Cyrus, God’s Instrument
“Thus says the Lord to His anointed,
To aCyrus, whose bright hand I have held—
cTo subdue nations before him
And dloose the armor of kings,
To open before him the double doors,
So that the gates will not be shut:
2 ‘I will go before you
aAnd make the crooked places straight;
bI will break in pieces the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden riches of secret places,
aThat you may know that I, the Lord,
Who bcall you by your name,
Am the God of Israel.
4 For aJacob My servant’s sake,
And Israel My elect,
I have even called you by your name;
I have named you, though you have not known Me.
5 I aam the Lord, and bthere is no other;
There is no God besides Me.
cI will gird you, though you have not known Me,
6 aThat they may bknow from the rising of the sun to its setting
That there is none besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
7 I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and acreate calamity;
I, the Lord, do all these things.’
8 “Raina down, you heavens, from above,
And let the skies pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation,
And let righteousness spring up together.
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “Woe to him who strives with ahis Maker!
Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!
bShall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’
Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?
10 Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’
Or to the woman, ‘What have you brought forth?’ ”
11 Thus says the Lord,
The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:
a“Ask Me of things to come concerning bMy sons;
And concerning cthe work of My hands, you command Me.
12 aI have made the earth,
And bcreated man on it.
I—My hands—stretched out the heavens,
And call their host I have commanded.
13 aI have raised him up in righteousness,
And I will direct all his ways;
He shall bbuild My city
And let My exiles go free,
cNot for price nor reward,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
The Lord, the Only Savior
14 Thus says the Lord:
a“The labor of Egypt and merchandise of Cush
And of the Sabeans, men of stature,
Shall come over to you, and they shall be yours;
They shall walk behind you,
They shall come over bin chains;
And they shall bow down to you.
They will make supplication to you, saying, c‘Surely God is in you,
And there is no other;
dThere is no other God.’ ”
15 Truly You are God, awho hide Yourself,
O God of Israel, the Savior!
16 They shall be aashamed
And also disgraced, all of them;
They shall go in confusion together,
Who are makers of idols.
17 aBut Israel shall be saved by the Lord
With an beverlasting salvation;
You shall not be ashamed or cdisgraced
Forever and ever.
18 For thus says the Lord,
aWho created the heavens,
Who is God,
Who formed the earth and made it,
Who has established it,
Who did not create it in vain,
Who formed it to be binhabited:
c“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
19 I have not spoken in asecret,
In a dark place of the earth;
I did not say to the seed of Jacob,
‘Seek Me in vain’;
bI, the Lord, speak righteousness,
I declare things that are right.
20 “Assemble yourselves and come;
Draw near together,
You who have escaped from the nations.
aThey have no knowledge,
Who carry the wood of their carved image,
And pray to a god that cannot save.
21 Tell and bring forth your case;
Yes, let them take counsel together.
aWho has declared this from ancient time?
Who has told it from that time?
Have not I, the Lord?
bAnd there is no other God besides Me,
A just God and a Savior;
There is none besides Me.
22 “Look to Me, and be saved,
aAll you ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 aI have sworn by Myself;
The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness,
And shall not return,
That to Me every bknee shall bow,
cEvery tongue shall take an oath.
24 He shall say,
‘Surely in the Lord I have arighteousness and strength.
To Him men shall come,
And ball shall be ashamed
Who are incensed against Him.
25 aIn the Lord all the descendants of Israel
Shall be justified, and bshall glory.’ ”
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved.