Isaiah 45:14–46:13
14 Thus says Yahweh:
“The acquisition of Egypt
and the merchandise of Cush
and the Sabeans, tall men,
shall pass over to you;
they shall be yours,
and they shall walk behind you.
They shall pass over in chains,
and they shall bow down to you;
they will pray to you:
‘Surely God is with you, and there is no other.
Besides him there is no God.’ ”
15 Surely you are a God who keeps yourself hidden,
God of Israel, the savior.
16 All of them are ashamed and indeed humiliated;
the craftsmen of idols go together in insult.
17 Israel is saved by Yahweh with everlasting salvation;
you shall not be ashamed,
and you shall not be humiliated ⌊to all eternity⌋.l
18 For thus says Yahweh, ⌊who created⌋m the heavens,
he is God, ⌊who formed⌋n the earth
and ⌊who made⌋o it.
He himself established it;
he did not create it as emptiness—
he formed it for inhabiting.
“I am Yahweh and there is none besides me.
19 I have spoken not in secrecy, in a place, a land, of darkness,
I have not said to the descendants of Jacob, ‘Seek me ⌊in vain⌋!’p
I, Yahweh, am speaking righteousness,
declaring uprightness.
draw near together, survivors of the nations!
They do not know, those who carry ⌊their wooden idols⌋q
and pray to a god who cannot save.
21 Declare and present your case,
also let them consult together!
Who ⌊made this known⌋r from ⌊former times⌋,s
declared it from ⌊of old⌋?t
Was it not I, Yahweh?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God besides me,
and no savior besides me.
22 Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth,
for I am God and there is none besides me.
a word thatu shall not return has gone forth from my mouth in righteousness:
‘Every knee shall kneel down to me;
every tongue shall swear.’
24 ‘Only in Yahweh,’ one shall say to me, ‘are righteousness and strength.’
He shall come to him, and all those who were angry with him shall be ashamed.
25 In Yahweh all the offspring of Israel shall be in the right,
and they shall boast.”
46 Bel bows down;
Nebo is stooping.
Their idols are ⌊on⌋a animalsb and ⌊on⌋c cattle;
your ⌊cargo⌋d is carried as a burden ⌊on⌋e weary animals.
they bow down together.
They are not able to save the burden,
butf ⌊they themselves go⌋g in captivity.
3 “Listen to me, house of Jacob,
and all the remnant of the house of Israel
who have been carried from the belly,
who have been carried from the womb:
4 Evenh to your old age I am he;
eveni to your advanced age I myself will support you.
I myself have made you,
and I myself will carry you,
and I myself will support you,
and I will save you.
and count as equal,
and compare with me,
as thoughj we were alike?
6 Those who lavish gold from the purse
and weigh out silver in the balance scales;
hire ⌊a goldsmith⌋k
and he makes him a god;
they bow down,
indeed they bow in worship.
7 They carry it on their shoulder;
they support it and they set it in its place,
and it stands in position.
It cannot be removed from its place;
even when he cries out to it, it does not answer.
It does not save him from his trouble.
8 Remember this and pluck up courage!
Call to ⌊mind⌋,l you transgressors!
9 Remember the former things from ⌊a long time ago⌋,m
for I am God and there is none besides me,
God and there is none like me,
10 who from the beginning declares the end,
and from before, things that have not been done,
who says, ‘My plan shall stand,’
and, ‘I will accomplishn all my wishes,’o
11 who calls a bird of prey from the east,
the man of hisp plan from a country from afar.
Indeed I have spoken; indeed I will bring it to being.
I have formed it; indeed I will do it.
12 Listen to me, strong of heart,
far from righteousness!
13 I bring my righteousness near; it is not far.
And my salvation will not delay;
and I will putq salvation in Zion,
for Israel my glory.”