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1This is what the Lord says to his chosen one,[#tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”]
to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold
in order to subdue nations before him,
and disarm kings,
to open doors before him,
so gates remain unclosed:
2“I will go before you
and level mountains.
Bronze doors I will shatter
and iron bars I will hack through.
3I will give you hidden treasures,[#tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”]
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.
4For 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 recognize me.
5I am the Lord , I have no peer,[#tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of עוֹד (’od) here, see BDB 729 s.v. 1.c.]
there is no God but me.
I arm you for battle, even though you do not recognize me.
6I do this so people will recognize from east to west[#tn The words “I do this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.; #tn Heb “they” (so KJV, ASV); TEV, CEV “everyone”; NLT “all the world.”]
that there is no God but me;
I am the Lord , I have no peer.
7I am the one who forms light[#tn The words “I am” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the Lord” in v. 6.]
and creates darkness;
the one who brings about peace
and creates calamity.
I am the Lord , who accomplishes all these things.
8O sky, rain down from above!
Let the clouds send down showers of deliverance!
Let the earth absorb it so salvation may grow,
and deliverance may sprout up along with it.
I, the Lord , create it.
9One who argues with his creator is in grave danger,[#tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who argues with the one who formed him.”]
one who is like a mere shard among the other shards on the ground!
The clay should not say to the potter,
“What in the world are you doing?
Your work lacks skill!”
10Danger awaits one who says to his father,[#tn Heb “Woe [to] one who says” (NASB and NIV both similar); NCV “How terrible it will be.”]
“What in the world are you fathering?”
and to his mother,
“What in the world are you bringing forth?”
11This is what the Lord says,
the Holy One of Israel, the one who formed him,
concerning things to come:
“How dare you question me about my children!
How dare you tell me what to do with the work of my own hands!
12I made the earth,
I created the people who live on it.
It was me – my hands stretched out the sky,
I give orders to all the heavenly lights.
13It is me – I stir him up and commission him;[#tn Heb “I stir him up in righteousness”; NASB “I have aroused him.” See the note at 41:2. Cyrus (cf. 44:28) is in view here.]
I will make all his ways level.
He will rebuild my city;
he will send my exiled people home,
but not for a price or a bribe,”
says the Lord who commands armies.
14This is what the Lord says:
“The profit of Egypt and the revenue of Ethiopia,
along with the Sabeans, those tall men,
will be brought to you and become yours.
They will walk behind you, coming along in chains.
They will bow down to you
and pray to you:
‘Truly God is with you; he has no peer;
there is no other God!’”
15Yes, you are a God who keeps hidden,
O God of Israel, deliverer!
16They will all be ashamed and embarrassed;
those who fashion idols will all be humiliated.
17Israel will be delivered once and for all by the Lord ;[#tn Heb “Israel will be delivered by the Lord [with] a permanent deliverance.”]
you will never again be ashamed or humiliated.
18For this is what the Lord says,
the one who created the sky –
he is the true God,
the one who formed the earth and made it;
he established it,
he did not create it without order,
he formed it to be inhabited –
“I am the Lord , I have no peer.
19I have not spoken in secret,
in some hidden place.
I did not tell Jacob’s descendants,
‘Seek me in vain!’
I am the Lord ,
the one who speaks honestly,
who makes reliable announcements.
20Gather together and come!
Approach together, you refugees from the nations!
Those who carry wooden idols know nothing,
those who pray to a god that cannot deliver.
21Tell me! Present the evidence![#tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!”; NASB “Declare and set forth your case.” See 41:21.]
Let them consult with one another!
Who predicted this in the past?
Who announced it beforehand?
Was it not I, the Lord ?
I have no peer, there is no God but me,
a God who vindicates and delivers;
there is none but me.
22Turn to me so you can be delivered,[#tn The Niphal imperative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The Niphal probably has a tolerative sense, “allow yourselves to be delivered, accept help.”]
all you who live in the earth’s remote regions!
For I am God, and I have no peer.
23I solemnly make this oath –[#tn Heb “I swear by myself”; KJV, NASB “have sworn.”]
what I say is true and reliable:
‘Surely every knee will bow to me,
every tongue will solemnly affirm;
24they will say about me,
“Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer.”’”
All who are angry at him will cower before him.
25All the descendants of Israel will be vindicated by the Lord
and will boast in him.