Isaiah 49
1 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.
Listen, O isles, to me, and hearken, ye peoples from far. Jehovah has called me from the womb. From the bowels of my mother he has made mention of my name.
2 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.
And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword. He has hid me in the shadow of his hand, and he has made me a polished shaft. He has kept me close in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, through whom I show my glory.”
And he said to me, Thou are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
4 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.”
But I said, I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity. Yet surely the justice due to me is with Jehovah, and my recompense with my God.
5 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—
And now says Jehovah who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered to him (for I am honorable in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God has become my strength),
6 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.”
yea, he says, It is too light a thing that thou should 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 may be my salvation to the end of the earth.
7 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.”
Thus says Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers. Kings shall see and arise, rulers, and they shall worship, because of Jehovah who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen thee.
8 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.
Thus says Jehovah, In an acceptable time I have heard thee, and in a day of salvation I have helped thee. And I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages,
9 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.
saying to those who are bound, Go forth; to those who are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pasture shall be on all bare heights.
10 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.
They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them. For he who has mercy on them will lead them. He will guide them even by springs of water.
11 Then I will make all my mountains into a road, and make my highways level.”
And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
12 Look, these will come from far away, some from the north and the west; and others from the land of Sinim.
Lo, these shall come from far, and, lo, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim.
13 Sing, heavens, and be joyful, earth; break into singing, you mountains! For Yahweh comforts his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted.
Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains. For Jehovah has comforted his people, and will have compassion upon his afflicted.
14 But Zion said, “Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.”
But Zion said, Jehovah has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.
15 “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.
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, these may forget, yet I will not forget thee.
16 Look, I have inscribed your name on my palms; your walls are continually before me.
Behold, I have engraved thee upon the palms of my hands. Thy walls are continually before me.
17 Your children are hurrying back, while those who destroyed you are going away.
Thy sons make haste. Thy destroyers and those who made thee waste shall go forth from thee.
18 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.
Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold. All these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, says Jehovah, thou shall surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and gird thyself with them, like a bride.
19 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.
For, as for thy waste and thy desolate places, and thy land that has been destroyed, surely now thou shall be too narrow for the inhabitants, and those who swallowed thee up shall be far away.
20 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.'
The sons of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears, The place is too narrow for me. Give a place to me that I may dwell.
21 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?'”
Then thou shall say in thy heart, Who has begotten these for me, seeing I have been bereaved of my sons, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering to and fro? And who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone, these, where were they?
22 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.
Thus says the lord Jehovah: Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and set up my ensign to the peoples. And they shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
23 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.”
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers. They shall bow down to thee with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet. And thou shall know that I am Jehovah, and those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.
24 Can the spoils be taken from the warrior, or captives be rescued from the fierce?
Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered?
25 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.
But thus says Jehovah, 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 who contends with thee, and I will save thy sons.
26 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.”
And I will feed those who 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, Jehovah, am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
