Isaiah 49

¹ Coasts and islands, listen to me, pay attention, distant peoples. Yahweh cal ed me when I was in thewomb, before my birth he had pronounced my name.

² He made my mouth like a sharp sword, he hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into asharpened arrow and concealed me in his quiver.

³ He said to me, 'Israel, you are my servant, through whom I shal manifest my glory.'

⁴ But I said, 'My toil has been futile, I have exhausted myself for nothing, to no purpose.' Yet al the whilemy cause was with Yahweh and my reward with my God.

⁵ And now Yahweh has spoken, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back tohim and to re-unite Israel to him;-I shal be honoured in Yahweh's eyes, and my God has been my strength.-

⁶ He said, 'It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back thesurvivors of Israel; I shal make you a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach the remotest parts ofearth.'

⁷ Thus says Yahweh, the redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, to the one who is despised, detested by thenation, to the slave of despots: Kings wil stand up when they see, princes wil see and bow low, because ofYahweh who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.

⁸ Thus says Yahweh: At the time of my favour I have answered you, on the day of salvation I havehelped you. I have formed you and have appointed you to be the covenant for a people, to restore the land, toreturn ravaged properties,

⁹ to say to prisoners, 'Come out,' to those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.' Along the roadwaythey will graze, and any bare height wil be their pasture.

¹⁰ They will never hunger or thirst, scorching wind and sun will never plague them; for he who pitiesthem wil lead them, wil guide them to springs of water.

¹¹ I shal turn all my mountains into a road and my highways wil be raised aloft.

¹² Look! Here they come from far away, look, these from the north and the west, those from the land ofSinim.

¹³ Shout for joy, you heavens; earth, exult! Mountains, break into joyful cries! For Yahweh has consoledhis people, is taking pity on his afflicted ones.

¹⁴ Zion was saying, 'Yahweh has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me.'

¹⁵ Can a woman forget her baby at the breast, feel no pity for the child she has borne? Even if thesewere to forget, I shal not forget you.

¹⁶ Look, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands, your ramparts are ever before me.

¹⁷ Your rebuilders are hurrying, your destroyers and despoilers wil soon go away.

¹⁸ Raise your eyes and look around you: all are assembling, coming to you. By my life, declaresYahweh, you will put them al on like jewels, like a bride, you wil fasten them on.

¹⁹ For your desolate places and your ruins and your devastated country from now on wil be too crampedfor your inhabitants, and your devourers wil be far away.

²⁰ Once more they will say in your hearing, the children of whom you were bereft, 'The place is toocramped for me, make room for me to live.'

²¹ Then you wil think to yourself, 'Who has borne me these? I was bereft and barren, exiled, turned outof my home; who has reared these? I was left all alone, so where have these come from?'

²² Thus says Lord Yahweh: Look, I am beckoning to the nations and hoisting a signal to the peoples:they will bring your sons in their arms and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.

²³ Kings will be your foster-fathers and their princesses, your foster-mothers. They will fal prostratebefore you, faces to the ground, and lick the dust at your feet. And you wil know that I am Yahweh; those whohope in me wil not be disappointed.

²⁴ Can the body be snatched from the warrior, can the tyrant's captive be set free?

²⁵ But thus says Yahweh: The warrior's captive wil indeed be snatched away and the tyrant's booty willindeed be set free; I myself shall fight those who fight you and I myself shal save your children.

²⁶ I shal make your oppressors eat their own flesh, they wil be as drunk on their own blood as on newwine. And al humanity wil know that I am Yahweh, your Saviour, your redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.