Comfort, O comfort my people,
      says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
      and cry to her
that she has served her term,
      and her penalty is paid,
that she has received from YHWH's hand
      double for her sins. . . .

Who has roused a victor from the east,
      summoned him to his service?
He delivers up nations to him,
      and tramples kings under foot;
he makes them like dust with his sword,
      like driven stubble with his bow.
He pursues them and passes on safely,
      scarcely touching the path with his feet.
Who has performed and done this,
      calling the generations from the beginning?
I, YHWH, am first,
      and will be the last. . . .

Thus says YHWH to his anointed, to Cyrus,
      whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
      and strip kings of their robes,
to open doors before him--
      and the gates shall not be closed:
"I will go before you
      and level the mountains,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
      and cut through the bars of iron,
I will give you the treasures of darkness
      and the riches in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, YHWH,
      the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
For the sake of my servant Jacob,
      and Israel, my chosen,
I call you by your name,
      I surname you, though you do not know me.
I am YHWH, and there is no other,
      beside me there is no god;
      I arm you, though you do not know me,
so that they may know, from the rising of the sun
      and from the west, that there is no one besides me;
      I am YHWH, and there is no other.

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