Isaiah 45:14–25

¹⁴The Lord says to the people of Jerusalem,

“You will get everything Egypt produces.

You will receive everything the people of Cush

and the tall Sabeans get in trade.

All of it will belong to you.

And all of those people will walk behind you as slaves.

They will be put in chains and come over to you.

They will bow down to you.

They will admit,

‘God is with you.

There is no other God.’ ”

¹⁵You are a God who hides yourself.

You are the God of Israel. You save us.

¹⁶All those who make statues of gods will be put to shame.

They will be dishonored.

They will be led away in shame together.

¹⁷But the Lord will save Israel.

He will save them forever.

They will never be put to shame or dishonored.

That will be true for all time to come.

¹⁸The Lord created the heavens.

He is God.

He formed the earth and made it.

He set it firmly in place.

He didn’t create it to be empty.

Instead, he formed it for people to live on.

He says, “I am the Lord.

There is no other Lord.

¹⁹I have not spoken in secret.

I have not spoken from a dark place.

I have not said to Jacob’s people,

‘It is useless to look for me.’

I am the Lord. I always speak the truth.

I always say what is right.

²⁰“Come together, you people of the nations

who escaped from Babylonia.

Gather together and come into court.

Only people who do not know anything

would carry around gods that are made out of wood.

They pray to gods that can’t save them.

²¹Tell me what will happen. State your case.

Talk it over together.

Who spoke long ago about what would happen?

Who said it a long time ago?

I did. I am the Lord.

I am the one and only God.

I always do what is right.

I am the one who saves.

There is no God but me.

²²“All of you who live anywhere on earth,

turn to me and be saved.

I am God. There is no other God.

²³I have made a promise with an oath in my own name.

I have spoken with complete honesty.

I will not take back a single word. I said,

‘Everyone’s knee will bow down to me.

Everyone’s mouth will take an oath in my name.’

²⁴They will say, ‘The Lord always does what is right.

Only he can make us strong.’ ”

All those who have been angry with the Lord will come to him.

And they will be put to shame.

²⁵But the Lord will help all of the people of Israel.

He will make them right with himself.

And they will praise him.