16d. Thus saith the Lord

From Belshazzar, HWV 61, Act I

English text
Daniel
“Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus, his anointed,
Whose right hand I have holden, to subdue
Nations before him: I will go before thee,
To loose the strong-knit loins of mighty kings,
Make straight the crooked places, break in pieces
The gates of solid brass, and cut in sunder
The bars of iron, for my servant’s sake,
Israel my chosen. Though thou hast not known me,
I have surnam’d thee: I have girded thee:
That from the rising to the setting sun
The nations may confess, I am the Lord,
There is none else, there is no God besides me.
Thou shalt perform my pleasure, to Jerusalem
Saying, Thou shalt be built; and to the Temple,
Thy raz’d foundation shall again be laid.”
Opera Stanford

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