¹¹ I will call a swift bird of prey from the east—
    a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding.
I have said what I would do,
    and I will do it.

¹⁹ God is not a man, so he does not lie.
    He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
    Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

“It will all happen as I have planned.
    It will be as I have decided.
²⁵ I will break the Assyrians when they are in Israel;
    I will trample them on my mountains.
My people will no longer be their slaves
    nor bow down under their heavy loads.
²⁶ I have a plan for the whole earth,
    a hand of judgment upon all the nations.
²⁷ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken—
    who can change his plans?
When his hand is raised,
    who can stop him?”

¹³ But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind?
    Whatever he wants to do, he does.

² “Who has stirred up this king from the east,
    rightly calling him to God’s service?
Who gives this man victory over many nations
    and permits him to trample their kings underfoot?
With his sword, he reduces armies to dust.
    With his bow, he scatters them like chaff before the wind.

¹⁴ Have any of your idols ever told you this?
    Come, all of you, and listen:
The Lord has chosen Cyrus as his ally.
    He will use him to put an end to the empire of Babylon
    and to destroy the Babylonian^[a] armies.

¹⁵ “I have said it: I am calling Cyrus!
    I will send him on this errand and will help him succeed.

¹⁵ But what could I say?
    For he himself sent this sickness.
Now I will walk humbly throughout my years
    because of this anguish I have felt.