Esias 49
1 Listen to me, you islands; and attend, you Gentiles; after a long time it shall come to pass, says the Lord: from my mother's womb he has called my name:
Listen to me, you coastlands! Now give my your attention, you distant peoples. Yahweh has called me from birth by name, when my mother brought me into the world.
2 and he has made my mouth as a sharp sword, and he has hid me under the shadow of his hand; he has made me as a choice shaft, and he has hid me in his quiver;
He has made my mouth like a sharp sword; he hid me in the shadow of his hand; he has made me into a polished arrow; in his quiver he has hidden me.
3 and said to me, You are my servant, O Israel, and in you I will be glorified.
He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, through whom I show my glory.”
4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have given my strength for vanity and for nothing: therefore is my judgement with the Lord, and my labour before my God.
But I replied, “Though I thought I have labored in vain, I have spent my energy for nothing, yet my justice is with Yahweh, and my reward is with my God.”
5 And now, thus says the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his own servant, to gather Jacob to him and Israel. I shall be gathered and glorified before the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.
Now Yahweh has spoken—he who formed me from birth to be his servant, to restore Jacob again to himself, so that Israel would be gathered to him, for I am honored in the eyes of Yahweh, and my God has become my strength—
6 And he said to me, [It is] a great thing for you to be called my servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob, and to recover the dispersion of Israel: behold, I have given you for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the end of the earth.
and he says, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to reestablish the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the survivors of Israel. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
7 Thus says the Lord that delivered you, the God of Israel, Sanctify him that despises his life, him that is abhorred by the nations that are the servants of princes: kings shall behold him, and princes shall arise, and shall worship him, for the Lord's sake: for the Holy One of Israel is faithful, and I have chosen you.
This is what Yahweh says, the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to the one whose life is despised, hated by the nations, and a slave of rulers, “Kings will see you and arise, and princes will see you and bow down, because of Yahweh who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
8 Thus says the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day of salvation have I succored you: and I have formed you, and given you for a covenant of the nations, to establish the earth, and to cause to inherit the desert heritages:
This is what Yahweh says, “At a time I decide to show my favor I will answer you, and in a day of salvation I will help you; I will protect you, and give you as a covenant for the people, to rebuild the land, to reassign the desolate inheritance.
9 saying to them that are in bonds, Go forth; and [bidding] them that are in darkness show themselves. They shall be fed in all the ways, and in all the paths [shall be] their pasture.
You will say to the prisoners, 'Come out;' to those in dark dungeons, 'Show yourselves.' They will graze along the roads, and on all the bare slopes will be their pasture.
10 They shall not hunger, neither shall they thirst; neither shall the heat nor the sun strike them; but he that has mercy on them shall comfort [them], and by fountains of waters shall he lead them.
They will not be hungry or thirsty; nor will the heat or sun beat on them, for he who has mercy on them will lead them; he will guide them to springs of water.
11 And I will make every mountain a way, and every path a pasture to them.
Then I will make all my mountains into a road, and make my highways level.”
12 Behold, these shall come from far: [and] these from the north and the west, and others from the land of the Persians.
Look, these will come from far away, some from the north and the west; and others from the land of Sinim.
13 Rejoice, you heavens; and let the earth be glad: let the mountains break forth [with] joy; for the Lard has had mercy on his people, and has comforted the lowly ones of his people.
Sing, heavens, and be joyful, earth; break into singing, you mountains! For Yahweh comforts his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted.
14 But Sion said, The Lord has forsaken me, and, The Lord has forgotten me.
But Zion said, “Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.”
15 Will a woman forget her child, so as not to have compassion upon the offspring of her womb? but if a woman should even forget these, yet I will not forget you, says the Lord.
“Can a woman forget her baby, nursing at her breast, so she does not have compassion on the son she has borne? Yes, they may forget, but I will not forget you.
16 Behold, I have painted your walls on my hands, and you are continually before me.
Look, I have inscribed your name on my palms; your walls are continually before me.
17 And you shall soon be built by those by whom you were destroyed, and they that made you desolate shall go forth of you.
Your children are hurrying back, while those who destroyed you are going away.
18 Lift up your eyes round about, and look on them all; behold, they are gathered together, and are come to you. [As] I live, says the Lord, you shall clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and put them on as a bride her attire.
Look around and see, they are all gathering and coming to you. As surely as I live—this is Yahweh's declaration—you will surely wear them like jewelry, and you will put them on like a bride.
19 For your desert and marred and ruined [places] shall now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that devoured you shall be removed far from you.
Though you were a waste and desolate, a land that was in ruins, now you will be too small for the inhabitants, and those who devoured you will be far away.
20 For your sons whom you have lost shall say in your ears, The place [is too] narrow for me: make room for me that I may dwell.
The children born during the time of your bereavement will say in your hearing, 'The place is too cramped for us, make room for us, so we may live here.'
21 And you shall say in your heart, Who has begotten me these? whereas I [was] childless, and a widow; but who has brought up these for me? and I was left alone; but whence came these to me?
Then you will ask yourself, 'Who has borne these children for me? I was bereaved and barren, exiled and divorced. Who has raised these children? Look, I was left all alone; where did these come from?'”
22 Thus says the Lord, [even] the Lord, Behold, I lift up mine hand to the nations, and I will lift up my signal to the islands: and they shall bring your sons in [their] bosom, and shall bear your daughters on [their] shoulders.
This is what the Lord Yahweh 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 And kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their princesses your nurses, they shall bow down to you on the face of the earth, and shall lick the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the Lord, and they that wait on me shall not be ashamed.
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursemaids; they will bow down to you with their faces to the earth and lick the dust of your feet; and you will know that I am Yahweh; those who wait for me will not be put to shame.”
24 Will any one take spoils from a giant? and if one should take [a man] captive unjustly, shall he be delivered?
Can the spoils be taken from the warrior, or captives be rescued from the fierce?
25 For thus says the Lord, If one should take a giant captive, he shall take spoils, and he who takes [them] from a mighty [man] shall be delivered: for I will plead your cause, and I will deliver your children.
But this is what Yahweh says, “Yes, the captives will be taken away from the warrior, and spoils will be rescued; for I will oppose your adversary and save your children.
26 And they that afflicted you shall eat their own flesh; and they shall drink their own blood as new wine, and shall be drunken: and all flesh shall perceive that I am the Lord that delivers you, and that upholds the strength of Jacob.
I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh; and they will get drunk on their own blood, as if it were wine. Then all mankind will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
