Isaiah 49:1–13

THE SERVANT BRINGS SALVATION

49Coasts and islands,^A listen to me;

distant peoples, pay attention.

The Lord called^a me before I was born.

He named me while I was in my mother’s womb.^b

²He made my words like a sharp sword;^c

he hid me in the shadow of his hand.^d

He made me like a sharpened arrow;

he hid me in his quiver.

³He said to me, “You are my servant,^e

Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

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,^f

to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”^g

⁷This is what the Lord,

the Redeemer^h of Israel, his Holy One, says

to one who is despised,

to one abhorred by people,^Ai

to a servant of rulers:

“Kings will see, princes will stand up,

and they^B will all bow down

because of the Lord, who is faithful,

the Holy One of Israel^j—and he has chosen you.”^k

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.^l

I will keep you, and I will appoint you

to be a covenant for the people,^m

to restore the land,

to make them possess the desolate inheritances,

⁹saying to the prisoners, “Come out,”ⁿ

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.^o

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.^p

¹¹I will make all my mountains into a road,

and my highways will be raised up.^q

¹²See, these will come from far away,

from the north and from the west,^Cr

and from the land of Sinim.^DE

¹³Shout for joy, you heavens!^s

Earth, rejoice!

Mountains break into joyful shouts!

For the Lord has comforted his people,^t

and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.^u