Isa 45 | HCSB | STEP | The Lord says this to Cyrus , His anointed , whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings , to open the doors before him and the gates will not be shut :

‏ Isaiah 45

1 The Lord says this to Cyrus, His anointed, ^a

whose right hand I have grasped ^b
to subdue nations before him,
to disarm ^{▼▼Lit unloosen the loins} kings, ^d
to open the doors before him
and the gates will not be shut:
2 “I will go before you
and level the uneven places; ^{▼▼DSS, LXX read the mountains
,} ^f
I will shatter the bronze doors
and cut the iron bars in two. ^g
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
and riches from secret places, ^h
so that you may know that I, ^{▼▼Yahweh/Yah: Or The Lord; the personal name of God in Hebrew; "Yah" is the shortened form of the name.}Yahweh,
the God of Israel call you by your name. ^j
4 I call you by your name,
because of Jacob My servant ^k
and Israel My chosen one.
I give a name to you,
though you do not know Me.
5 I am Yahweh, and there is no other; ^l
there is no God but Me. ^m
I will strengthen ^{▼▼Lit gird} you,
though you do not know Me,
6 so that all may know from the rising of the sun to its setting
that there is no one but Me. ^o
I am Yahweh, and there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness, ^p
I make success and create disaster; ^q
I, Yahweh, do all these things.

8 “Heavens, sprinkle from above,
and let the skies shower righteousness. ^r
Let the earth open up
so that salvation will sprout
and righteousness will spring up with it. ^s
I, Yahweh, have created it.

9 “Woe to the one who argues with his Maker –
one clay pot among many. ^{▼▼Lit a clay pot with clay pots of the ground}
Does clay say to the one forming it,
‘What are you making?’ ^u
Or does your work say,
‘He has no hands’? ^{▼▼Or making? Your work has no hands.}
10 How absurd is the one who says to his father,
‘What are you fathering?’
or to his mother,
‘What are you giving birth to?’”
11 This is what the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel ^w and its Maker, says:
“Ask Me what is to happen to ^{▼▼Or Me the coming things about} My sons, ^y
and instruct Me about the work of My hands. ^z
12 I made the earth,
and created man on it.
It was My hands that stretched out the heavens, ^aa
and I commanded all their host.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, ^ab
and will level all roads for him.
He will rebuild My city, ^ac
and set My exiles free, ^ad
not for a price or a bribe,”
says the Lord of ^{▼▼Hosts/hosts: Military forces consisting of God's angels, sometimes including the sun, moon, and stars, and occasionally, Israel}Hosts.

God Alone is the Savior

14 This is what the Lord says:

The products of Egypt and the merchandise of ^{▼▼Cush/ Cushite: The lands of the Nile in southern Egypt, including Nubia and Northern Sudan; the people who lived in that region}Cush
and the Sabeans, men of stature, ^ag
will come over to you ^ah
and will be yours;
they will follow you,
they will come over in chains
and bow down to you.
They will confess ^{▼▼Lit pray} to you:
God is indeed with you, ^aj and there is no other;
there is no other God.

15 Yes, You are a God who hides Himself, ^ak
God of Israel, Savior. ^al
16 All of them are put to shame, even humiliated; ^am
the makers of idols go in humiliation together.
17 Israel will be saved by the Lord
with an everlasting salvation;
you will not be put to shame or humiliated
for all eternity. ^an

18 For this is what the Lord says –
God is the Creator of the heavens.
He formed the earth and made it.
He established it;
He did not create it to be empty,
but formed it to be inhabited ^ao –
“I am Yahweh,
and there is no other.
19 I have not spoken in secret, ^ap
somewhere in a land of darkness.
I did not say to the descendants of Jacob:
Seek Me in a wasteland. ^aq
I, Yahweh, speak truthfully; ^ar
I say what is right.

20 “Come, gather together,
and draw near, you fugitives of the nations.
Those who carry their wooden idols,
and pray to a god who cannot save, ^as
have no knowledge. ^at
21 Speak up and present your case ^{▼▼Lit and approach
,} ^av –
yes, let them take counsel together.
Who predicted this long ago?
Who announced it from ancient times?
Was it not I, Yahweh?
There is no other God but Me,
a righteous God and Savior; ^aw
there is no one except Me. ^ax
22 Turn to Me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth.
For I am God,
and there is no other.
23 By Myself I have sworn; ^ay
Truth has gone from My mouth, ^az
a word that will not be revoked:
Every knee will bow ^ba to Me,
every tongue will swear allegiance.
24 It will be said to Me: Righteousness and strength
is only in the Lord.”
All who are enraged against Him
will come to Him and be put to shame. ^bb
25 All the descendants of Israel
will be justified and find glory through the Lord.