Isaiah 49

1Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples, from far: Jehovah hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name:

1Listen to me, you distant islands! Pay attention, you people from far away! Before I was born, the LORD called me; while I was still in my mother’s womb, he named me.

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

2He made my words as sharp as a sword; he hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me like a polished arrow and kept me hidden in his quiver.

3and he said unto me, Thou art my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

3He said to me, 'Israel, you are my servant, and through you I will show my glory.'

4But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with Jehovah, and my recompense with my God.

4But I replied, 'I have worked for nothing; I have used up all my strength for no reason at all.' Yet my case is in the LORD’s hands, and my God will reward me.

5And now saith Jehovah that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered unto him (for I am honorable in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God is become my strength);

5Now the LORD speaks—the one who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring the people of Jacob back to him and to gather Israel to himself. The LORD has honored me, and my God has become my strength.

6yea, he saith, It is too light a 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.

6He says, 'It is not enough for you only to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel. I will also make you a light to the nations, so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.'

7Thus saith Jehovah, 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, and they shall worship; because of Jehovah that is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.

7The LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and hated by the nations, to the servant of rulers: 'Kings will stand up when they see you, and princes will bow down. This is because the LORD is faithful; the Holy One of Israel has chosen you.'

8Thus saith Jehovah, In an acceptable time have I answered 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 raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages;

8This is what the LORD says: 'At the right time, I answered you. On the day of salvation, I helped you. I will protect you and use you to make a new covenant with the people. You will restore the land and give the ruined property back to its owners.'

9saying to them that are bound, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and on all bare heights shall be their pasture.

9I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out!’ and to those in darkness, ‘Show yourselves!’ They will find food along the roads, and their pastures will be on every green hill.

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

10They will never be hungry or thirsty, and the scorching sun or desert heat will not hurt them. The one who has mercy on them will lead them and guide them beside cool springs of water.

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

11I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up for them.

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

12Look! My people are coming from far away—some from the north, some from the west, and some from the region of Aswan.

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

13Sing for joy, you heavens! Shout, O earth! Mountains, burst into song! For the LORD comforts his people and will have pity on those who suffer.

14But Zion said, Jehovah hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me.

14But Jerusalem said, 'The LORD has deserted me; the Lord has forgotten me.'

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

15The LORD answers, 'Can a mother forget her nursing baby? Can she feel no love for the child she gave birth to? Even if a mother should forget, I will never forget you!'

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

16Look, I have engraved your name on the palms of my hands. Your walls are always in my mind.

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

17Your children are hurrying back, while those who destroyed and ruined you are leaving.

18Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith Jehovah, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all as with an ornament, and gird thyself with them, like a bride.

18Look around you! All your people are gathering and coming home to you. As surely as I live, says the LORD, you will wear them like jewels; you will put them on like a bride wears her ornaments.

19For, as for thy waste and thy desolate places, and thy land that hath been destroyed, surely now shalt thou be too strait for the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.

19Even your most devastated and ruined places, and your land that was destroyed, will now be too small for all your people. Those who once swallowed you up will be far away.昼

20The children of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears, The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell.

20The children born while you were mourning will say to you, 'This place is too crowded; we need more room to live.'

21Then shalt thou say in thy heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have been bereaved of my children, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they?

21Then you will say to yourself, 'Who gave me all these children? I was mourning and lonely, an exile and a wanderer. Who raised these? I was left all alone—where did all these come from?'

22Thus saith 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.

22The Lord GOD says: 'Look, I will signal to the nations and raise my flag for all people to see. They will bring your little sons to you in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders.'

23And 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 shalt know that I am Jehovah; and they that wait for me shall not be put to shame.

23Kings will be like foster fathers to you, and queens will be like nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD, and those who hope in me will never be disappointed.

24Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered?

24Can the loot be taken away from a strong warrior? Can prisoners be rescued from a powerful tyrant?

25But thus saith 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 that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

25But the LORD says, 'Even the captives of the most powerful warriors will be set free, and the loot taken by tyrants will be recovered. For I will fight against those who fight you, and I will save your children.'

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, Jehovah, am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

26I will force your oppressors to eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood as if it were wine. Then everyone will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.