Isaiah 45 

Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose ^aright 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; ² I 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: ³ And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which ^bcall thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. ⁴ For ^cJacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast ^dnot known me.

⁵ I ^eam the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: ^fI girded thee, though thou hast not known me: ^{6 g}That 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. ⁷ I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and ^hcreate evil: I the LORD do all these things. ^{8 i}Drop 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. ⁹ Woe unto him that striveth with ^jhis Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. ^kShall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? ¹⁰ Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? ¹¹ Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning ^lmy sons, and concerning ^mthe work of my hands command ye me. ^{12 n}I 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. ¹³ I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall ^obuild my city, and he shall let go my captives, ^pnot for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.

¹⁴ Thus saith the LORD, ^rThe 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, ^qSurely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. ¹⁵ Verily thou art a God ^sthat hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. ¹⁶ They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. ^{17 t}But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. ¹⁸ For 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. ¹⁹ I have not spoken in ^vsecret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: ^uI the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

²⁰ Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are ^wescaped of the nations: ^xthey have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. ²¹ Tell 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. ²² Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. ^{23 y}I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every ^zknee shall bow, ^aevery tongue shall swear. ²⁴ Surely, 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. ²⁵ In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

Isaiah 46