Isaiah 45:1–13
Thus says Yahweh to his anointed one,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped
to subjugate nations before him,
and I uncovera the loins of kings
to open doors before him,
and the gates shall not be shut:
2 “I myself will go before you,
and I will level the ⌊mountains⌋.b
I will break the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron.
3 And I will give you the treasures of darkness
and treasures of secret places
so that you may know that I am Yahweh,
the one who calls you by your name, the God of Israel,
4 for the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen one.
And I call you by your name;
I give you a name of honor, thoughc you do not know me.
5 I am Yahweh, and there is none besides me;
besides me there is no god.
I gird you thoughd you do not know me,
6 so that they may know from the rising of the sun
and from the west that there is none besides me;
I am Yahweh and there is none besides me.
7 I form light and I create darkness;
I make peace and I create evil;
I am Yahweh; I do all these things.
8 Trickle, O heavens, from above,
and let clouds trickle with righteousness;
let the earth open so thate salvation may be fruitful,
and let it cause righteousness to sprout along with it.f
I myself, Yahweh, have created it.
9 Woe to the one who strives with his ⌊maker⌋,g
a potsherd amongh potsherds of earth!
Does the clay say to the one who fashions it,
‘What are you making?’
and ‘Your work has no hands’?
10 Woe to the one who says to a father, ‘What you are begetting?’
ori to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’ ”
11 Thus says Yahweh, the holy one of Israel,
and its ⌊maker⌋:j
“Ask me of the things to come ⌊about⌋k my children,
and you command me about the work of my hands.
and I created humankind upon it.
I, my hands, stretched out the heavens,
and I commanded all their host.
13 I myself have stirred him up in righteousness,
and I will make all his paths smooth.
He himself shall build my city,
and he shall set my exiles free,
not for price or a gift,” says Yahweh of hosts.