Cyrus, God's Instrument

1Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus,

whose right hand I have grasped

to subdue nations before him

and strip kings of their robes,

to open doors before him—

and the gates shall not be closed:

2I will go before you

and level the mountains,45.2 Q Ms Gk: MT the swellings

I will break in pieces the doors of bronze

and cut through the bars of iron,

3I will give you the treasures of darkness

and riches hidden in secret places,

so that you may know that it is I, the LORD,

the God of Israel, who call you by your name.

4For the sake of my servant Jacob,

and Israel my chosen,

I call you by your name,

I surname you, though you do not know me.

5I am the LORD, and there is no other;

besides me there is no god.

I arm you, though you do not know me,

6so that they may know, from the rising of the sun

and from the west, that there is no one besides me;

I am the LORD, and there is no other.

7I form light and create darkness,

I make weal and create woe;

I the LORD do all these things.

8Shower, O heavens, from above,

and let the skies rain down righteousness;

let the earth open, that salvation may spring up,45.8 Q Ms: MT that they may bring forth salvation

and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also;

I the LORD have created it.

9Woe to you who strive with your Maker,

earthen vessels with the potter!45.9 Cn: Heb with the potsherds, or with the potters

Does the clay say to the one who fashions it, ‘What are you making?’

or ‘Your work has no handles’?

10Woe to anyone who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’

or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labour?’

11Thus says the LORD,

the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:

Will you question me45.11 Cn: Heb Ask me of things to come about my children,

or command me concerning the work of my hands?

12I made the earth,

and created humankind upon it;

it was my hands that stretched out the heavens,

and I commanded all their host.

13I have aroused Cyrus45.13 Heb him in righteousness,

and I will make all his paths straight;

he shall build my city

and set my exiles free,

not for price or reward,

says the LORD of hosts.

14Thus says the LORD:

The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Ethiopia,45.14 Or Nubia; Heb Cush

and the Sabeans, tall 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 make supplication to you, saying,

‘God is with you alone, and there is no other;

there is no god besides him.’

15Truly, you are a God who hides himself,

O God of Israel, the Saviour.

16All of them are put to shame and confounded,

the makers of idols go in confusion together.

17But Israel is saved by the LORD

with everlasting salvation;

you shall not be put to shame or confounded

to all eternity.

18For 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 a chaos,

he formed it to be inhabited!):

I am the LORD, and there is no other.

19I did not speak in secret,

in a land of darkness;

I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,

‘Seek me in chaos.’

I the LORD speak the truth,

I declare what is right.

Idols Cannot Save Babylon

20Assemble yourselves and come together,

draw near, you survivors of the nations!

They have no knowledge—

those who carry about their wooden idols,

and keep on praying to a god

that cannot save.

21Declare 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?

There is no other god besides me,

a righteous God and a Saviour;

there is no one besides me.

22Turn to me and be saved,

all the ends of the earth!

For I am God, and there is no other.

23By myself I have sworn,

from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness

a word that shall not return:

‘To me every knee shall bow,

every tongue shall swear.’

24Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me,

are righteousness and strength;

all who were incensed against him

shall come to him and be ashamed.

25In the LORD all the offspring of Israel

shall triumph and glory.