
TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
Chapter 45
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1Thus said Hashem to Cyrus, His anointed one— Whose right hand He has grasped, Treading down nations before him, Ungirding the loins of kings, Opening doors before him And letting no gate stay shut:
אכֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה לִמְשִׁיחוֹ לְכוֹרֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱזַקְתִּי בִימִינוֹ לְרַד־לְפָנָיו גּוֹיִם וּמָתְנֵי מְלָכִים אֲפַתֵּחַ לִפְתֹּחַ לְפָנָיו דְּלָתַיִם וּשְׁעָרִים לֹא יִסָּגֵרוּ׃
2I will march before you And level the hills that loom up; I will shatter doors of bronze And cut down iron bars.
באֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ אֵלֵךְ וַהֲדוּרִים אושר [אֲיַשֵּׁר] דַּלְתוֹת נְחוּשָׁה אֲשַׁבֵּר וּבְרִיחֵי בַרְזֶל אֲגַדֵּעַ׃
3I will give you treasures concealed in the dark And secret hoards—So that you may know that it is I Hashem, The God of Yisrael, who call you by name.
גוְנָתַתִּי לְךָ אוֹצְרוֹת חֹשֶׁךְ וּמַטְמֻנֵי מִסְתָּרִים לְמַעַן תֵּדַע כִּי־אֲנִי יְהֹוָה הַקּוֹרֵא בְשִׁמְךָ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
4For the sake of My servant Yaakov, Yisrael My chosen one, I call you by name, I hail you by title, though you have not known Me.
l'-MA-an av-DEE ya-a-KOV v'-yis-ra-AYL b'-khee-REE va-ek-RA l'-KHA bish-ME-kha a-kha-n'-KHA v'-LO y'-da-TA-nee
דלְמַעַן עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּחִירִי וָאֶקְרָא לְךָ בִּשְׁמֶךָ אֲכַנְּךָ וְלֹא יְדַעְתָּנִי׃
45:4 For the sake of My servant Yaakov, Yisrael My chosen one
The speed with which Cyrus rose to world dominion was nothing short of miraculous. At the beginning of the chapter, Yeshayahu predicts that on the night Cyrus will march his army into Babylonia, the gates of the city will be left open. In Cyrus’s own chronicle of his conquest, he describes in amazement how the gates of the cities opened before his armies. According to the prophet, this will be a sign to the new king Cyrus that he was chosen for a larger, divine purpose — restoring the People of Israel to their natural home. Indeed, one of the first things Cyrus does as king is grant permission to the Jews to return to Israel and to rebuild the Beit Hamikdash (see Ezra 1), as predicted above (44:26-28).
5I am Hashem and there is none else; Beside Me, there is no god. I engird you, though you have not known Me,
האֲנִי יְהֹוָה וְאֵין עוֹד זוּלָתִי אֵין אֱלֹהִים אֲאַזֶּרְךָ וְלֹא יְדַעְתָּנִי׃
6So that they may know, from east to west, That there is none but Me. I am Hashem and there is none else,
ולְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁמֶשׁ וּמִמַּעֲרָבָהּ כִּי־אֶפֶס בִּלְעָדָי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה וְאֵין עוֹד׃
7I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe— I Hashem do all these things.
זיוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבוֹרֵא חֹשֶׁךְ עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא רָע אֲנִי יְהֹוָה עֹשֶׂה כָל־אֵלֶּה׃
8Pour down, O skies, from above! Let the heavens rain down victory! Let the earth open up and triumph sprout Yes, let vindication spring up: I Hashem have created it.
חהַרְעִיפוּ שָׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וּשְׁחָקִים יִזְּלוּ־צֶדֶק תִּפְתַּח־אֶרֶץ וְיִפְרוּ־יֶשַׁע וּצְדָקָה תַצְמִיחַ יַחַד אֲנִי יְהֹוָה בְּרָאתִיו׃
9Shame on him who argues with his Maker, Though naught but a potsherd of earth! Shall the clay say to the potter, “What are you doing? Your work has no handles”?
טהוֹי רָב אֶת־יֹצְרוֹ חֶרֶשׂ אֶת־חַרְשֵׂי אֲדָמָה הֲיֹאמַר חֹמֶר לְיֹצְרוֹ מַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה וּפָעָלְךָ אֵין־יָדַיִם לוֹ׃
10Shame on him who asks his father, “What are you begetting?” Or a woman, “What are you bearing?”
יהוֹי אֹמֵר לְאָב מַה־תּוֹלִיד וּלְאִשָּׁה מַה־תְּחִילִין׃
11Thus said Hashem, Yisrael's Holy One and Maker: Will you question Me on the destiny of My children, Will you instruct Me about the work of My hands?
יאכֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיֹצְרוֹ הָאֹתִיּוֹת שְׁאָלוּנִי עַל־בָּנַי וְעַל־פֹּעַל יָדַי תְּצַוֻּנִי׃
12It was I who made the earth And created man upon it; My own hands stretched out the heavens, And I marshaled all their host.
יבאָנֹכִי עָשִׂיתִי אֶרֶץ וְאָדָם עָלֶיהָ בָרָאתִי אֲנִי יָדַי נָטוּ שָׁמַיִם וְכָל־צְבָאָם צִוֵּיתִי׃
13It was I who roused him for victory And who level all roads for him. He shall rebuild My city And let My exiled people go Without price and without payment —said the lord of Hosts.
יגאָנֹכִי הַעִירֹתִהוּ בְצֶדֶק וְכָל־דְּרָכָיו אֲיַשֵּׁר הוּא־יִבְנֶה עִירִי וְגָלוּתִי יְשַׁלֵּחַ לֹא בִמְחִיר וְלֹא בְשֹׁחַד אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃
14Thus said Hashem: Egypt's wealth and Nubia's gains And Sabaites, long of limb, Shall pass over to you and be yours, Pass over and follow you in fetters, Bow low to you And reverently address you: “Only among you is Hashem, There is no other god at all!
ידכֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה יְגִיעַ מִצְרַיִם וּסְחַר־כּוּשׁ וּסְבָאִים אַנְשֵׁי מִדָּה עָלַיִךְ יַעֲבֹרוּ וְלָךְ יִהְיוּ אַחֲרַיִךְ יֵלֵכוּ בַּזִּקִּים יַעֲבֹרוּ וְאֵלַיִךְ יִשְׁתַּחֲוּוּ אֵלַיִךְ יִתְפַּלָּלוּ אַךְ בָּךְ אֵל וְאֵין עוֹד אֶפֶס אֱלֹהִים׃
15You are indeed a Hashem who concealed Himself, O God of Yisrael, who bring victory!
טואָכֵן אַתָּה אֵל מִסְתַּתֵּר אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹשִׁיעַ׃
16Those who fabricate idols, All are shamed and disgraced; To a man, they slink away in disgrace.
טזבּוֹשׁוּ וְגַם־נִכְלְמוּ כֻּלָּם יַחְדָּו הָלְכוּ בַכְּלִמָּה חָרָשֵׁי צִירִים׃
17But Yisrael has won through Hashem Triumph everlasting. You shall not be shamed or disgraced In all the ages to come!”
יזיִשְׂרָאֵל נוֹשַׁע בַּיהֹוָה תְּשׁוּעַת עוֹלָמִים לֹא־תֵבֹשׁוּ וְלֹא־תִכָּלְמוּ עַד־עוֹלְמֵי עַד׃
18For thus said Hashem, The Creator of heaven who alone is Hashem, Who formed the earth and made it, Who alone established it— He did not create it a waste, But formed it for habitation: I am Hashem, and there is none else.
יחכִּי כֹה אָמַר־יְהֹוָה בּוֹרֵא הַשָּׁמַיִם הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים יֹצֵר הָאָרֶץ וְעֹשָׂהּ הוּא כוֹנְנָהּ לֹא־תֹהוּ בְרָאָהּ לָשֶׁבֶת יְצָרָהּ אֲנִי יְהֹוָה וְאֵין עוֹד׃
19I did not speak in secret, At a site in a land of darkness; I did not say to the stock of Yaakov, “Seek Me out in a wasteland”— I Hashem, who foretell reliably, Who announce what is true.
יטלֹא בַסֵּתֶר דִּבַּרְתִּי בִּמְקוֹם אֶרֶץ חֹשֶׁךְ לֹא אָמַרְתִּי לְזֶרַע יַעֲקֹב תֹּהוּ בַקְּשׁוּנִי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה דֹּבֵר צֶדֶק מַגִּיד מֵישָׁרִים׃
20Come, gather together, Draw nigh, you remnants of the nations! No foreknowledge had they who carry their wooden images And pray to a god who cannot give success.
כהִקָּבְצוּ וָבֹאוּ הִתְנַגְּשׁוּ יַחְדָּו פְּלִיטֵי הַגּוֹיִם לֹא יָדְעוּ הַנֹּשְׂאִים אֶת־עֵץ פִּסְלָם וּמִתְפַּלְלִים אֶל־אֵל לֹא יוֹשִׁיעַ׃
21Speak up, compare testimony—Let them even take counsel together! Who announced this aforetime, Foretold it of old? Was it not I Hashem? Then there is no god beside Me, No Hashem exists beside Me Who foretells truly and grants success.
כאהַגִּידוּ וְהַגִּישׁוּ אַף יִוָּעֲצוּ יַחְדָּו מִי הִשְׁמִיעַ זֹאת מִקֶּדֶם מֵאָז הִגִּידָהּ הֲלוֹא אֲנִי יְהֹוָה וְאֵין־עוֹד אֱלֹהִים מִבַּלְעָדַי אֵל־צַדִּיק וּמוֹשִׁיעַ אַיִן זוּלָתִי׃
22Turn to Me and gain success, All the ends of earth! For I am Hashem, and there is none else.
כבפְּנוּ־אֵלַי וְהִוָּשְׁעוּ כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ כִּי אֲנִי־אֵל וְאֵין עוֹד׃
23By Myself have I sworn, From My mouth has issued truth, A word that shall not turn back: To Me every knee shall bend, Every tongue swear loyalty.
כגבִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי יָצָא מִפִּי צְדָקָה דָּבָר וְלֹא יָשׁוּב כִּי־לִי תִּכְרַע כָּל־בֶּרֶךְ תִּשָּׁבַע כָּל־לָשׁוֹן׃
24They shall say: “Only through Hashem Can I find victory and might. When people trust in Him, All their adversaries are put to shame.
כדאַךְ בַּיהֹוָה לִי אָמַר צְדָקוֹת וָעֹז עָדָיו יָבוֹא וְיֵבֹשׁוּ כֹּל הַנֶּחֱרִים בּוֹ׃
25It is through Hashem that all the offspring of Yisrael Have vindication and glory.”
כהבַּיהֹוָה יִצְדְּקוּ וְיִתְהַלְלוּ כָּל־זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל׃