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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.
This is what the Lord says:

“I will go before you, Cyrus,
    and level the mountains.[a]
I will smash down gates of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron.
And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—
    secret riches.
I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.

“And why have I called you for this work?
    Why did I call you by name when you did not know me?
It is for the sake of Jacob my servant,
    Israel my chosen one.
I am the Lord;
    there is no other God.
I have equipped you for battle,
    though you don’t even know me,
so all the world from east to west
    will know there is no other God.
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
    I create the light and make the darkness.
I send good times and bad times.
    I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.

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Footnotes

  1. 45:2 As in Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version; Masoretic Text reads the swellings.

Cyrus: God’s Deliverer

45 This is what the Lord says to his anointed, Cyrus,
    whose right hand I have grasped
to subdue nations before him,
    as I strip kings of their armor,[a]
to open doors[b] before him
    and gates that cannot keep closed:

“I myself will go before you,
    and he[c] will make the mountains[d] level;
I’ll shatter bronze doors
    and cut through iron bars.
I’ll give you concealed treasures[e]
    and riches hidden in secret places,
so that you’ll know that it is I, the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
For the sake of Jacob my servant,
    Israel[f] my chosen,
I’ve called you,
    and he has established you with a name,[g]
        although you have not acknowledged me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other besides me:
    and there are no gods.[h]
I’m strengthening you,
    although you have not acknowledged me,
so that from the sun’s rising[i] to the west
    people may know that there is none besides me.

“I am the Lord, and there is no other.”

God is Sovereign

“I form light and create darkness,
I make goodness[j] and create disaster.
    I am the Lord, who does all these things.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:1 Lit. I expose the loins of kings
  2. Isaiah 45:1 So 1QIsaa (pl.); MT (dual)
  3. Isaiah 45:2 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read I
  4. Isaiah 45:2 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab LXX; MT reads hills
  5. Isaiah 45:3 Lit. treasures of darkness
  6. Isaiah 45:4 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read and Israel
  7. Isaiah 45:4 So 1QIsaa; MT reads I have called you by your name, given you a title; LXX reads I will call you by your name, and receive you
  8. Isaiah 45:5 So 1QIsaa; MT 1QIsab read there is no other: besides me there are no gods
  9. Isaiah 45:6 I.e. the east
  10. Isaiah 45:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads well-being; LXX reads peace