Isaiah 49

1Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

2And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

3And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

4Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.footnote a

5And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.footnote b

6And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.footnote cfootnote d

7Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.footnote e

8Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;footnote f

9That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

10They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

11And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

12Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.

13Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

14But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

15Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.footnote g

16Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

17Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.

18Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.

19For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.

20The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.

21Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?

22Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.footnote h

23And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.footnote ifootnote j

24Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?footnote k

25But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.footnote l

26And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.footnote m

The Servant and Light to the Gentiles

1Listen to Me, O islands;footnote apay attention, O distant peoples:The LORD called Me from the womb;from the body of My mother He named Me. 2He made My mouth like a sharp sword;He hid Me in the shadow of His hand.He made Me like a polished arrow;He hid Me in His quiver. 3He said to Me, “You are My Servant, Israel,in whom I will display My glory.”

4But I said, “I have labored in vain,I have spent My strength in futility and vanity;yet My vindication is with the LORD,and My reward is with My God.”

5And now says the LORD,who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,to bring Jacob back to Him,that Israel might be gathered to Him—for I am honored in the sight of the LORD,and My God is My strength— 6He says: “It is not enough for You to be My Servant,to raise up the tribes of Jacob,and to restore the protected ones of Israel.I will also make You a light for the nations,to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”footnote b

7Thus says the LORD,the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel,to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,to the Servant of rulers:“Kings will see You and rise,and princes will bow down,because of the LORD, who is faithful,the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You.”

8This is what the LORD says:“In the time of favor I will answer You,and in the day of salvation I will help You;footnote cI will keep You and appoint Youto be a covenant for the people,to restore the land,to apportion its desolate inheritances, 9to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’and to those in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’They will feed along the pathways,and find pasture on every barren hill. 10They will not hunger or thirst,nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them.footnote dFor He who has compassion on them will guide themand lead them beside springs of water. 11I will turn all My mountains into roads,and My highways will be raised up. 12Behold, they will come from far away,from the north and from the west,footnote eand from the land of Aswan.footnote f”

13Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth;break forth in song, O mountains!For the LORD has comforted His people,and He will have compassion on His afflicted ones.

14But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;the Lord has forgotten me!”

15“Can a woman forget her nursing child,or lack compassion for the son of her womb?Even if she could forget,I will not forget you! 16Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;your walls are ever before Me. 17Your buildersfootnote ghasten back;your destroyers and wreckers depart from you. 18Lift up your eyes and look around.They all gather together; they come to you.As surely as I live,” declares the LORD,“you will wear them all as jewelryand put them on like a bride. 19For your ruined and desolate placesand your ravaged landwill now indeed be too small for your people,and those who devoured you will be far away. 20Yet the children of your bereavementwill say in your hearing,‘This place is too small for us;make room for us to live here.’

21Then you will say in your heart,‘Who has begotten these for me?I was bereaved and barren;I was exiled and rejected.So who has reared them?Look, I was left all alone,so where did they come from?’”

22This is what the Lord GOD says:“Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations,and raise My banner to the peoples.They will bring your sons in their armsfootnote hand carry your daughters on their shoulders. 23Kings will be your foster fathers,and their queens your nursing mothers.They will bow to you facedownand lick the dust at your feet.Then you will know that I am the LORD;those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.”

24Can the plunder be snatched from the mighty,or the captives of a tyrantfootnote ibe delivered?

25Indeed, this is what the LORD says:“Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away,and the plunder of the tyrant will be retrieved;I will contend with those who contend with you,and I will save your children. 26I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine.Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD,am your Savior and your Redeemer,the Mighty One of Jacob.”