God Calls Cyrus

1 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed,
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 smooth.
I will break the doors of bronze in pieces
and cut apart the bars of iron.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
and hidden riches of secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel,
who calls you by your name.
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 one else.
Besides me, there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
though you have not known me,
6 that they may know
from the rising of the sun to its setting in the west,
that there is no one besides me.
I am the Lord, and there is no one else.
7 I form the light
and create darkness.
I make peace
and create calamity.
I am the Lord,
who does all these things.

8 Pour down, you heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain righteousness.
Let the earth open up and bring forth salvation,
and let righteousness spring up with it.
I the Lord have created it.

9 Woe to him who argues with his Maker—
a clay pot among the clay pots of the earth!
Should the clay ask him who formed it,
‘What are you making?’
or does your work say, ‘He has no hands?’
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 says,
the Holy One of Israel and his Maker:
“Do you question me about the things to come
concerning my children?
Are you commanding me
concerning the work of my hands!
12 I have made the earth, and created man on it.
With my own hands, I have stretched out the heavens.
Its entire host of stars, I command.
13 I have raised up Cyrus 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 the Lord of Hosts.

The Lord will Save

14 The Lord says: “The labor of Egypt,
and the merchandise of Ethiopia,
and the Sabeans, men of stature, will come 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 plead with you:
‘Surely God is with you, and there is no one else.
There is no other god.

15 Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself,
O God of Israel, the Savior.’ ”
16 The crafters of idols
will be put to shame and humiliated –all of them.
Together, they will go away disgraced.
17 Israel will be saved by the Lord
with an everlasting salvation.
You will be neither disappointed nor disgraced,
from age to age, everlasting.

18 For the Lord who created the heavens,
the God who formed the earth and made it,
who established it and did not create it to be a wasteland,
but formed it to be inhabited says:
“I am the Lord.
There is no other.
19 I have not spoken in secret,
in a place of the land of darkness.
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’
What I speak is righteous.
What I declare is truth.

20 “Come, gather together.
Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations,
the ignorant who carry wooden idols
and pray to a god that cannot save.
21 Declare your case and present it.
Yes, consult with one another.
Who has been predicting this since ancient times?
Was it not I, the Lord?
There is no other God besides me,
a just God and a Savior.
There is no one besides me.

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, I have sworn.
Words of truth have come from my mouth
and will not be revoked,
that to me every knee shall bow
and every tongue shall swear allegiance.
24 They will say of me,
‘In the Lord alone is all righteousness and strength.’ ”
To him will men come.
All those who raged against him will be put to shame.
25 All the offspring of Israel will be justified in the Lord,
and will rejoice!

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