1. Thus says the Lord to Cyrus, His anointed,whose right hand I have held—to subdue nations before himand to loosen the loins of kings,to open doors before himso that the gates will not be shut:
2. I will go before youand make the crooked places straight;I will break in pieces the gates of bronzeand shatter the bars of iron.
3. And I will give you the treasures of darknessand hidden riches of secret placesso that you may know that I, the Lord,who calls you by your name, am the God of Israel.
4. For Jacob My servant’s sakeand Israel My chosen one,I have even called you by your name;I have named you,though you have not known Me.
5. I am the Lord and there is no other;there is no God besides Me.I strengthen you,though you have not known Me,
6. so that they may know from the rising of the sunand from the westthat there is no one besides Me.I am the Lord, and there is no other;
7. I form the light and create darkness;I make peace and create calamity;I, the Lord, do all these things.
8. Drip down, O heavens, from above,and let the clouds pour down righteousness;let the earth open up,and let them bring forth salvation,and let righteousness spring up together.I, the Lord, have created it.
9. Woe to him who strives with his Maker,the potsherd with the potsherds of the earth!Shall the clay say to the potter,“What are you making?”Or the thing you are making say,“He has no hands”?
10. Woe to him who says to his father,“What are you begetting?”Or to the woman,“To what are you giving birth?”
11. Thus says the Lord,the Holy One of Israel and his Maker:Ask Me of things to comeconcerning My sons,and you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.