Isaiah 44:28–45:13

²⁸who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd,’

and he shall carry out all my wishes^z;

and saying of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be rebuilt,’

and the temple, ‘It shall be founded.’ ”

45Thus says Yahweh to his anointed one,

to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped

to subjugate nations before him,

and I uncover^a the loins of kings

to open doors before him,

and the gates shall not be shut:

²“I myself will go before you,

and I will level the mountains.^b

I will break the doors of bronze

and cut through the bars of iron.

³And I will give you the treasures of darkness

and treasures of secret places

so that you may know that I am Yahweh,

the one who calls you by your name, the God of Israel,

⁴for the sake of my servant Jacob,

and Israel my chosen one.

And I call you by your name;

I give you a name of honor, though^c you do not know me.

⁵I am Yahweh, and there is none besides me;

besides me there is no god.

I gird you though^d you do not know me,

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

and from the west that there is none besides me;

I am Yahweh and there is none besides me.

⁷I form light and I create darkness;

I make peace and I create evil;

I am Yahweh; I do all these things.

⁸Trickle, O heavens, from above,

and let clouds trickle with righteousness;

let the earth open so that^e salvation may be fruitful,

and let it cause righteousness to sprout along with it.^f

I myself, Yahweh, have created it.

⁹Woe to the one who strives with his maker,^g

a potsherd among^h potsherds of earth!

Does the clay say to the one who fashions it,

‘What are you making?’

and ‘Your work has no hands’?

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

orⁱ to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’ ”

¹¹Thus says Yahweh, the holy one of Israel,

and its maker:^j

“Ask me of the things to come about^k my children,

and you command me about the work of my hands.

¹²I myself made the earth,

and I created humankind upon it.

I, my hands, stretched out the heavens,

and I commanded all their host.

¹³I myself have stirred him up in righteousness,

and I will make all his paths smooth.

He himself shall build my city,

and he shall set my exiles free,

not for price or a gift,” says Yahweh of hosts.