Isaiah 45:1-13

1Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him — and I will loose the loins of kings; to open before him the two-leaved doors, and the gates shall not be shut:

2I will go before thee, and make the elevated places plain; I will break in pieces the brazen doors, and cut asunder the bars of iron;

3and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places; that thou mayest know that I, Jehovah, who call thee by name, [am] the 1God of Israel.

4For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have called thee by thy name; I surnamed thee, though thou didst not know me;

5I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else; there is no 2God beside me: I girded thee, and thou hast not known me;

6— that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the going down, that there is none beside me. I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else;

7forming the light and creating darkness, making peace and creating evil: I, Jehovah, do all these things.

8Drop down, [ye] heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and with it let righteousness spring up. I, Jehovah, have created it.

9Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let a potsherd [strive] with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that formeth it, What makest thou? Or thy work, He hath no hands?

10Woe unto him that saith unto [his] father, What begettest thou? Or to [his] mother, What hast thou brought forth?

11Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask me of the things to come; concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands, command ye me.

12It is I that have made the earth, and created man upon it; it is I, my hands, that have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

13It is I that have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts.