Esaias

45

1 Thus saith the Lord God to my anointed Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, that nations might be obedient before him; and I will break through the strength of kings; I will open doors before him, and cities shall not be closed.

2 I will go before thee, and will level mountains: I will break to pieces brazen doors, and will burst iron bars.

3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, I will open to thee hidden, unseen treasures, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord thy God, that call thee by name, am the God of Israel.

4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel mine elect, I will call thee by thy name, and accept thee: but thou hast not known me.

5 For I am the Lord God, and there is no other God beside me; I strengthened thee, and thou hast not known me.

6 That they that come from the east and they that come from the west may know that there is no God but me. I am the Lord God, and there is none beside.

7 I am he that prepared light, and formed darkness; who make peace, and create evil; I am the Lord God, that does all these things.

8 Let the heaven rejoice from above, and let the clouds rain righteousness: let the earth bring forth, and blossom with mercy, and bring forth righteousness likewise: I am the Lord that created thee.

9 What excellent thing have I prepared as clay of the potter? Will the ploughman plough the earth all day? ✡ shall the clay say to the potter, What art thou doing that thou dost not work, nor hast hands? shall the thing formed answer him that formed it?

10 As though one should say to his father, What wilt thou beget me? and to his mother, What art thou bringing forth?

11 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, who has formed the things that are to come, Enquire of me concerning my sons, and concerning the works of my hands command me.

12 I have made the earth, and man upon it: I with my hand have established the heaven; I have given commandment to all the stars.

13 I have raised him up to be a king with righteousness, and all his ways are right: he shall build my city, and shall turn the captivity of my people, not *for ransoms, nor for rewards, saith the Lord of hosts.

14 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Egypt has laboured for thee; and the merchandise of the Ethiopians, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall pass over to thee, and shall be thy servants; and they shall follow after thee bound in fetters, and shall pass over to thee, and shall do obeisance to thee, and make supplication to thee: because God is in thee; and there is no God beside thee, O Lord.

15 For thou art God, yet we knew it not, the God of Israel, the Saviour.

16 All that are opposed to him shall be ashamed and confounded, and shall walk in shame: ye isles, †keep a feast to me.

17 Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation: they shall not be ashamed nor confounded for evermore.

18 Thus saith the Lord that made the heaven, this God that ‡created the earth, and made it; he marked it out, he made it not in vain, but formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord, and there is none beside.

19 I have not spoken in secret, nor in a dark place of the earth: I said not to the seed of Jacob, Seek vanity: §I, even I, am the Lord, speaking righteousness, and proclaiming truth.

20 Assemble yourselves and come; take counsel together, ye that escape of the nations: they that set up wood, even their graven image, have no knowledge, nor they who pray to gods that do not save.

21 If they will declare, let them draw nigh, that they may know together, who has caused these things to be heard from the beginning: then was it told you. I am God, and there is not another beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none but me.

22 Turn ye to me, and ye shall be saved, ye that come from the end of the earth: I am God, and there is none other.

23 By myself ✡ I swear, righteousness shall surely proceed out of my mouth; my words shall not be frustrated; that to me every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall swear by God,

24 saying, Righteousness and glory shall come to him: and all that remove them from their borders shall be ashamed.

25 By the Lord shall they be justified, and in God shall all the seed of the children of Israel be glorified.