Cyrus: God’s Deliverer

1This is what the LORD says to his anointed, Cyrus,

whose right hand I have grasped

to subdue nations before him,

as I strip kings of their armor,a

to open doorsb before him

and gates that cannot keep closed:

2 “I myself will go before you,

and hec will make the mountainsd level;

I’ll shatter bronze doors

and cut through iron bars.

3I’ll give you concealed treasurese

and riches hidden in secret places,

so that you’ll know that it is I, the LORD,

the God of Israel, who calls you by name.

4For the sake of Jacob my servant,

Israelf my chosen,

I’ve called you,

and he has established you with a name,g

although you have not acknowledged me.

5I am the LORD, and there is no other besides me:

and there are no gods.h

I’m strengthening you,

although you have not acknowledged me,

6so that from the sun’s risingi to the west

people may know that there is none besides me.

“I am the LORD, and there is no other.”

God is Sovereign

7“I form light and create darkness,

I make goodnessj and create disaster.

I am the LORD, who does all these things.

8“Shout,k you skies above, and you clouds,

and let righteousness stream down.l

I amm the one who says to the earth, ‘Let salvation blossom,

and let righteousness sprout forth.’n

9“Woe to the one who quarrels with his makers,o

a mere potsherd with the potsherds of thep earth!

Woe to the one who saysq to the one forming him,

‘What are you making?’

or ‘Your work has no humanr hands?’!

10Woe to thes one who says to his father,

‘What are you begetting?’

or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’!”

11This is what the Lordt says,

the Creator of the signs:

“Question me about my children?u

Or give me orders about the work of my hands?

12I myself made the earth

and personally created humankind upon it.

My own hands stretched out the skies;

I marshaled all their starry hosts.”

God will Bless Cyrus

13“I have aroused himv in righteousness,

and I’ll make all his pathways smooth.

It is he who will rebuild my city

and set my exiles free,

but not for a price nor reward, ”

says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

14This is what the LORD says:

“The wealth of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia,

thosew Sabeans, men of great heights.x

They’ll come over to you and will be yours;

They’ll trudge behind you—

coming over in chains, they’ll bow down to you.

They’ll plead with you,

‘Surely God is in you;

and there is no other God at all.’”

God as Savior of Israel

15“Truly you are a God who hides himself,

O God of Israel, the Savior.

16All of them will be put to shame—indeed, disgraced!

The makers of idols will go off in disgrace together.

17But Israel will be saved by the LORD

with everlasting salvation;

you won’t be put to shame or disgraced ever again.”

18For this is what the LORD says,

who created the heavens—

he is God,

andy the one who formed the earth and made it,

andz he is the one who established it;

he didn’t create it foraa chaos,

but formed it to be inhabited—

“I am the LORD and there is no other.

19I didn’t speak in secret,

from somewhere in a land of darkness;

I didn’t say to Jacob’s descendants,

‘Seek me in chaos.’

I, the LORD, speak truth,

declaring what is right.

20“Gather together and come;

draw near and enter,bb

your fugitives from the nations.

Those who carry around their wooden idols

know nothing,

nor do those who keep praying to a god

that cannot save.

21Explain and present a case!

Yes, let them take counsel together.

Who announced this long ago,

who declared it from the distant past?

Was it not I, the LORD?

And there is no other God besides me,

a righteous God and Savior;

andcc there is none besides me.

22Turn to me and be saved,

all you ends of the earth.

For I am God, and there is no other.

Every Knee will Bow

23By myself I have sworn—

from my mouth has gone out integrity,

a promisedd that won’t be revoked:

‘To me every knee will bow,

andee every tongue will swear. ’

24One will say of me,ff

‘Only in the LORD are victories and might.’

All who raged against him will comegg to him

and will be put to shame.

25In the LORD all the descendants of Israel

will triumph and make their boast.”