Thussaysthe LORDto CyrusHis anointed,WhomI have takenby the righthand,To subduenationsbeforehim And to loosethe loinsof kings;To opendoorsbeforehim so that gateswill not be shut:
"[It is I] who saysof Cyrus,'[He is] My shepherd!And he will performallMy desire.'And he declaresof Jerusalem,She will be built,'And of the temple,Your foundationwill be laid.'"
"I am the LORD,I have calledyou in righteousness,I will also holdyou by the handand watchover you, And I will appointyou as a covenantto the people,As a lightto the nations,
Nevertheless I am continuallywith You; You have takenholdof my righthand.
"For I am the LORDyour God,who upholdsyour righthand,Who saysto you, 'Do not fear,I will helpyou.'
Sharpenthe arrows,fillthe quivers!The LORDhas arousedthe spiritof the kingsof the Medes,BecauseHis purposeis againstBabylonto destroyit; For it is the vengeanceof the LORD,vengeancefor His temple.
"A swordagainstthe Chaldeans,"declaresthe LORD,"And againstthe inhabitantsof BabylonAnd againsther officialsand her wisemen!
"I am the LORD,and thereis noother;BesidesMe thereis noGod.I will girdyou, though you have not knownMe;
Now in the firstyearof Cyruskingof Persia,in order to fulfillthe wordof the LORDby the mouthof Jeremiah,the LORDstirredup the spiritof Cyruskingof Persia,so that he senta proclamationthroughout allhis kingdom,and also[put it] in writing,saying:
The gatesof the riversare openedAnd the palaceis dissolved.
"And behold,anotherbeast,a secondone, resemblinga bear.And it was raisedup on oneside,and threeribs[were] in its mouthbetweenits teeth;and thusthey saidto it, 'Arise,devourmuchmeat!'
I have commandedMy consecratedones, I have evencalledMy mightywarriors,My proudlyexultingones,To [execute] My anger.
"He pourscontempton noblesAnd loosensthe beltof the strong.
Thenthe king'sfacegrewpaleand his thoughtsalarmedhim, and his hipjointswentslackand his kneesbegan knockingtogether.
"NowI have givenalltheselandsinto the handof Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babylon,My servant,and I have givenhim alsothe wildanimalsof the fieldto servehim.
"Whohas arousedone from the eastWhom He callsin righteousnessto His feet?He deliversup nationsbeforehim And subdueskings.He makesthem like dustwith his sword,As the wind-driven chaffwith his bow.
The LORDsaidto him, "Go,returnon your wayto the wildernessof Damascus,and when you have arrived,you shall anointHazaelkingoverAram;
Then I liftedmy eyesand looked,and behold,a ramwhich had two hornswas standingin frontof the canal.Now the two horns[were] long,but one[was] longerthanthe other,with the longeronecomingup last.
"For a nationhas comeup againsther out of the north;it will makeher landan objectof horror,and there will be noinhabitantin it. Bothmanand beasthave wanderedoff, they have goneaway!
"I have arousedone from the north,and he has come;From the risingof the sunhe will callon My name;And he will comeupon rulersas [upon] mortar,Even as the pottertreadsclay."
"ThussaysCyruskingof Persia,'The LORD,the Godof heaven,has givenme allthe kingdomsof the earthand He has appointedme to buildHim a housein Jerusalem,whichis in Judah.
Liftup a standardon the barehill,Raiseyour voiceto them, Wavethe handthat they may enterthe doorsof the nobles.
"I, even I, have spoken;indeedI have calledhim, I have broughthim, and He will makehis wayssuccessful.
and sayto them, 'Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel,"Behold,I am going to sendand getNebuchadnezzarthe kingof Babylon,My servant,and I am going to sethis throne[right] overthesestonesthat I have hidden;and he will spreadhis canopyoverthem.
The mightymenof Babylonhave ceasedfighting,They stayin the strongholds;Their strengthis exhausted,They are becoming[like] women;Their dwellingplacesare seton fire,The barsof her [gates] are broken.
Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"The broadwallof Babylonwill be completelyrazedAnd her highgateswill be seton fire;So the peopleswill toilfor nothing,And the nationsbecomeexhausted[only] for fire."
"I have givenhim the landof Egypt[for] his laborwhichhe performed,becausethey actedfor Me," declaresthe LordGOD.
I sawthe rambuttingwestward,northward,and southward,and no[other] beastscould standbeforehim norwas thereanyone to rescuefrom his power,but he didas he pleasedand magnified[himself].
Behold,your peopleare womenin your midst!The gatesof your landare openedwideto your enemies;Fireconsumesyour gate bars.
