Isaiah 49

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me 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 He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me.
3 He said to me, 'Israel, you are my servant, through whom I shal manifest my glory.'	3 You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show 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.	4 Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is 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 For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now 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 It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends 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 says the LORD, the redeemer and the Holy One of Israel, To the one despised, whom the nations abhor, the slave of rulers: When kings see you, they shall stand up, and princes shall prostrate themselves Because of the LORD 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,	8 Thus says the LORD: In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you, To restore the land and allot the desolate heritages,
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 Saying to the prisoners: Come out! To those in darkness: Show yourselves! Along the ways they shall find pasture, on every bare height shall their pastures be.
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 or thirst, nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them; For he who pities them leads them and guides them beside springs of water.
11 I shal turn all my mountains into a road and my highways wil be raised aloft.	11 I will cut a road through all my mountains, and make my highways level.
12 Look! Here they come from far away, look, these from the north and the west, those from the land ofSinim.	12 See, some shall come from afar, others from the north and the west, and some from the land of Syene.
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 Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, break forth into song, you mountains. For the LORD comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted.
14 Zion was saying, 'Yahweh has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me.'	14 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my 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.	15 Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.
16 Look, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands, your ramparts are ever before me.	16 See, upon the palms of my hands I have written your name; your walls are ever before me.
17 Your rebuilders are hurrying, your destroyers and despoilers wil soon go away.	17 Your rebuilders make haste, as those who tore you down and laid you waste go forth from you;
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 Look about and see, they are all gathering and coming to you. As I live, says the LORD, you shall be arrayed with them all as with adornments, like a bride you shall fasten them on you.
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 Though you were waste and desolate, a land of ruins, Now you shall be too small for your inhabitants, while those who swallowed you up will 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.'	20 The children whom you had lost shall yet say to you, "This place is too small for me, make room for me to live 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 You shall ask yourself: "Who has borne me these? I was bereft and barren (exiled and repudiated); who has reared them? I was left all alone; where then do 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.	22 Thus says the Lord GOD: See, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal to the peoples; They shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall 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.	23 Kings shall be your foster fathers, their princesses your nurses; Bowing to the ground, they shall worship you and lick the dust at your feet. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, and those who hope in me shall never be disappointed.
24 Can the body be snatched from the warrior, can the tyrant's captive be set free?	24 Thus says the LORD: Can booty be taken from a warrior? or captives be rescued from a tyrant?
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 Yes, captives can be taken from a warrior, and booty be rescued from a tyrant; Those who oppose you I will oppose, and your sons 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 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with the juice of the grape. All mankind shall know that I, the LORD, am your savior, your redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.