1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66
45 <1> This is what the Lord said about Cyrus,[413] his chosen king[414]:
"I took Cyrus by his right hand
to help him conquer nations,
to strip other kings of their power,
and to open city gates that will not be closed again.
<2> "Cyrus, I will go in front of you.
I will make the mountains flat.
I will break the city gates of bronze.
I will cut the iron bars on the gates.
<3> I will give you the wealth that is saved in darkness.
I will give you those hidden treasures
so you will know that I, the Lord, the God of Israel, am calling you by name.
<4> I do this for my servant, Jacob.
I do this for my chosen people, Israel.
Cyrus, I am calling you by name.
You don't know me, but I know you.[415]
<5> I am the Lord, the only God.
There is no other God except me.
I put your clothes on you,[416]
but still you don't know me.
<6> I am doing this so everyone will know
that I am the only God.
From the east to the west, people will know that I am the Lord,
and there is no other God.
<7> I made the light,
and I made darkness.
I make peace,
and I make trouble.
I am the Lord,
and I do all these things.
<8> "May the clouds in the skies above
drop goodness on the earth like rain.
May the earth open
and let salvation grow.
And may victory[417] grow with it!
I, the Lord, created him.[418]
<9> "Look at these people! They are arguing with the one who made them. Look at them argue with me. They are like pieces of clay from a broken pot. A man uses soft, wet clay to make a pot, and the clay does not ask, 'Man, what are you doing?' Things that are made don't have the power to question the one who makes them. <10> A father gives life to his children, and the children cannot ask, 'Why are you giving me life?' The children cannot question their mother and ask, 'Why are you giving birth to me?'"
<11> The Lord God is the Holy One of Israel. He created Israel, and he says,
"My children, you asked me to show you a sign.
You told me to show you what I have done.[419]
<12> I made the earth,
and I created the people on it.
I used my own hands
and made the skies.
And I command all the armies in the sky.[420]
<13> I gave Cyrus his power
so he would do good things,[421]
and I will make his work easy.
He will rebuild my city,
and he will set my people free without bribes or payment."
The Lord All-Powerful said this.
<14> The Lord says, "Egypt and Ethiopia are rich,
but Israel, you will get those riches.
The tall people from Seba will be yours.
They will walk behind you
with chains around their necks.
They will bow down before you
and ask you to pray for them and say,
'The true God really is with you,
and there is no other God.'"
<15> You are the God people cannot see.
You are the God who saves Israel.
<16> Many people make false gods,
but they will be disappointed.
All of them will go away ashamed.
<17> But Israel will be saved by the Lord.
That salvation will continue forever.
Never again will Israel be shamed.
<18> The Lord is God.
He made the skies and the earth.
He put the earth in its place.
He did not want the earth
to be empty when he made it.
He created it to be lived on.
"I am the Lord.
There is no other God.
<19> I did not speak in secret.
I have spoken freely.
I did not hide my words
in a dark place of the world.
I did not tell the people of Jacob
to look for me in empty places.
I am the Lord,
and I speak the truth.
What I say is true.
<20> "You people who escaped from other nations, gather together before me. (These people carry statues of false gods. They pray to useless gods, but they don't know what they are doing. <21> Tell them to come to me. Let them present their case and discuss these things.)
"Who told you about this before it happened? Who told you this so long ago? I, the Lord, am the one who said these things. I am the only God. I am the good God. I am the one who saves, and there is no other! <22> So all you people in faraway places, turn to me and be saved for I am God, and there is no other.
<23> "When I make a promise, that promise is true. It will happen. And I swear by my own power, that everyone will bow before me and will take the oath[422] to obey me. <24> People will say, 'Goodness and power come only from the Lord.'"
Everyone who is angry with the Lord will come to him and be ashamed. <25> The Lord will help the people of Israel live right[423] and praise their God.
46 <1> Bel[424] has fallen to the ground. Nebo,[425] is kneeling before me.
The Lord says, "Men put those idols on the backs of animals. They are only heavy burdens that must be carried. They do nothing but make people tired. <2> But they all bowed down and fell to the ground. They couldn't escape; they were all carried away like prisoners.
<3> "Family of Jacob, listen to me! You who are left from the family of Israel, listen! I have carried you since you left your mother's womb. I carried you when you were born, <4> and I will still be carrying you when you are old. Your hair will turn gray, and I will still carry you. I made you and I will carry you. I will carry you to safety.
<5> "Can you compare me to anyone? No! No one is equal to me. You cannot understand everything about me. There is nothing like me. <6> Some people are rich with gold and silver. Gold falls from their purses, and they weigh their silver on scales. They pay an artist to make a false god from wood. Then they bow down and worship that false god. <7> They put their false god on their shoulders and carry it. That false god is useless; people have to carry it! People set the statue on the ground, and it cannot move. That false god never walks away from its place. People can yell at it, but it will not answer. That false god is only a statue; it cannot save people from their troubles.
<8> "Sinners, change your heart and mind. Think about this again. Remember it and be strong. <9> Remember what happened long ago. Remember, I am God and there is no other God. There is no other like me.
<10> "In the beginning, I told you what would happen in the end. A long time ago, I told you things that have not happened yet. When I plan something, it happens. I do whatever I want to do. <11> I am calling a man from the east. He will be like an eagle. He will come from a faraway country, and he will do what I decide to do. I am telling you that I will do this, and I will do it. I made him, and I will bring him.
<12> "Listen to me, you stubborn[426] people! You are far from doing what is right. <13> But I am close to making things right. Salvation will not be delayed much longer. I will bring salvation to Zion and to my wonderful Israel."
© Copyright 2004 World Bible Translation Center.