The Commission to Cyrus

451 Thus said Jehovah, To His anointed, to Cyrus, Whose right hand I have laid hold on, To subdue nations before him, Yea, loins of kings I loose, To open before him two-leaved doors, Yea, gates are not shut: 2 'I go before thee, and crooked places make straight, Two-leaved doors of brass I shiver, And bars of iron I cut asunder, 3 And have given to thee treasures of darkness, Even treasures of secret places, So that thou knowest that I, Jehovah, Who am calling on thy name—'am' the God of Israel. 4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, And of Israel My chosen, I call also thee by thy name, I surname thee, And thou hast not known Me.

5 I 'am' Jehovah, and there is none else, Except Me there is no God, I gird thee, and thou hast not known Me. 6 So that they know from the rising of the sun, And from the west, that there is none besides Me, I 'am' Jehovah, and there is none else, 7 Forming light, and preparing darkness, Making peace, and preparing evil, I 'am' Jehovah, doing all these things.'

The LORD the Creator

8 Drop, ye heavens, from above, And clouds do cause righteousness to flow, Earth openeth, and they are fruitful, Salvation and righteousness spring up together, I, Jehovah, have prepared it. 9 Wo 'to' him who is striving with his Former, (A potsherd with potsherds of the ground!) Doth clay say to its Framer, 'What dost thou?' And thy work, 'He hath no hands?' 10 Wo 'to' him who is saying to a father, 'What dost thou beget?' Or to a wife, 'What dost thou bring forth?

11 Thus said Jehovah, The Holy One of Israel, and his Former: Ask Me of the things coming concerning My sons, Yea, concerning the work of My hands, ye command Me.' 12 I made earth, and man on it prepared, I—My hands stretched out the heavens, And all their host I have commanded. 13 I have stirred him up in righteousness, And all his ways I make straight, He doth build My city, and My captivity doth send out, Not for price, nor for bribe, said Jehovah of Hosts. 14 Thus said Jehovah, 'The labour of Egypt, And the merchandise of Cush, And of the Sebaim—men of measure, Unto thee pass over, and thine they are, After thee they go, in fetters they pass over, And unto thee they bow themselves, Unto thee they pray: Only in thee 'is' God, And there is none else, no 'other' God. 15 Surely Thou 'art' a God hiding Thyself, God of Israel—Saviour! 16 They have been ashamed, And they have even blushed—all of them, Together gone in confusion have those carving images. 17 Israel hath been saved in Jehovah, A salvation age-during! Ye are not ashamed nor confounded Unto the ages of eternity! 18 For thus said Jehovah, Creator of heaven, He is God, Former of earth, and its Maker, He established it—not empty He prepared it, For inhabiting He formed it: 'I 'am' Jehovah, and there is none else. 19 Not in secret have I spoken, in a dark place of the earth, I have not said to the seed of Jacob, In vain seek ye Me, I 'am' Jehovah, speaking righteousness, Declaring uprightness.

Babylon's Idols and the LORD

20 Be gathered, and come in, Come nigh together, ye escaped of the nations, They have not known, Who are lifting up the wood of their graven image, And praying unto a god 'that' saveth not. 21 Declare ye, and bring near, Yea, they take counsel together, Who hath proclaimed this from of old? From that time hath declared it? Is it not I—Jehovah? And there is no other god besides Me, A God righteous and saving, there is none save Me. 22 Turn to Me, and be saved, all ends of the earth, For I 'am' God, and there is none else. 23 By Myself I have sworn, Gone out from my mouth in righteousness hath a word, And it turneth not back, That to Me, bow doth every knee, every tongue swear. 24 Only in Jehovah, said hath one, Have I righteousness and strength, Unto Him he cometh in, And ashamed are all those displeased with Him. 25 In Jehovah are all the seed of Israel justified, And they boast themselves.'

The LORD's Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem

31 For, lo, the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, Is turning aside from Jerusalem, And from Judah, stay and staff, Every stay of bread, and every stay of water. 2 Hero and man of war, judge and prophet, And diviner and elder, 3 Head of fifty, and accepted of faces, And counsellor, and the wise of artificers, And the intelligent of charmers. 4 And I have made youths their heads, And sucklings rule over them. 5 And the people hath exacted—man upon man, Even a man on his neighbour, Enlarge themselves do the youths against the aged, And the lightly esteemed against the honoured. 6 When one layeth hold on his brother, 'Of' the house of his father, 'by' the garment, 'Come, a ruler thou art to us, And this ruin 'is' under thy hand.' 7 He lifteth up, in that day, saying: 'I am not a binder up, And in my house is neither bread nor garment, Ye do not make me a ruler of the people.' 8 For stumbled hath Jerusalem, and Judah hath fallen, For their tongue and their doings 'are' against Jehovah, To provoke the eyes of His glory.

9 The appearance of their faces witnessed against them, And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, They have not hidden! Wo to their soul, For they have done to themselves evil. 10 Say ye to the righteous, that 'it is' good, Because the fruit of their doings they eat. 11 Wo to the wicked—evil, Because the deed of his hand is done to him. 12 My people—its exactors 'are' sucklings, And women have ruled over it. My people—thy eulogists are causing to err, And the way of thy paths swallowed up. 13 Jehovah hath stood up to plead, And He is standing to judge the peoples. 14 Jehovah into judgment doth enter With elders of His people, and its heads: 'And ye, ye have consumed the vineyard, Plunder of the poor 'is' in your houses. 15 What—to you? ye bruise My people, And the faces of the poor ye grind.' An affirmation of the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, And Jehovah saith:

Judgment on the Daughters of Zion

16 'Because that daughters of Zion have been haughty, And they walk stretching out the neck, And deceiving 'with' the eyes, Walking and mincing they go, And with their feet they make a tinkling, 17 The Lord also hath scabbed The crown of the head of daughters of Zion, And Jehovah their simplicity exposeth. 18 In that day doth the Lord turn aside The beauty of the tinkling ornaments, And of the embroidered works, And of the round tires like moons, 19 Of the drops, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 20 Of the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, And of the bands, And of the perfume boxes, and the amulets, 21 Of the seals, and of the nose-rings, 22 Of the costly apparel, and of the mantles, And of the coverings, and of the purses, 23 Of the mirrors, and of the linen garments, And of the hoods, and of the vails, 24 And it hath been, instead of spice is muck, And instead of a girdle, a rope, And instead of curled work, baldness, And instead of a stomacher a girdle of sackcloth. 25 For instead of glory, thy men by sword do fall, And thy might in battle. 26 And lamented and mourned have her openings, Yea, she hath been emptied, on the earth she sitteth!