Isaiah 49
49
The Servant Brings Salvation
1Coastlands, # Or Islands listen to me;
distant peoples, pay attention.
The Lord called # Is 44:2,24; 46:3; Jr 1:5 me before I was born.
He named me while I was in my mother’s womb. # Lk 1:15
2He made my words like a sharp sword; # Is 11:4; Heb 4:12; Rv 1:16; 2:12,16
He hid me in the shadow of His hand. # Is 51:16
He made me like a sharpened arrow;
He hid me in His quiver.
3He said to me, “You are My Servant, Israel; # Is 41:8-9; 42:1; 49:5-7; 50:10; 52:13; 53:11; Ezk 34:23-24; Zch 3:8; Ac 3:13
I will be glorified in him.”
4But I myself said: I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and futility;
yet my vindication is with the Lord,
and my reward is with my God.
5And now, says the Lord,
who formed me from the womb to be His Servant,
to bring Jacob back to Him
so that Israel might be gathered to Him;
for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,
and my God is my strength —
6He says,
“It is not enough for you to be My Servant
raising up the tribes of Jacob
and restoring the protected ones of Israel.
I will also make you a light for the nations, # Is 42:6; 51:4; Lk 2:32; Ac 13:47; 26:23
to be My salvation to the ends of the earth.” # Ac 13:47
7This is what the Lord,
the Redeemer # Is 41:14; 43:14 of Israel, his Holy One, says
to one who is despised,
to one abhorred by people, # Or by the nation # Ps 22:6-8; 69:7-9; Is 53:3
to a servant of rulers:
“Kings will see and stand up,
and princes # Lit princes and they will bow down,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel # Is 1:4 — and He has chosen you.” # Is 41:8-9; 42:1; 43:10,20; 44:1-2; 45:4; 65:9,15,22
8This is what the Lord says:
I will answer you in a time of favor,
and I will help you in the day of salvation. # Ps 69:13; 2Co 6:2
I will keep you, and I will appoint you
to be a covenant for the people, # Is 42:6
to restore the land,
to make them possess the desolate inheritances,
9saying to the prisoners: Come out, # Is 42:7; 61:1; Lk 4:18
and to those who are in darkness: Show yourselves.
They will feed along the pathways,
and their pastures will be on all the barren heights. # Is 41:18
10They will not hunger or thirst,
the scorching heat or sun will not strike them;
for their compassionate One will guide them,
and lead them to springs of water. # Ps 23:2; Is 40:11; Jn 4:10; Rv 7:16-17
11I will make all My mountains into a road,
and My highways will be raised up. # Is 40:4
12See, these will come from far away,
from the north and from the west, # Lit sea # Is 43:5-6
and from the land of Sinim. # DSS read of the Syenites # Perhaps modern Aswan in southern Egypt
13Shout for joy, you heavens! # Is 44:23
Earth, rejoice!
Mountains break into joyful shouts!
For the Lord has comforted His people, # Is 40:1
and will have compassion on His afflicted ones. # Is 54:7-10; Mt 11:29
Zion Remembered
14Zion says, “The Lord has abandoned me;
The Lord has forgotten me! ”
15“Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or lack compassion for the child of her womb?
Even if these forget,
yet I will not forget you.
16Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; # Sg 8:6; Hg 2:23
your walls are continually before Me.
17Your builders # DSS, Aq, Theod, Vg; MT, Syr, Sym read sons hurry;
those who destroy and devastate you will leave you.
18Look up, and look around.
They all gather together; they come to you. # Is 60:4
As I live” —
this is the Lord’s declaration —
“you will wear all your children # Lit all of them as jewelry,
and put them on as a bride does.
19For your waste and desolate places
and your land marked by ruins —
will now be indeed too small for the inhabitants, # Is 54:1-2; Zch 10:10
and those who swallowed you up will be far away.
20Yet as you listen, the children
that you have been deprived of will say,
‘This place is too small for me;
make room for me so that I may settle.’ # Is 54:1-3
21Then you will say within yourself,
‘Who fathered these for me?
I was deprived of my children and unable to conceive,
exiled and wandering —
but who brought them up?
See, I was left by myself —
but these, where did they come from? ’ ” # Lit where are they
22This is what the Lord God says:
Look, I will lift up My hand to the nations,
and raise My banner to the peoples. # Is 11:10-12; 18:3; 62:10
They will bring your sons in their arms,
and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders. # Is 14:2; 43:6; 60:4
23Kings will be your foster fathers,
and their queens # Lit princesses your nursing mothers. # Is 60:3,10-11
They will bow down to you
with their faces to the ground,
and lick the dust at your feet. # Is 14:1-2
Then you will know that I am Yahweh; # Is 41:20; 43:10; 60:16
those who put their hope in Me
will not be put to shame. # Ps 25:3; Is 45:17; Jl 2:27
24Can the prey be taken from the mighty,
or the captives of the righteous # DSS, Syr, Vg read fearsome one, or tyrant be delivered?
25For this is what the Lord says:
“Even the captives of a mighty man will be taken,
and the prey of a tyrant will be delivered;
I will contend with the one who contends with you,
and I will save your children.
26I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, # Is 9:20
and they will be drunk with their own blood
as with sweet wine.
Then all flesh will know
that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, # Is 43:3
and your Redeemer, # Is 41:14 the Mighty One of Jacob.” # Gn 49:24; Ps 132:2,5; Is 60:16
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Isaiah 49: HCSB
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Isaiah 49
49
Israel, a Light to the Nations
1 #
Jer 1.5
Listen to me, distant nations,
you people who live far away!
Before I was born, the LORD chose me
and appointed me to be his servant.
2 #
Heb 4.12; Rev 1.16 He made my words as sharp as a sword.
With his own hand he protected me.#49.2 With his own hand… me; or He kept me hidden in his hand.
He made me like an arrow,
sharp and ready for use.
3He said to me, “Israel, you are my servant;
because of you, people will praise me.”
4I said, “I have worked, but how hopeless it is!
I have used up my strength, but have accomplished nothing.”
Yet I can trust the LORD to defend my cause;
he will reward me for what I do.
5Before I was born, the LORD appointed me;
he made me his servant to bring back his people,
to bring back the scattered people of Israel.
The LORD gives me honour;
he is the source of my strength.
6 #
Is 42.6; Lk 2.32; Acts 13.47; 26.23 The LORD said to me,
“I have a greater task for you, my servant.
Not only will you restore to greatness
the people of Israel who have survived,
but I will also make you a light to the nations —
so that all the world may be saved.”
7Israel's holy God and saviour says
to the one who is deeply despised,
who is hated by the nations
and is the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you released
and will rise to show their respect;
princes also will see it,
and they will bow low to honour you.”
This will happen because the LORD has chosen his servant;
the holy God of Israel keeps his promises.
The Restoration of Jerusalem
8 #
2 Cor 6.2
The LORD says to his people,
“When the time comes to save you, I will show you favour
and answer your cries for help.
I will guard and protect you
and through you make a covenant with all peoples.
I will let you settle once again
in your land that is now laid waste.
9I will say to the prisoners, ‘Go free!’
and to those who are in darkness,
‘Come out to the light!’
They will be like sheep that graze on the hills;
10 #
Rev 7.16–17
they will never be hungry or thirsty.
Sun and desert heat will not hurt them,
for they will be led by one who loves them.
He will lead them to springs of water.
11“I will make a highway across the mountains
and prepare a road for my people to travel.
12My people will come from far away,
from the north and the west,
and from Aswan#49.12 Aswan: A city in southern Egypt, where a large Jewish community had settled. in the south.”
13Sing, heavens! Shout for joy, earth!
Let the mountains burst into song!
The LORD will comfort his people;
he will have pity on his suffering people.
14But the people of Jerusalem said,
“The LORD has abandoned us!
He has forgotten us.”
15So the LORD answers,
“Can a woman forget her own baby
and not love the child she bore?
Even if a mother should forget her child,
I will never forget you.
16Jerusalem, I can never forget you!
I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
17“Those who will rebuild you are coming soon,
and those who destroyed you will leave.
18Look around and see what is happening!
Your people are assembling — they are coming home!
As surely as I am the living God,
you will be proud of your people,
as proud as a bride is of her jewels.
19“Your country was ruined and desolate —
but now it will be too small
for those who are coming to live there.
And those who left you in ruins
will be far removed from you.
20Your people who were born in exile
will one day say to you,
‘This land is too small —
we need more room to live in!’
21Then you will say to yourself,
‘Who bore all these children for me?
I lost my children and could have no more.
I was exiled and driven away —
who brought these children up?
I was left all alone —
where did these children come from?’ ”
22The Sovereign LORD says to his people:
“I will signal to the nations,
and they will bring your children home.
23Kings will be like fathers to you;
queens will be like mothers.
They will bow low before you and honour you;
they will humbly show their respect for you.
Then you will know that I am the LORD;
no one who waits for my help will be disappointed.”
24Can you take away a soldier's loot?
Can you rescue the prisoners of a tyrant?
25The LORD replies,
“That is just what is going to happen.
The soldier's prisoners will be taken away,
and the tyrant's loot will be seized.
I will fight against whoever fights you,
and I will rescue your children.
26I will make your oppressors kill each other;
they will be drunk with murder and rage.
Then the whole human race will know that I am the LORD,
the one who saves you and sets you free.
They will know that I am Israel's powerful God.”
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.