Isaiah 44:24-45:13

New International Version

Jerusalem to Be Inhabited

²⁴“This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer,^(A) who formed^(B) you in the womb:^(C)

I am the Lord,
    the Maker of all things,
    who stretches out the heavens,^(D)
    who spreads out the earth^(E) by myself,
²⁵who foils^(F) the signs of false prophets
    and makes fools of diviners,^(G)
who overthrows the learning of the wise^(H)
    and turns it into nonsense,^(I)
²⁶who carries out the words^(J) of his servants
    and fulfills^(K) the predictions of his messengers,

who says of Jerusalem,^(L) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
    of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
    and of their ruins,^(M) ‘I will restore them,’^(N)
²⁷who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
    and I will dry up^(O) your streams,’
²⁸who says of Cyrus,^(P) ‘He is my shepherd
    and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,^(Q) “Let it be rebuilt,”
    and of the temple,^(R) “Let its foundations^(S) be laid.”’

45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,^(T)
    to Cyrus,^(U) whose right hand I take hold^(V) of
to subdue nations^(W) before him
    and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
    so that gates will not be shut:
²I will go before you^(X)
    and will level^(Y) the mountains^[a];
I will break down gates^(Z) of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron.^(AA)
³I will give you hidden treasures,^(AB)
    riches stored in secret places,^(AC)
so that you may know^(AD) that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who summons you by name.^(AE)
⁴For the sake of Jacob my servant,^(AF)
    of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
    and bestow on you a title of honor,
    though you do not acknowledge^(AG) me.
⁵I am the Lord, and there is no other;^(AH)
    apart from me there is no God.^(AI)
I will strengthen you,^(AJ)
    though you have not acknowledged me,
⁶so that from the rising of the sun
    to the place of its setting^(AK)
people may know^(AL) there is none besides me.^(AM)
    I am the Lord, and there is no other.
⁷I form the light and create darkness,^(AN)
    I bring prosperity and create disaster;^(AO)
    I, the Lord, do all these things.

⁸“You heavens above, rain^(AP) down my righteousness;^(AQ)
    let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
    let salvation^(AR) spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
    I, the Lord, have created it.

⁹“Woe to those who quarrel^(AS) with their Maker,^(AT)
    those who are nothing but potsherds^(AU)
    among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,^(AV)
    ‘What are you making?’^(AW)
Does your work say,
    ‘The potter has no hands’?^(AX)
¹⁰Woe to the one who says to a father,
    ‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
    ‘What have you brought to birth?’

¹¹“This is what the Lord says—
    the Holy One^(AY) of Israel, and its Maker:^(AZ)
Concerning things to come,
    do you question me about my children,
    or give me orders about the work of my hands?^(BA)
¹²It is I who made the earth^(BB)
    and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;^(BC)
    I marshaled their starry hosts.^(BD)
¹³I will raise up Cyrus^[b]^(BE) in my righteousness:
    I will make all his ways straight.^(BF)
He will rebuild my city^(BG)
    and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,^(BH)
    says the Lord Almighty.”