Isaiah 45:18-46:13

World English Bible

¹⁸ For Yahweh 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 Yahweh.
    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, Yahweh, 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, Yahweh?
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 Yahweh.’”
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 Yahweh,
    and will rejoice!

46 Bel bows down.
    Nebo stoops.
Their idols are carried by animals,
    and on the livestock.
The things that you carried around are heavy loads,
    a burden for the weary.
² They stoop and they bow down together.
    They could not deliver the burden,
    but they have gone into captivity.

³ “Listen to me, house of Jacob,
    and all the remnant of the house of Israel,
    that have been carried from their birth,
    that have been carried from the womb.
⁴ Even to old age I am he,
    and even to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear.
    Yes, I will carry, and will deliver.

⁵ “To whom will you compare me, and consider my equal,
    and compare me, as if we were the same?
⁶ Some pour out gold from the bag,
    and weigh silver in the balance.
They hire a goldsmith,
    and he makes it a god.
They fall down—
    yes, they worship.
⁷ They bear it on their shoulder.
    They carry it, and set it in its place, and it stands there.
    It cannot move from its place.
Yes, one may cry to it, yet it can not answer.
    It cannot save him out of his trouble.

⁸ “Remember this, and show yourselves men.
    Bring it to mind again, you transgressors.
⁹ Remember the former things of old:
    for I am God, and there is no other.
    I am God, and there is none like me.
¹⁰ I declare the end from the beginning,
    and from ancient times things that are not yet done.
I say: My counsel will stand,
    and I will do all that I please.
¹¹ I call a ravenous bird from the east,
    the man of my counsel from a far country.
Yes, I have spoken.
    I will also bring it to pass.
I have planned.
    I will also do it.

¹² Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted,
    who are far from righteousness!
¹³ I bring my righteousness near.
    It is not far off,
    and my salvation will not wait.
I will grant salvation to Zion,
    my glory to Israel.