trouble or disaster, like war or hard times. It does not mean wickedness. "Peace" in the same line means good times.

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"Rain down, you heavens above. Let the sky pour down what is right. Let the ground open up so that saving help grows. Let goodness grow up with it. I, the LORD, have made this happen."

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 comes to anyone who argues with God, who made him. He is only one clay pot among many clay pots. Does the clay ask the potter, "What are you making?" Does the pot say, "You have no hands"?

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

10Trouble comes to the one who says to his father, "Why did you have a child?" Or who says to his mother, "Why did you give me 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. He is the Holy One of Israel, and he made them. "How can you question me about my children? How can you tell me what to do with the things my hands have made?"

NoteThe KJV wording sounds like God is inviting people to ask questions and give him orders. Most readers of the Hebrew understand it the other way, as God asking who they think they are to question him.

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. I made people to live on it. My own hands spread out the heavens. I gave 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. I will make all his paths straight. He will build my city again. He will set my captured people free. He will not do it for money or a prize," says the LORD, who rules over all 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 of Egypt and Ethiopia will come to you. The tall people of Sheba will come too. They will belong to you. They will walk behind you in chains. They will bow down to you and beg you. They will say, 'God is surely with you. There is no other. There is no other God.'"

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

15It is true that you are a God who hides himself. You are the 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.

16All the people who make idols will be shamed. Idols are statues that people pray to as gods. Those people will walk 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 the LORD will save Israel. This rescue lasts forever. You will never be shamed, not ever, for all time.

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. He made the heavens. He is God. He shaped the earth and made it stand firm. He did not make it to be empty. He made it to be a home for people. "I am the LORD, and there is no other."

NoteThe KJV says God "created it not in vain." That means he did not make the earth to sit empty. He made it so people could live on it.

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 did not speak in secret, hidden away in a dark place. I did not tell Jacob's family to look for me for nothing. I, the LORD, say what is true. I tell people 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"Come and gather close together, you who got away from other nations. People who carry wooden statues do not know anything. 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 tell your side. Talk it over together. Who said long ago that this would happen? Who told about it back then? Was it not I, the LORD? There is no God but me. I am a fair God who saves. There is no other."

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 everywhere on 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 by my own name. My word is true and will not come back to me. Every knee will bend down before me. Every tongue will promise to be mine."

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 goodness and strength." All who are angry at him will come to him and be shamed.

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

25In the LORD, all the people of Israel will be made right with God. They will be glad and proud of him.