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A little insight on Isaiah 45:7 for your consideration, which may mess with some people’s theology, but it is what it is.

http://bible.cc/isaiah/45-7.htm

New International Version (©1984)
I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.

English Standard Version (©2001)
I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these.

GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)
I make light and create darkness. I make blessings and create disasters. I, the LORD, do all these things.

King James Bible
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].

American King James Version
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

American Standard Version
I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I form the light, and create darkness, I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord that do all these things.

Darby Bible Translation
forming the light and creating darkness, making peace and creating evil: I, Jehovah, do all these things.

English Revised Version
I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I am the LORD, that doeth all these things.

Webster’s Bible Translation
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

World English Bible
I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create calamity. I am Yahweh, who does all these things.

Young’s Literal Translation
Forming light, and preparing darkness, Making peace, and preparing evil, I am Jehovah, doing all these things.’

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I do note that the Douay-Rheims Bible version also credits God with creating evil, so Catholics are in no position to criticize anyone else for accepting that translation.

That said,....

http://biblos.com/isaiah/45-7.htm

In the Hebrew, the word that is translated as *evil* is also translated otherwise in different portions of the OT.

Strongs lists the Hebrew word as *ra*, (7451)

http://strongsnumbers.com/hebrew/7451.htm

According to Strong’s the short definition is *adversity*. Elsewhere is it translated as......

adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displeasure, distress

From ra’a’; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral) — adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure), distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), + mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. Feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).

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I find that the concept of God creating evil is inconsistent with the nature of God as revealed elsewhere in Scripture. OTOH, I do not see it inconsistent at all to see God creating calamity, adversity, or affliction. Precious few people seek God out when everything is going well and they are fat, dumb, and happy. He uses the pressure of adversity to show us our need for Him, our dependence on Him, and thus to bring us to Himself.

IMO, the translation of *ra* into *evil* was not the best one because it does not fit with the rest of the revealed character of God in Scripture.

So the word “evil” here simply indicates creating disaster as in God creating disaster for the wicked? the opposite of prosperity?

According to Strong’s the short definition is *adversity*.

So we should read Genesis as stating, "the tree of knowledge of good and adversity"? It is the same Hebrew word in both cases. No, in Isaiah 45 God tells us about the foreground/background dichotomy. He made peace. He formed the light. God is love. At least that is my understanding of Isaiah 45. Which also states...

Isa 45:9 ¶ Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! [Let] the potsherd [strive] with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

Thank you for sharing those Scriptures and your insights, dear sister in Christ!

I do not have a problem with the translation in that passage. God created the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the middle of the Garden of Eden (Gen 2). Satan is also a created being whose behavior is part of the unfolding story of our redemption (Genesis,Job,Jude)

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. - Jude 1:9

And Pharoah's heart was hardened by God to reveal His power.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: - Exodus 10:1

God is The Creator ex nihilo (Genesis, John 1, Colossians 1). There is nothing of which anything can be made but His will - whether His creative will or His permissive will.

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. - Psalms 33:6

And we know it all ends up the way He wants it to be.

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. - Revelation 4:11

God's Name is I AM.

I find that the concept of God creating evil is inconsistent with the nature of God as revealed elsewhere in Scripture. OTOH, I do not see it inconsistent at all to see God creating calamity, adversity, or affliction. Precious few people seek God out when everything is going well and they are fat, dumb, and happy. He uses the pressure of adversity to show us our need for Him, our dependence on Him, and thus to bring us to Himself.

I see it that way, too, dear sister in Christ!

Adversity (i.e., difficulty, misfortune) is not the same thing as "evil" spelled with an upper-case "E." But we generally do not recognize the distinction. So if we so much as get a hangnail, we view it as an "evil" perpetrated on us. Anything that disturbs our complacently and/or comfort can be labeled "evil."

Satan gets the last laugh on this score....

Thank you ever so much for your insights re: Isaiah 45:7!