Isaiah 49

The Lord’s Servant Will Bring Salvation to the Nations

1 Listen to me, you islands.Pay attention, you people far away.Before I was born, the Lord chose me.While I was in my mother’s womb, he recorded my name.2 He made my tongue like a sharp swordand hid me in the palm of his hand.He made me like a sharpened arrowand hid me in his quiver.3 He said to me,“You are my servant Israel.I will display my glory through you.”4 But I said,“I have worked hard for nothing.I have used my strength, but I didn’t accomplish anything.Yet, certainly my case is in the Lord’s hands,and my reward is with my God.”5 The Lord formed me in the womb to be his servantin order to bring Jacob back to himand gather Israel to him.(The Lord honors me,and my God has become my strength.)6 Now, the Lord says,“You are not just my servantwho restores the tribes of Jacoband brings back those in Israel whom I have preserved.I have also made you a light for the nationsso that you would save people all over the world.”7 The Lord is the defender of Israel, its Holy One.This is what the Lord says to the despised one, to the one scorned by the nation, to the slave of rulers:Kings will see you and stand.Princes will see you and bow.The Lord is faithful.The Holy One of Israel has chosen you.8 This is what the Lord says:In the time of favor I will answer you.In the day of salvation I will help you.I will protect you.I will appoint you as my promiset to the people.You will restore the land.You will make them inherit the desolate inheritance.9 You will say to the prisoners, “Come out,”and to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.”They will graze along every path,and they will find pastures on every bare hill.10 They will never be hungry or thirsty,nor will the sun or the burning, hot wind strike them.The one who has compassion on them will lead themand guide them to springs.11 I will turn all my mountains into roads,and my highways will be restored.12 They will come from far away.They will come from the north and from the west,and they will come from the land of Sinim.13 Sing with joy, you heavens!Rejoice, you earth!Break into shouts of joy, you mountains!The Lord has comforted his peopleand will have compassion on his humble people.

The Lord Has Not Forgotten Israel

14 But Zion said, “The Lord has abandoned me.My Lord has forgotten me.”15 Can a woman forget her nursing child?Will she have no compassion on the child from her womb?Although mothers may forget,I will not forget you.16 I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.Your walls are always in my presence.17 Your children will hurry back.Those who destroyed you and laid waste to you will leave you.18 Look up, look around, and watch!All of your children are gathering together and returning to you.“I solemnly swear as I live,” declares the Lord,“you will wear all of them like jewelsand display them on yourself as a bride would.”19 Though you are destroyed and demolished and your land is in ruins,you will be too crowded for your people now.Those who devoured you will be long gone.20 The children taken from you will say to you,“This place is too crowded for me.Make room for me to live here.”21 Then you will ask yourself,“Who has fathered these children for me?I was childless and unable to have children.I was exiled and rejected.Who raised these children for me?I was left alone.Where have they come from?”22 This is what the Almighty Lord says:I will lift my hand to signal the nations.I will raise my flag for the people.They will bring your sons in their armsand carry your daughters on their shoulders.23 Then kings will be your foster fathers,and their queens will nurse you.They will bow in front of youwith their faces touching the ground.They will lick the dust at your feet.Then you will know that I am the Lord.Those who wait with hope for me will not be put to shame.24 Can loot be taken away from mighty menor prisoners be freed from conquerors?25 This is what the Lord says:Prisoners will be freed from mighty men.Loot will be taken away from tyrants.I will fight your enemies,and I will save your children.26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh,and they will become drunk on their own bloodas though it were new wine.Then all humanity will know that I am the Lord, who saves you,the Mighty One of Jacob, who reclaims you.

Isaiah 49

Ideal Israel Delivers the Exiles

1 Listen to me, you coastlands!ts
Pay attention, you people who live far away!
The Lord summoned me from birth;t
he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world.t

2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
he hid me in the hollow of his hand;
he made me like a sharpenedt arrow,
he hid me in his quiver.s

3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I will reveal my splendor.”s

4 But I thought,t “I have worked in vain;
I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.”t
But the Lord will vindicate me;
my God will reward me.t

5 So now the Lord says,
the one who formed me from birtht to be his servant –
he did thist to restore Jacob to himself,
so that Israel might be gathered to him;
and I will be honoredt in the Lord’s sight,
for my God is my source of strengtht –

6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,
to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the remnantt of Israel?s
I will make you a light to the nations,t
so you can bringt my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”

7 This is what the Lord,
the protectort of Israel, their Holy One,s says
to the one who is despiseds and rejectedt by nations,t
a servant of rulers:
“Kings will see and rise in respect,t
princes will bow down,
because of the faithful Lord,
the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”

8 This is what the Lord says:
“At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you;
in the day of deliverance I will help you;
I will protect yout and make you a covenant mediator for people,t
to rebuildt the landt
and to reassign the desolate property.

9 You will sayt to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
and to those who are in dark dungeons,t ‘Emerge.’t
They will graze beside the roads;
on all the slopes they will find pasture.

10 They will not be hungry or thirsty;
the sun’s oppressive heat will not beat down on them,t
for one who has compassion on them will guide them;
he will lead them to springs of water.

11 I will make all my mountains into a road;
I will construct my roadways.”

12 Look, they come from far away!
Look, some come from the north and west,
and others from the land of Sinim!ss

13 Shout for joy, O sky!t
Rejoice, O earth!
Let the mountains give a joyful shout!
For the Lord consoles his people
and shows compassion to thet oppressed.

The Lord Remembers Zion

14 “Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,
the sovereign mastert has forgotten me.’

15 Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast?t
Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne?t
Even if motherst were to forget,
I could never forget you!s

16 Look, I have inscribed your namet on my palms;
your walls are constantly before me.

17 Your children hurry back,
while those who destroyed and devastated you depart.

18 Look all around you!t
All of them gather to you.
As surely as I live,” says the Lord,
“you will certainly wear all of them like jewelry;
you will put them on as if you were a bride.

19 Yes, your land lies in ruins;
it is desolate and devastated.t
But now you will be too small to hold your residents,
and those who devoured you will be far away.

20 Yet the children born during your time of bereavement
will say within your hearing,
‘This place is too cramped for us,t
make room for us so we can live here.’t

21 Then you will think to yourself,t
‘Who bore these children for me?
I was bereaved and barren,
dismissed and divorced.t
Who raised these children?
Look, I was left all alone;
where did these children come from?’”

22 This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“Look I will raise my hand to the nations;
I will raise my signal flag to the peoples.
They will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their shoulders.

23 Kings will be your children’st guardians;
their princesses will nurse your children.t
With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you
and they will lick the dirt ont your feet.
Then you will recognize that I am the Lord;
those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.

24 Can spoils be taken from a warrior,
or captives be rescued from a conqueror?s

25 Indeed,” says the Lord,
“captives will be taken from a warrior;
spoils will be rescued from a conqueror.
I will oppose your adversary
and I will rescue your children.

26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;
they will get drunk on their own blood, as if it were wine.s
Then all humankindt will recognize that
I am the Lord, your deliverer,
your protector,t the powerful ruler of Jacob.”t