Isaiah · Bible in Basic English
Isaiah 45 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 The Lord says to the man of his selection, to Cyrus, whom I have taken by the right hand, putting down nations before him, and taking away the arms of kings; making the doors open before him, so that the ways into the towns may not be shut;
1 Yahweh 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 level: the doors of brass will be broken, and the iron rods cut in two:
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 And I will give you the stores of the dark, and the wealth of secret places, so that you may be certain that I am the Lord, who gave you your name, even the God of Israel.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, Yahweh, who calls you by your name, even the God of Israel.
4 Because of Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have taken for myself, I have sent for you by name, giving you a name of honour, though you had no knowledge of me.
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 other; there is no God but me: I will make you ready for war, though you had no knowledge of me:
5 I am Yahweh, and there is no one else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me,
6 So that they may see from the east and from the west that there is no God but me: I am the Lord, and there is no other.
6 that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is no one besides me. I am Yahweh, and there is no one else.
7 I am the giver of light and the maker of the dark; causing blessing, and sending troubles; I am the Lord, who does all these things.
7 I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I am Yahweh, who does all these things.
8 Let righteousness come down, O heavens, from on high, and let the sky send it down like rain: let the earth be open to give the fruit of salvation, causing righteousness to come up with it; I the Lord have made it come about.
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, Yahweh, have created it.
9 Cursed is he who has an argument with his Maker, the pot which has an argument with the Potter! Will the wet earth say to him who is working with it, What are you doing, that your work has nothing by which it may be gripped?
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 Cursed is he who says to a father, To what are you giving life? or to a woman, What are you in birth-pains with?
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, Will you put a question to me about the things which are to come, or will you give me orders about my sons, and the work of my hands?
11 Yahweh, 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, forming man on it: by my hands the heavens have been stretched out, and all the stars put in their ordered places.
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 sent him out to overcome the nations, and I will make all his ways straight: I will give him the work of building my town, and he will let my prisoners go free, without price or reward, says the Lord of armies.
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 Yahweh of Armies.
14 The Lord says, The workmen of Egypt, and the traders of Ethiopia, and the tall Sabaeans, will come over the sea to you, and they will be yours; they will go after you; in chains they will come over: and they will go down on their faces before you, and will make prayer to you, saying, Truly, God is among you; and there is no other God.
14 Yahweh 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 Truly, you have a secret God, the God of Israel is a Saviour!
15 Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.’”
16 All those who have gone against him will be put to shame; the makers of images will be made low.
16 They will be disappointed, yes, confounded, all of them. Those who are makers of idols will go into confusion together.
17 But the Lord will make Israel free with an eternal salvation: you will not be put to shame or made low for ever and ever.
17 Israel will be saved by Yahweh with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.
18 For this is the word of the Lord who made the heavens; he is God; the maker and designer of the earth; who made it not to be a waste, but as a living-place for man: I am the Lord, and there is no other.
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 given my word in secret, in a place in the underworld; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, Go into a waste land to make request of me: I the Lord say what is true, my word is righteousness.
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 Come together, even come near, you nations who are still living: they have no knowledge who take up their image of wood, and make prayer to a god in whom is no salvation.
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 Give the word, put forward your cause, let us have a discussion together: who has given news of this in the past? who made it clear in early times? did not I, the Lord? and there is no God but me; a true God and a saviour; there is no other.
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 Let your hearts be turned to me, so that you may have salvation, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is no other.
22 “Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself have I taken an oath, a true word has gone from my mouth, and will not be changed, that to me every knee will be bent, and every tongue will give honour.
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 Only in the Lord will Jacob overcome and be strong: together all those who were angry with him will be put to shame and come to destruction.
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 In the Lord will all the seed of Israel get their rights, and they will give glory to him.
25 All the offspring of Israel will be justified in Yahweh, and will rejoice!
Cross references (25)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Jeremiah 51:20–24; Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 44:28; Psalm 73:23; Isaiah 41:13
- 2 Isaiah 40:4; Isaiah 42:16; Luke 3:5; Psalm 107:16; Jeremiah 51:30
- 3 Isaiah 48:15; Isaiah 43:1; Exodus 33:17; Exodus 33:12; Ezra 1:2
- 4 Isaiah 41:8–9; Acts 17:23; Exodus 19:5–6; Isaiah 44:1; Romans 11:7
- 5 Isaiah 44:8; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 46:9; Joel 2:27; 1 Kings 8:60
- 6 Malachi 1:11; Isaiah 37:20; Isaiah 45:5; Psalm 46:10; Ezekiel 38:23
- 7 Ecclesiastes 7:13–14; Amos 3:6; Psalm 75:7; Job 2:10; Isaiah 31:2
- 8 Hosea 10:12; Isaiah 61:11; Psalm 72:6; 1 Corinthians 3:6–9; Isaiah 44:3
- 9 Romans 9:20–21; Isaiah 64:8; Isaiah 10:15; Jeremiah 18:6; Isaiah 29:16
- 10 Malachi 1:6; Deuteronomy 27:16; Hebrews 12:9
- 11 Jeremiah 33:3; Isaiah 48:17; Mark 11:24; Ezekiel 36:37; Ephesians 2:10
- 12 Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 44:24; Jeremiah 27:5; Genesis 2:1; Nehemiah 9:6
- 13 Isaiah 41:2; Isaiah 13:17; Isaiah 41:25; Isaiah 49:25; 2 Chronicles 36:22–23
- 14 Isaiah 49:23; 1 Corinthians 14:25; Jeremiah 16:19; Acts 10:25–26; Isaiah 61:5–6
- 15 Isaiah 8:17; Psalm 44:24; Isaiah 57:17; Isaiah 46:13; Psalm 77:19
- 16 Isaiah 44:9; Isaiah 44:11; Isaiah 42:17; Jeremiah 2:26–27; Isaiah 41:19
- 17 Romans 10:11; Psalm 25:3; Isaiah 54:4; 1 Peter 2:6; Joel 2:26–27
- 18 Psalm 115:16; Jeremiah 10:12; Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 45:12; Genesis 1:2
- 19 Isaiah 48:16; Amos 5:4; Numbers 23:19–20; Jeremiah 29:13–14; Proverbs 30:5
- 20 Isaiah 43:9; Isaiah 44:17–20; Jeremiah 10:5; Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 46:1
- 21 Isaiah 45:5; Isaiah 46:9–10; Isaiah 43:11; Titus 2:13–14; Isaiah 43:9
- 22 John 6:40; Micah 7:7; Hebrews 12:2; Numbers 21:8–9; Zechariah 12:10
- 23 Philippians 2:10; Romans 14:10–12; Isaiah 55:11; Hebrews 6:13–18; Deuteronomy 6:13
- 24 Isaiah 41:11; Philippians 4:13; Isaiah 54:17; 2 Timothy 4:17–18; John 12:32
- 25 Isaiah 41:16; Galatians 3:27–29; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Romans 8:30; Romans 9:6–8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And this is what has been spoken by the prophet, "I am a jealous God, making peace, and creating evil things;" thus making peace and friendship with those who repent and turn to Him, and bringing [them to] unity, but preparing for the impenitent, those who shun the light, eternal fire and outer darkness, which are evils indeed to those …
Wherefore He says to it by Isaiah, "I am the Lord that formed thee." It is indeed descended from heaven from its commencement, since its citizens during the course of this world grow by the grace of God, which cometh down from above through the laver of regeneration in the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
And again, "I," saith He, "make peace, and create evils:" For neither in this place doth He speak of wickedness, but of famines, and pestilences, things accounted evil by most men: the generality being wont to call these things evil.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
If thou findest fault with Him who saith, I am God that make peace, and create evil, explain how Jesus saith, I came not to send peace but a sword.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)