Isaiah 45-46
King James Version
45 Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right 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 call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
6 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 create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
8 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 his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall 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 my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
12 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 build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts.
14 Thus saith the Lord, The 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, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
15 Verily thou art a God that 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 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 secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they 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 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every 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.
46 Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.
2 They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.
3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:
4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?
6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
7 They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
12 Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:
13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
Isaiah 45-46
1599 Geneva Bible
45 1 The deliverance of the people by Cyrus. 9 God is just in all his works. 20 The calling of the Gentiles.
1 Thus saith the Lord unto [a]Cyrus his [b]anointed, whose right hand I have holden to [c]subdue nations before him: therefore will I weaken the loins of kings, and open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut.
2 I will go before thee, and make the [d]crooked straight: I will break the brazen doors, and burst the iron bars.
3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and the things hid in secret places, that thou mayest [e]know that I am the Lord which call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob my servant’s [f]sake, and Israel mine elect, I will even call thee by thy name, and name thee, though thou hast not known me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is none other; there is no God besides me: I [g]girded thee, though thou hast not known me.
6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the West, that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is none other.
7 I form the [h]light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
8 Ye heavens send the dew from above, and let the clouds drop down [i]righteousness: let the earth open, and let salvation and justice grow forth: let it bring them forth together: I the Lord have [j]created him.
9 [k]Woe be unto him that striveth with his maker, the potsherd with the potsherds of the earth: shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, [l]It hath none hands?
10 Woe unto him that saith to his father, What hast thou begotten? or to his mother, What hast thou brought forth?
11 Thus saith the Lord, the only one of Israel, and his maker, Ask me [m]of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the works of mine hands: commend you me.
12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, whose hands have spread out the heavens, I have even commanded all their [n]army.
13 I have raised [o]him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for [p]price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts.
14 Thus saith the Lord, The labor [q]of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and of the Sabeans, men of stature shall come unto thee, and they shall be [r]thine: they shall follow thee, and shall go in chains: they shall fall down before thee, and make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee, and there is none other God besides.
15 Verily, thou O God [s]hidest thyself, O God, the Savior of Israel.
16 All they shall be ashamed and also confounded: they shall go to confusion together, that are the makers of images.
17 But Israel shall be saved in the Lord, with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
18 For this saith the Lord (that created heaven, God himself that formed the earth, and made it: he that prepared it, he created it not in vain: he formed it to be [t]inhabited) I am the Lord, and there is none other.
19 I have not spoken in secret, neither [u]in a place of darkness in the earth: I said not in vain unto the seed of Jacob, Seek you me: I the Lord do speak righteousness, and declare righteous things.
20 Assemble yourselves, and come: draw near together, [v]ye abject of the Gentiles: they have no knowledge, that set up the wood of their idol, and pray unto a god, that cannot save them.
21 Tell ye and bring them, and let them take counsel together, who hath declared this from the beginning, or hath told it of old? Have not I the Lord? and there is none other God beside me, a just God, and a Savior: there is none beside me.
22 Look unto me, and ye shall be saved: all [w]the ends of the earth shall be saved: for I am God, and there is none other.
23 I have sworn by myself: the word is gone out of my mouth in [x]righteousness, and shall not return, That every [y]knee shall bow unto me, and every tongue shall swear by me.
24 Surely [z]he shall say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength: he shall come unto him, and all that [aa]provoke him shall be ashamed.
25 The whole seed of Israel shall be justified, and glory in the Lord.
46 1 The destruction of Babylon and of their idols. 3 He calleth the Jews to the consideration of his works.
1 Bel is bowed down: [ab]Nebo is fallen: their idols were upon their [ac]beasts, and upon the cattle: they which did bear you, were laden with a weary burden.
2 [ad]They are bowed down, and fallen together, for they could not rid them of the burden, and their [ae]soul is gone into captivity.
3 Hear ye me, O house of Jacob, and all that remain of the house of Israel, which are [af]born of me from the womb, and brought up of me from the birth.
4 Therefore unto [ag]old age, I the same, even I will bear you until the hoary hairs: I have made you: I will also bear you, and I will carry you, and I will deliver you.
5 ¶ To whom will ye make me like, or make me equal, or [ah]compare me that I should be like him?
6 They draw gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith to make a god of it, and they bow down and worship it.
7 They bear it upon the shoulders: they carry him and set him in his place: so doth he stand, and cannot remove from his place. Though one cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor deliver him out of his tribulation.
8 Remember this, and be ashamed: bring it again to [ai]mind, O you transgressors.
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none other God, and there is nothing like me,
10 Which declare the last thing from the beginning, and from of old: the things that were not done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do whatsoever I will.
11 I call a [aj]bird from the East, and the man of my [ak]counsel from far: as I have spoken, so will I bring it to pass: I have purposed it, and I will do it.
12 Hear me ye stubborn hearted, that are far from [al]justice.
13 I bring [am]near my justice: it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: for I will give salvation in Zion, and my glory unto Israel.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 45:1 To assure the Jews of their deliverance against the great tentations that they should abide, he nameth the person and the means.
- Isaiah 45:1 Because Cyrus should execute the office of a deliverer, God called him his anointed for a time, but after another sort than he called David.
- Isaiah 45:1 To guide him in the deliverance of my people.
- Isaiah 45:2 I will take away all impediments and lets.
- Isaiah 45:3 Not that Cyrus did know God to worship him aright, but he had a certain particular knowledge as profane men may have of his power, and so was compelled to deliver God’s people.
- Isaiah 45:4 Not for any thing that is in thee, or for thy worthiness.
- Isaiah 45:5 I have given thee strength, power and authority.
- Isaiah 45:7 I send peace and war, prosperity and adversity, as Amos 3:6.
- Isaiah 45:8 He comforteth the Jews, as if he would say, Though when ye look to the heavens and earth for succor, ye see nothing now but signs of God’s wrath, yet will cause them to bring forth most certain tokens of your deliverance, and of the performance of my promise: which is meant by righteousness.
- Isaiah 45:8 I have appointed Cyrus to this use and purpose.
- Isaiah 45:9 Hereby he bridleth their impatience, which in adversity and trouble murmur against God, and will not tarry his pleasure: willing that man should match with his like, and not contend against God.
- Isaiah 45:9 That is, it is not perfectly made.
- Isaiah 45:11 Instead of murmuring, humble yourselves, and ask what ye will for the consolation of my children, and you shall be sure of it, as ye are of these things which are at your commandment. Some read it with an interrogation, and make it the application of the similitude.
- Isaiah 45:12 That is, the stars.
- Isaiah 45:13 To wit, Cyrus, that I may show by him the faithfulness of my promise in delivering my people.
- Isaiah 45:13 Meaning, freely and without ransom, or any grievous condition.
- Isaiah 45:14 These people were tributaries to the Persians, and so king Artaxerxes gave this money toward the building of the Temple, Ezra 7:27.
- Isaiah 45:14 Whereas to fore they were thine enemies, they shall now honor thee, and thou shalt rule them: which was accomplished in the time of Christ.
- Isaiah 45:15 Hereby he exhorteth the Jews to patience, though their deliverance be deferred for a time: showing that they should not repent their long patience, but the wicked and idolaters shall be destroyed.
- Isaiah 45:18 To wit, of men, but chiefly of his Church.
- Isaiah 45:19 As do the false gods, which give uncertain answers.
- Isaiah 45:20 All ye idolaters which though you seem to have never so much worldly dignity, yet in God’s sight you are vile and abject.
- Isaiah 45:22 He calleth the idolaters to repentance, willing them to look unto him with the eye of faith.
- Isaiah 45:23 That is, that the thing which I have promised shall be faithfully performed.
- Isaiah 45:23 The knowledge of God and the true worshipping shall be through all the world, Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10, whereby he signifieth that we must not only serve God in heart, but declare the same also by outward profession.
- Isaiah 45:24 Meaning, the faithful shall feel and confess this.
- Isaiah 45:24 All the contemners of God.
- Isaiah 46:1 These were the chief idols of Babylon.
- Isaiah 46:1 Because they were of gold and silver, the Medes and Persians carried them away.
- Isaiah 46:2 The beasts that carried the idols, fell down under their burden.
- Isaiah 46:2 He derideth the idols, which had neither soul nor sense.
- Isaiah 46:3 He showeth the difference between the idols and the true God: for they must be carried of others, but God himself carrieth his, as Deut. 32:11.
- Isaiah 46:4 Seeing I have begotten you, I will nourish and preserve you forever.
- Isaiah 46:5 The people of God, setting their own calamity, and the flourishing estate of the Babylonians, should be tempted to think that their God was not so mighty as the idols of their enemies: therefore he describeth the original of all the idols to make them to be abhorred of all men: showing that the most that can be spoken in their commendation, is but to prove them vile.
- Isaiah 46:8 Become wise, meaning, that all idolaters are without wit or sense, like mad men.
- Isaiah 46:11 That is, Cyrus, which shall come as swift as a bride, and fight against Babylon.
- Isaiah 46:11 Him by whom I have appointed to execute that which I have determined.
- Isaiah 46:12 Which by your incredulity would let the performance of my promise.
- Isaiah 46:13 He showeth that man’s incredulity cannot abolish the promise of God, Rom. 3:3.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
