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25 “I have ·brought [stirred up] someone to come out of the north [C Cyrus, king of Persia; 41:2; 44:28—45:6; 46:11; 48:14–16].
    ·I have called him by name from the east [or…one from the east/rising sun who calls on my name].
He ·walks on kings [tramples on rulers] as if they were ·mud [mortar],
    just as a potter ·walks [treads] on the clay.
26 Who ·told us about [declared; decreed] this ·before it happened [L from the beginning]?
    Who told us ahead of time so we could say, ‘He was right’?
·None of you [L Indeed no one] told us anything;
    ·none of you [L indeed no one] told us before it happened;
    ·no one [L indeed no one] heard you tell about it.
27 I, the Lord, was the first one to tell ·Jerusalem [L Zion] ·that the people were coming home [or “Look, help is coming!”; L “Look, here they are!”].
    I sent a messenger to Jerusalem with the good news.
28 I ·look at the idols [L look], but there is ·not one that can answer [L no one/man].
    None of them can give ·advice [counsel];
    none of them can answer my questions.
29 Look, all these idols are ·false [a deception/delusion; or foolish; worthless].
    They cannot do anything;
their images are ·worth nothing [wind and confusion/chaos; or empty wind].

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25 “I have stirred(A) up one from the north,(B) and he comes—
    one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads(C) on rulers as if they were mortar,
    as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,(D) so we could know,
    or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
    no one foretold(E) it,
    no one heard any words(F) from you.
27 I was the first to tell(G) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
    I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.(H)
28 I look but there is no one(I)
    no one among the gods to give counsel,(J)
    no one to give answer(K) when I ask them.
29 See, they are all false!
    Their deeds amount to nothing;(L)
    their images(M) are but wind(N) and confusion.

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