Isaiah 44:28–45:13

²⁸who says of Cyrus,^t ‘He is my shepherd

and will accomplish all that I please;

he will say of Jerusalem,^u “Let it be rebuilt,”

and of the temple,^v “Let its foundations^w be laid.” ’

45“This is what the Lord says to his anointed,^x

to Cyrus,^y whose right hand I take hold^z of

to subdue nations^a before him

and to strip kings of their armor,

to open doors before him

so that gates will not be shut:

²I will go before you^b

and will level^c the mountains^a;

I will break down gates^d of bronze

and cut through bars of iron.^e

³I will give you hidden treasures,^f

riches stored in secret places,^g

so that you may know^h that I am the Lord,

the God of Israel, who summons you by name.ⁱ

⁴For the sake of Jacob my servant,^j

of Israel my chosen,

I summon you by name

and bestow on you a title of honor,

though you do not acknowledge^k me.

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

apart from me there is no God.^m

I will strengthen you,ⁿ

though you have not acknowledged me,

⁶so that from the rising of the sun

to the place of its setting^o

people may know^p there is none besides me.^q

I am the Lord, and there is no other.

⁷I form the light and create darkness,^r

I bring prosperity and create disaster;^s

I, the Lord, do all these things.

⁸“You heavens above, rain^t down my righteousness;^u

let the clouds shower it down.

Let the earth open wide,

let salvation^v spring up,

let righteousness flourish with it;

I, the Lord, have created it.

⁹“Woe to those who quarrel^w with their Maker,^x

those who are nothing but potsherds^y

among the potsherds on the ground.

Does the clay say to the potter,^z

‘What are you making?’^a

Does your work say,

‘The potter has no hands’?^b

¹⁰Woe to the one who says to a father,

‘What have you begotten?’

or to a mother,

‘What have you brought to birth?’

¹¹“This is what the Lord says—

the Holy One^c of Israel, and its Maker:^d

Concerning things to come,

do you question me about my children,

or give me orders about the work of my hands?^e

¹²It is I who made the earth^f

and created mankind on it.

My own hands stretched out the heavens;^g

I marshaled their starry hosts.^h

¹³I will raise up Cyrus^bi in my righteousness:

I will make all his ways straight.^j

He will rebuild my city^k

and set my exiles free,

but not for a price or reward,^l

says the Lord Almighty.”