Cyrus, God’s Instrument

45 “Thus says the Lord to His anointed,

To aCyrus, whose bright hand I have 1held—

cTo subdue nations before him

And dloose the armor of kings,

To open before him the double doors,

So that the gates will not be shut:

2 ‘I will go before you

eAnd 2make the 3crooked places straight;

fI will break in pieces the gates of bronze

And cut the bars of iron.

3 I will give you the treasures of darkness

And hidden riches of secret places,

gThat you may know that I, the Lord,

Who hcall you by your name,

Am the God of Israel.

4 For iJacob My servant’s sake,

And Israel My elect,

I have even called you by your name;

I have named you, though you have not known Me.

5 I jam the Lord, and kthere is no other;

There is no God besides Me.

lI will gird you, though you have not known Me, 6 mThat they may nknow from the rising of the sun to its setting

That there is none besides Me.

I am the Lord, and there is no other;

7 I form the light and create darkness,

I make peace and ocreate calamity;

I, the Lord, do all these things.’

8 “Rain pdown, you heavens, from above,

And let the skies pour down righteousness;

Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation,

And let righteousness spring up together.

I, the Lord, have created it.

9 “Woe to him who strives with qhis Maker!

Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!

rShall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’

Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?

10 Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’

Or to the woman, ‘What have you brought forth?’ ”

11 Thus says the Lord,

The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:

s“Ask Me of things to come concerning tMy sons;

And concerning uthe work of My hands, you command Me.

12 vI have made the earth,

And wcreated man on it.

I—My hands—stretched out the heavens,

And xall their host I have commanded.

13 yI have raised him up in righteousness,

And I will 4direct all his ways;

He shall zbuild My city

And let My exiles go free,

aNot for price nor reward,”

Says the Lord of hosts.