Isaiah 44:28–45:13

²⁸who says to Cyrus,^o “My shepherd,

he will fulfill all my pleasure”^p

and says to Jerusalem, “She will be rebuilt,”^q

and of the temple, “Its foundation will be laid.”

45The Lord says this to Cyrus, his anointed,^r

whose right hand I have grasped^s

to subdue nations before him

and disarm^A kings,^a

to open doors before him,

and even city gates will not be shut:

²“I will go before you

and level the uneven places;^Bb

I will shatter the bronze doors

and cut the iron bars in two.^c

³I will give you the treasures of darkness

and riches from secret places,^d

so that you may know that I am the Lord.

I am the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.^e

⁴I call you by your name,

for the sake of my servant Jacob^f

and Israel my chosen one.

I give a name to you,

though you do not know me.

⁵I am the Lord, and there is no other;^g

there is no God but me.^h

I will strengthen^C you,

though you do not know me,

⁶so that all may know from the rising of the sun to its setting

that there is no one but me.ⁱ

I am the Lord, and there is no other.

⁷I form light and create darkness,^j

I make success and create disaster;^k

I am the Lord, who does all these things.

⁸“Heavens, sprinkle from above,

and let the skies shower righteousness.^l

Let the earth open up

so that salvation will sprout

and righteousness will spring up with it.^m

I, the Lord, have created it.

⁹“Woe to the one who argues with his Maker—

one clay pot among many.^A

Does clay say to the one forming it,

‘What are you making?’ⁿ

Or does your work say,

‘He has no hands’?^B

¹⁰Woe to the one who says to his father,

‘What are you fathering?’

or to his mother,^C

‘What are you giving birth to?’ ”

¹¹This is what the Lord,

the Holy One of Israel^o and its Maker, says:

“Ask me what is to happen to^D my sons,^p

and instruct me about the work of my hands.^q

¹²I made the earth,

and created humans on it.

It was my hands that stretched out the heavens,^r

and I commanded everything in them.

¹³I have stirred him up in righteousness,^s

and will level all roads for him.

He will rebuild my city,^t

and set my exiles free,^u

not for a price or a bribe,”

says the Lord of Armies.