Isaiah 44:28–45:13

²⁸I say about Cyrus,

‘He is my shepherd.

He will accomplish everything I want him to.

He will say about Jerusalem,

“Let it be rebuilt.”

And he will say about the temple,

“Let its foundations be laid.” ’

45“Cyrus is my anointed king.

I take hold of his right hand.

I give him the power

to bring nations under his control.

I help him strip kings of their power

to go to war against him.

I break city gates open so he can go through them.

I say to him,

²‘I will march out ahead of you.

I will make the mountains level.

I will break down bronze gates.

I will cut through their heavy iron bars.

³I will give you treasures that are hidden away in dark places.

I will give you riches that are stored up in secret places.

Then you will know that I am the Lord.

I am the God of Israel.

I am sending for you by name.

⁴Cyrus, I am sending for you by name.

I am doing it for the good of the family of Jacob.

They are my servants.

I am doing it for Israel.

They are my chosen people.

You do not know anything about me.

But I am giving you a title of honor.

⁵I am the Lord. There is no other Lord.

I am the one and only God.

You do not know anything about me.

But I will make you strong.

⁶Then people will know there is no God but me.

Everyone from where the sun rises in the east

to where it sets in the west will know it.

I am the Lord.

There is no other Lord.

⁷I cause light to shine. I also create darkness.

I bring good times. I also create hard times.

I do all of those things. I am the Lord.

⁸“ ‘Rain down godliness, you heavens above.

Let the clouds shower it down.

Let the earth open wide to receive it.

Let freedom spring to life.

Let godliness grow along with it.

I have created all of those things.

I am the Lord.’ ”

⁹How terrible it will be for anyone who argues with his Maker!

He is like a broken piece of pottery lying on the ground.

Does clay say to a potter,

“What are you making?”

Does a pot say,

“You don’t have any skill”?

¹⁰How terrible it will be for anyone who says to his father,

“Why did you give me life?”

How terrible for anyone who says to his mother,

“Why have you brought me into the world?”

¹¹The Lord is the Holy One of Israel.

He made them.

He says to them,

“Are you asking me about what will happen to my children?

Are you telling me what I should do with what my hands have made?

¹²I made the earth.

I created man to live there.

My own hands spread out the heavens.

I put all of the stars in their places.

¹³I will stir up Cyrus and help him win his battles.

I will make all of his roads straight.

He will rebuild Jerusalem.

My people have been taken away from their country.

But he will set them free.

I will not pay him to do it.

He will not receive a reward for it,”

says the Lord who rules over all.