Isaiah 49

1Listen to me, coastlands, and pay attention, peoples from far away: Yahweh called me from the womb; from my mother’s body he mentioned my name.

2And he made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me. And he made me into a polished arrow; in his quiver he concealed me.

3And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

4But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for emptiness and vanity. Yet surely my justice is with Yahweh, and my reward is with my God.”

5And now Yahweh says—he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him—yet I am honored in the eyes of Yahweh, and my God has become my strength.

6And he said, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make you a light for the nations, to be my salvation to the end of the earth.”

7Thus says Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to one despised in soul, abhorred by the nation, a servant of rulers: Kings will see and rise up, princes also, and they will bow down, because of Yahweh, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.

8Thus says Yahweh: “In a time of favor I answered you, and in a day of salvation I helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant for the people, to raise up the land, to apportion the desolate inheritances,”

9saying to the prisoners, “Come out,” to those in darkness, “Show yourselves.” They will graze along the roads, and on all the bare heights will be their pasture.

10They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun strike them; for the one who has compassion on them will lead them, and he will guide them to springs of water.

11And I will make all my mountains into a road, and my highways will be raised up.

12Look, these will come from far away, and look, these from the north and from the sea, and these from the land of Sinim.

13Shout for joy, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth; let the mountains break out in singing, for Yahweh has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

14But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.”

15Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.

16Look, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.

17Your children hurry back; those who tore you down and devastated you will depart from you.

18Lift up your eyes all around and see: they all gather together; they come to you. As I live, declares Yahweh, you will surely put them all on like an ornament and bind them on like a bride.

19For your ruins, your desolate places, and your devastated land—surely now you will be too cramped for inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away.

20Yet the children of your bereavement will still say in your hearing, ‘The place is too cramped for me; make room for me so that I may dwell.’

21Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has borne these for me, since I was bereaved and barren, exiled and cast off? And these—who has raised them? Look, I was left alone; where then did these come from?’

22Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my banner to the peoples; and they will bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters will be carried on the shoulder.

23Kings will be your foster fathers, and their princesses your nursing mothers. With faces to the ground they will bow down to you, and they will lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; those who wait for me will not be put to shame.

24Can plunder be taken from a mighty man, or can the captives of a righteous one be rescued?

25For thus says Yahweh: Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the prey of the ruthless will escape; and I myself will contend with the one who contends with you, and I myself will save your children.

26I will make those who oppress you eat their own flesh, and they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. Then all flesh will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.