The Lord Empowers Cyrus

44:24 This is what the Lord, your protector,42 says,

the one who formed you in the womb:

“I am the Lord, who made everything,

who alone stretched out the sky,

who fashioned the earth all by myself,43

44:25 who frustrates the omens of the empty talkers44

and humiliates45 the omen readers,

who overturns the counsel of the wise men46

and makes their advice47 seem foolish,

44:26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants48

and brings to pass the announcements49 of his messengers,

who says about Jerusalem,50 ‘She will be inhabited,’

and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,

her ruins I will raise up,’

44:27 who says to the deep sea, ‘Be dry!

I will dry up your sea currents,’

44:28 who commissions51 Cyrus, the one I appointed as shepherd52

to carry out all my wishes53

and to decree concerning Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’

and concerning the temple, ‘It will be reconstructed.’ ”54

45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen1 one,

to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold2

in order to subdue nations before him,

and disarm kings,3

to open doors before him,

so gates remain unclosed:

45:2 “I will go before you

and level mountains.4

Bronze doors I will shatter

and iron bars5 I will hack through.

45:3 I will give you hidden treasures,6

riches stashed away in secret places,

so you may recognize that I am the Lord,

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

45:4 For the sake of my servant Jacob,

Israel, my chosen one,

I call you by name

and give you a title of respect, even though you do not recognize7 me.

45:5 I am the Lord, I have no peer,8

there is no God but me.

I arm you for battle,9 even though you do not recognize10 me.

45:6 I do this11 so people12 will recognize from east to west

that there is no God but me;

I am the Lord, I have no peer.

45:7 I am13 the one who forms light

and creates darkness;14

the one who brings about peace

and creates calamity.15

I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.

45:8 O sky, rain down from above!

Let the clouds send down showers16 of deliverance!

Let the earth absorb it17 so salvation may grow,18

and deliverance may sprout up19 along with it.

I, the Lord, create it.20