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Cyrus, the Lord’s Chosen One

45 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one,
    whose right hand he will empower.
Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear.
    Their fortress gates will be opened,
    never to shut again.

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45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,(A)
    to Cyrus,(B) whose right hand I take hold(C) of
to subdue nations(D) before him
    and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
    so that gates will not be shut:

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28 When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’
    he will certainly do as I say.
He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’;
    he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’”

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28 who says of Cyrus,(A) ‘He is my shepherd
    and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,(B) “Let it be rebuilt,”
    and of the temple,(C) “Let its foundations(D) be laid.”’

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“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.
    I will take you by the hand and guard you,
and I will give you to my people, Israel,
    as a symbol of my covenant with them.
And you will be a light to guide the nations.

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“I, the Lord, have called(A) you in righteousness;(B)
    I will take hold of your hand.(C)
I will keep(D) you and will make you
    to be a covenant(E) for the people
    and a light(F) for the Gentiles,(G)

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Babylon’s Great Punishment

20 “You[a] are my battle-ax and sword,”
    says the Lord.
“With you I will shatter nations
    and destroy many kingdoms.
21 With you I will shatter armies—
    destroying the horse and rider,
    the chariot and charioteer.
22 With you I will shatter men and women,
    old people and children,
    young men and young women.
23 With you I will shatter shepherds and flocks,
    farmers and oxen,
    captains and officers.

24 “I will repay Babylon
    and the people of Babylonia[b]
for all the wrong they have done
    to my people in Jerusalem,” says the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 51:20 Possibly Cyrus, whom God used to conquer Babylon. Compare Isa 44:28; 45:1.
  2. 51:24 Or Chaldea; also in 51:35.

20 “You are my war club,(A)
    my weapon for battle—
with you I shatter(B) nations,(C)
    with you I destroy kingdoms,
21 with you I shatter horse and rider,(D)
    with you I shatter chariot(E) and driver,
22 with you I shatter man and woman,
    with you I shatter old man and youth,
    with you I shatter young man and young woman,(F)
23 with you I shatter shepherd and flock,
    with you I shatter farmer and oxen,
    with you I shatter governors and officials.(G)

24 “Before your eyes I will repay(H) Babylon(I) and all who live in Babylonia[a] for all the wrong they have done in Zion,” declares the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 51:24 Or Chaldea; also in verse 35

13 For I hold you by your right hand—
    I, the Lord your God.
And I say to you,
    ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

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13 For I am the Lord your God
    who takes hold of your right hand(A)
and says to you, Do not fear;
    I will help(B) you.

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23 Yet I still belong to you;
    you hold my right hand.

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23 Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.(A)

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35 “The sword of destruction will strike the Babylonians,”
    says the Lord.
“It will strike the people of Babylon—
    her officials and wise men, too.

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35 “A sword(A) against the Babylonians!”(B)
    declares the Lord
“against those who live in Babylon
    and against her officials and wise(C) men!

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I am the Lord;
    there is no other God.
I have equipped you for battle,
    though you don’t even know me,

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I am the Lord, and there is no other;(A)
    apart from me there is no God.(B)
I will strengthen you,(C)
    though you have not acknowledged me,

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11 Sharpen the arrows!
    Lift up the shields![a]
For the Lord has inspired the kings of the Medes
    to march against Babylon and destroy her.
This is his vengeance against those
    who desecrated his Temple.

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Footnotes

  1. 51:11 Greek version reads Fill up the quivers.

11 “Sharpen the arrows,(A)
    take up the shields!(B)
The Lord has stirred up the kings(C) of the Medes,(D)
    because his purpose(E) is to destroy Babylon.
The Lord will take vengeance,(F)
    vengeance for his temple.(G)

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Cyrus Allows the Exiles to Return

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia,[a] the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah.[b] He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:

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Footnotes

  1. 1:1a The first year of Cyrus’s reign over Babylon was 538 B.c.
  2. 1:1b See Jer 25:11-12; 29:10.

Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return(A)

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah,(B) the Lord moved the heart(C) of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

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The river gates have been torn open!
    The palace is about to collapse!

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The river gates(A) are thrown open
    and the palace collapses.

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21 He pours disgrace upon princes
    and disarms the strong.

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21 He pours contempt on nobles(A)
    and disarms the mighty.(B)

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15 Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram.

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15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael(A) king over Aram.

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