10. Woe 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 of Israel, and its Maker:concerning things to come,do you question me about my children,or give me orders about the work of my hands?
12. It is I who made the earthand created mankind on it.My own hands stretched out the heavens;I marshalled their starry hosts.
13. I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness:I will make all his ways straight.He will rebuild my cityand set my exiles free,but not for a price or reward,says the Lord Almighty.’
14. This is what the Lord says:‘The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,and those tall Sabeans –they will come over to youand will be yours;they will trudge behind you,coming over to you in chains.They will bow down before youand plead with you, saying,“Surely God is with you, and there is no other;there is no other god.” ’
15. Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself,the God and Saviour of Israel.
16. All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced;they will go off into disgrace together.
17. But Israel will be saved by the Lordwith an everlasting salvation;you will never be put to shame or disgraced,to ages everlasting.
18. For this is what the Lord says –he who created the heavens,he is God;he who fashioned and made the earth,he founded it;he did not create it to be empty,but formed it to be inhabited –he says:‘I am the Lord,and there is no other.
19. I have not spoken in secret,from somewhere in a land of darkness;I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,“Seek me in vain.”I, the Lord, speak the truth;I declare what is right.
20. ‘Gather together and come;assemble, you fugitives from the nations.Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood,who pray to gods that cannot save.
21. Declare what is to be, present it –let them take counsel together.Who foretold this long ago,who declared it from the distant past?Was it not I, the Lord?And there is no God apart from me,a righteous God and a Saviour;there is none but me.