Isaiah (Douay: Isaias) 45

¹ The LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their armor, to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:

² “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth. I will break the doors of bronze in pieces and cut apart the bars of iron.

³ I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, who calls you by your name, even the God of Israel.

⁴ For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called you by your name. I have given you a title, though you have not known me.

⁵ I am the LORD, and there is no one else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me,

⁶ that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is no one besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no one else.

⁷ I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I am the LORD, who does all these things.

⁸ Rain, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, that it may produce salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it.

⁹ Woe to him who strives with his Maker – a clay pot among the clay pots of the earth! Shall the clay ask him who fashions it, ‘What are you making?’ or your work, ‘He has no hands’?

¹⁰ Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What have you become the father of?’ or to a mother, ‘What have you given birth to?’”

¹¹ The LORD, the Holy One of Israel and his Maker says: “You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons, and you command me concerning the work of my hands!

¹² I have made the earth, and created man on it. I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens. I have commanded all their army.

¹³ I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward,” says the LORD of Armies.

¹⁴ The LORD says: “The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you, and they will be yours. They will go after you. They shall come over in chains. They will bow down to you. They will make supplication to you: ‘Surely God is in you; and there is no one else. There is no other god.

¹⁵ Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.’”

¹⁶ They will be disappointed, yes, confounded, all of them. Those who are makers of idols will go into confusion together.

¹⁷ Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.

¹⁸ For the LORD who created the heavens, the God who formed the earth and made it, who established it and didn’t create it a waste, who formed it to be inhabited says: “I am the LORD. There is no other.

¹⁹ I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness. I didn’t say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I, the LORD, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right.

²⁰ “Assemble yourselves and come. Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. Those have no knowledge who carry the wood of their engraved image, and pray to a god that can’t save.

²¹ Declare and present it. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has shown this from ancient time? Who has declared it of old? Haven’t I, the LORD? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior. There is no one besides me.

²² “Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.

²³ I have sworn by myself. The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not be revoked, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.

²⁴ They will say of me, ‘There is righteousness and strength only in the LORD.’” Even to him will men come. All those who raged against him will be disappointed.

²⁵ All the offspring of Israel will be justified in the LORD, and will rejoice!

¹ TThus saith the Lord to my anointed Cyrus, whose right hand I have taken hold of, to subdue nations before his face, and to turn the backs of kings, and to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut.

² I will go before thee, and will humble the great ones of the earth: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and will burst the bars of iron.

³ And I will give thee hidden treasures, and the concealed riches of secret places: that thou mayest know that I am the Lord who call thee by thy name, the God of Israel.

⁴ For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have made a likeness of thee, and thou hast not known me.

⁵ I am the Lord, and there is none else: there is no God besides me: I girded thee, and thou hast not known me:

⁶ That they may know who are from the rising of the sun, and they who are from the west, that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is none else:

⁷ I form the light, and create darkness, I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord that do all these things.

⁸ Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened, and bud forth a saviour: and let justice spring up together: I the Lord have created him.

⁹ Woe to him that gainsayeth his maker, a sherd of the earthen pots: shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it: What art thou making, and thy work is without hands?

¹⁰ Woe to him that saith to his father: Why begettest thou? and to the woman: Why dost thou bring forth?

¹¹ Thus saith the Lord the Holy One of Israel, his maker: Ask me of things to come, concerning my children, and concerning the work of my hands give ye charge to me.

¹² I made the earth: and I created man upon it: my hand stretched forth the heavens, and I have commanded all their host.

¹³ I have raised him up to justice, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and let go my captives, not for ransom, nor for presents, saith the Lord the God of hosts.

¹⁴ Thus saith the Lord: The labour of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and of Sabaim, men of stature shall come over to thee, and shall be thine: they shall walk after thee, they shall go bound with manacles: and they shall worship thee, and shall make supplication to thee: only in thee is God, and there is no God besides thee.

¹⁵ Verily thou art a hidden God, the God of Israel the saviour.

¹⁶ They are all confounded and ashamed: the forgers of errors are gone together into confusion.

¹⁷ Israel is saved in the Lord with an eternal salvation: you shall not be confounded, and you shall not be ashamed for ever and ever.

¹⁸ For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, God himself that formed the earth, and made it, the very maker thereof: he did not create it in vain: he formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord, and there is no other.

¹⁹ I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I have not said to the seed of Jacob: Seek me in vain. I am the Lord that speak justice, that declare right things.

²⁰ Assemble yourselves, and come, and draw near together, ye that are saved of the Gentiles: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven work, and pray to a god that cannot save.

²¹ Tell ye, and come, and consult together: who hath declared this from the beginning, who hath foretold this from that time? Have not I the Lord, and there is no God else besides me? A just God and a saviour, there is none besides me.

²² Be converted to me, and you shall be saved, all ye ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is no other.

²³ I have sworn by myself, the word of justice shall go out of my mouth, and shall not return:

²⁴ For every knee shall be bowed to me, and every tongue shall swear.

²⁵ Therefore shall he say: In the Lord are my justices and empire: they shall come to him, and all that resist him shall be confounded.

²⁶ In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and praised.