New Century Version NCV
Good News Translation GNT
1 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his appointed king: "I hold your right hand and will help you defeat nations and take away other kings' power. I will open doors for you so city gates will not stop you.
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The Lord has chosen Cyrus to be king. He has appointed him to conquer nations; he sends him to strip kings of their power; the Lord will open the gates of cities for him. To Cyrus the Lord says,
2 I will go before you and make the mountains flat. I will break down the bronze gates of the cities and cut through their iron bars.
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"I myself will prepare your way, leveling mountains and hills. I will break down bronze gates and smash their iron bars.
3 I will give you the wealth that is stored away and the hidden riches so you will know I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
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I will give you treasures from dark, secret places; then you will know that I am the Lord and that the God of Israel has called you by name.
4 I do these things for my servants, the people of Jacob, and for my chosen people, the Israelites. Cyrus, I call you by name, and I give you a title of honor even though you don't know me.
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I appoint you to help my servant Israel, the people that I have chosen. I have given you great honor, although you do not know me.
5 I am the Lord. There is no other God; I am the only God. I will make you strong, even though you don't know me,
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"I am the Lord; there is no other god. I will give you the strength you need, although you do not know me.
6 so that everyone will know there is no other God. From the east to the west they will know I alone am the Lord.
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I do this so that everyone from one end of the world to the other may know that I am the Lord and that there is no other god.
7 I made the light and the darkness. I bring peace, and I cause troubles. I, the Lord, do all these things.
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I create both light and darkness; I bring both blessing and disaster. I, the Lord, do all these things.
8 "Sky above, make victory fall like rain; clouds, pour down victory. Let the earth receive it, and let salvation grow, and let victory grow with it. I, the Lord, have created it.
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I will send victory from the sky like rain; the earth will open to receive it and will blossom with freedom and justice. I, the Lord, will make this happen."
9 "How terrible it will be for those who argue with the God who made them. They are like a piece of broken pottery among many pieces. The clay does not ask the potter, 'What are you doing?' The thing that is made doesn't say to its maker, 'You have no hands.'
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Does a clay pot dare argue with its maker, a pot that is like all the others? Does the clay ask the potter what he is doing? Does the pot complain that its maker has no skill?
10 How terrible it will be for the child who says to his father, 'Why are you giving me life?' How terrible it will be for the child who says to his mother, 'Why are you giving birth to me?'"
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Do we dare say to our parents, "Why did you make me like this?"
11 This is what the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker, says: "You ask me about what will happen. You question me about my children. You give me orders about what I have made.
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The Lord, the holy God of Israel, the one who shapes the future, says: "You have no right to question me about my children or to tell me what I ought to do!
12 I made the earth and all the people living on it. With my own hands I stretched out the skies, and I commanded all the armies in the sky.
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I am the one who made the earth and created human beings to live there. By my power I stretched out the heavens; I control the sun, the moon, and the stars.
13 I will bring Cyrus to do good things, and I will make his work easy. He will rebuild my city and set my people free without any payment or reward. The Lord All-Powerful says this."
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I myself have stirred Cyrus to action to fulfill my purpose and put things right. I will straighten out every road that he travels. He will rebuild my city, Jerusalem, and set my captive people free. No one has hired him or bribed him to do this." The Lord Almighty has spoken.
14 The Lord says, "The goods made in Egypt and Cush and the tall people of Seba will come to you and will become yours. The Sabeans will walk behind you, coming along in chains. They will bow down before you and pray to you, saying, 'God is with you, and there is no other God.'"
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The Lord says to Israel, "The wealth of Egypt and Ethiopia will be yours, and the tall men of Seba will be your slaves; they will follow you in chains. They will bow down to you and confess, "God is with you - he alone is God.
15 God and Savior of Israel, you are a God that people cannot see.
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The God of Israel, who saves his people, is a God who conceals himself.
16 All the people who make idols will be put to great shame; they will go off together in disgrace.
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Those who make idols will all be ashamed; all of them will be disgraced.
17 But Israel will be saved by the Lord, and that salvation will continue forever. Never again will Israel be put to shame.
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But Israel is saved by the Lord, and her victory lasts forever; her people will never be disgraced.' "
18 The Lord created the heavens. He is the God who formed the earth and made it. He did not want it to be empty, but he wanted life on the earth. "I am the Lord. There is no other God.
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The Lord created the heavens - he is the one who is God! He formed and made the earth - he made it firm and lasting. He did not make it a desolate waste, but a place for people to live. It is he who says, "I am the Lord, and there is no other god.
19 I did not speak in secret or hide my words in some dark place. to look for me in empty places. I am the Lord, and I speak the truth; I say what is right.
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I have not spoken in secret or kept my purpose hidden. I did not require the people of Israel to look for me in a desolate waste. I am the Lord, and I speak the truth; I make known what is right."
20 "You people who have escaped from other nations, gather together and come before me; come near together. People who carry idols of wood don't know what they are doing. They pray to a god who cannot save them.
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The Lord says, "Come together, people of the nations, all who survive the fall of the empire; present yourselves for the trial! The people who parade with their idols of wood and pray to gods that cannot save them - those people know nothing at all!
21 Tell these people to come to me. Let them talk about these things together. Who told you long ago that this would happen? Who told about it long ago? I, the Lord, said these things. There is no other God besides me. I am the only good God. I am the Savior. There is no other God.
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Come and present your case in court; let the defendants consult one another. Who predicted long ago what would happen? Was it not I, the Lord, the God who saves his people? There is no other god.
22 "All people everywhere, follow me and be saved. I am God. There is no other God.
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"Turn to me now and be saved, people all over the world! I am the only God there is.
23 I will make a promise by my own power, and my promise is true; what I say will not be changed. I promise that everyone will bow before me and will promise to follow me.
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My promise is true, and it will not be changed. I solemnly promise by all that I am: Everyone will come and kneel before me and vow to be loyal to me.
24 People will say about me, 'Goodness and power come only from the Lord.'" Everyone who has been angry with him will come to him and be ashamed.
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"They will say that only through me are victory and strength to be found; but all who hate me will suffer disgrace.
25 But with the Lord's help, the people of Israel will be found to be good, and they will praise him.
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I, the Lord, will rescue all the descendants of Jacob, and they will give me praise.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.