Isaiah 49
1. Listen * , 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.
2. And 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;
3. And said * unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified * .
4. Then 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.
5. And 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.
6. And 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.
7. Thus 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.
8. Thus 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;
9. That 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.
10. They 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.
11. And I will make * all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted * .
12. Behold, these shall come * from far:and, lo, these from the north and from the west;and these from the land of Sinim.
13. Sing * , 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.
14. But Zion said * , The LORD hath forsaken * me, and my Lord hath forgotten * me.
15. Can 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.
16. Behold, I have graven * thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
17. Thy children shall make haste * ; thy destroyers * and they that made thee waste * shall go forth * of thee.
18. Lift 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.
19. For 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 * .
20. The 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 * .
21. Then 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?
22. Thus 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.
23. And 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.
24. Shall the prey be taken * from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered * ?
25. But 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.
26. And 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.
