Isaiah 49

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
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.	1 Give ear, ye islands, and hearken, ye people from afar. The Lord hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother he hath been mindful of 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.	2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword: in the shadow of his hand he hath protected me, and hath made me as a chosen arrow: in his quiver he hath hidden me.
3 He said to me, 'Israel, you are my servant, through whom I shal manifest my glory.'	3 And he said to me: Thou art my servant Israel, for in thee will I 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.	4 And I said: I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength without cause and in vain: therefore my judgment is with the Lord, and my work 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.-	5 And now saith the Lord, that formed me from the womb to be his servant, that I may bring back Jacob unto him, and Israel will not be gathered together: and I am glorified in the eyes of the Lord, and my God is made 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.'	6 And he said: It is a small thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to convert the dregs of Israel. Behold, I have given thee to be the light of the Gentiles, that thou mayst be my salvation even to the farthest part of the earth.
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.	7 Thus saith the Lord the redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to the soul that is despised, to the nation that is abhorred, to the servant of rulers: Kings shall see, end princes shall rise up, and adore for the Lord's sake, because he is faithful, and for the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.
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,	8 Thus saith the Lord: In an acceptable time I have heard thee, and in the day of salvation I have helped thee: and I have preserved thee, and given thee to be a covenant of the people, that thou mightest raise up the earth, and possess the inheritances that were destroyed:
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.	9 That thou mightest say to them that are bound: Come forth: and to them that are in darkness: Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in every plain.
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.	10 They shall not hunger, nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun strike them: for he that is merciful to them, shall be their shepherd, and at the fountains of waters he shall give them drink.
11 I shal turn all my mountains into a road and my highways wil be raised aloft.	11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my paths shall be exalted.
12 Look! Here they come from far away, look, these from the north and the west, those from the land ofSinim.	12 Behold these shall come from afar, and behold these from the north and from the sea, and these from the south country.
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.	13 Give praise, O ye heavens, and rejoice, O earth, ye mountains, give praise with jubilation: because the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy on his poor ones.
14 Zion was saying, 'Yahweh has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me.'	14 And Sion said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath 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.	15 Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? and if she should forget, yet will not I forget thee.
16 Look, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands, your ramparts are ever before me.	16 Behold, I have graven thee in my hands: thy walls are always before my eyes.
17 Your rebuilders are hurrying, your destroyers and despoilers wil soon go away.	17 Thy builders are come: they that destroy thee and make thee waste shall go out of thee.
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.	18 Lift up thy eyes round about, and see all these are gathered together, they are come to thee: I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt be clothed with all these se with an ornament, and as a bride thou shalt put them about thee.
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.	19 For thy deserts, and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction shall now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, end they that swallowed thee up shall be chased 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.'	20 The children of thy barrenness shall still say in thy ears: The place is too strait for me, make me room to dwell in.
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?'	21 And thou shalt-say in thy heart: Who hath begotten these? I was barren and brought not forth, led away, and captive: and who hath brought up these? I was destitute and alone: and these, where were they?
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.	22 Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and will set up my standard to the people. And they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and carry thy daughters upon 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.	23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and queens thy nurses: they shall worship thee with their face toward the earth, and they shall lick up the dust of thy feet. And thou shalt know that I am the Lord, for they shall not be confounded that wait for him.
24 Can the body be snatched from the warrior, can the tyrant's captive be set free?	24 Shall the prey be taken from the strong? or can that which was taken by the mighty be delivered?
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.	25 For thus saith the Lord: Yea verily, even the captivity shall be taken away from the strong: and that which was taken by the mighty, shall be delivered. But I will judge those that have judged thee, and thy children I will save.
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.	26 And I will feed thy enemies with their own flesh: and they shall be made drunk with their own blood, as with new wine: and all flesh shall know, that I am the Lord that save thee, and thy Redeemer the Mighty One of Jacob.