The Lord, the Only Savior (ISA 45:14-25)

[45:14] Thus says the Lord: “The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and be yours; they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you, saying: ‘Surely God is in you, and there is no other, no god besides him.’”

[45:15] Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.

[45:16] All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together.

[45:17] But Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity.

[45:18] For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other.

[45:19] I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right.

[45:20] “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save.

[45:21] Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.

[45:22] “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

[45:23] By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

[45:24] “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.

[45:25] In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.”