Isaiah 49:16–20

16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

your walls are ever before me.

17 Your children hasten back,

and those who laid you waste depart from you.

18 Lift up your eyes and look around;

all your children gather and come to you.

As surely as I live,” declares the Lord,

“you will wear them all as ornaments;

you will put them on, like a bride.

19 “Though you were ruined and made desolate

and your land laid waste,

now you will be too small for your people,

and those who devoured you will be far away.

20 The children born during your bereavement

will yet say in your hearing,

‘This place is too small for us;

give us more space to live in.’

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;

Thy walls are continually before me.

17 Thy children shall make haste;

Thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.

18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold:

All these gather themselves together, and come to thee.

As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament,

And bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.

19 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction,

Shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants,

And they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.

20 The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears,

The place is too strait for me:

Give place to me that I may dwell.

16 See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.

Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.

17 Soon your descendants will come back,

and all who are trying to destroy you will go away.

18 Look around you and see,

for all your children will come back to you.

As surely as I live,” says the Lord,

“they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display.

19 “Even the most desolate parts of your abandoned land

will soon be crowded with your people.

Your enemies who enslaved you

will be far away.

20 The generations born in exile will return and say,

‘We need more room! It’s crowded here!’

16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;

Your walls are continually before Me.

17 Your sons shall make haste;

Your destroyers and those who laid you waste

Shall go away from you.

18 Lift up your eyes, look around and see;

All these gather together and come to you.

As I live,” says the Lord,

“You shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament,

And bind them on you as a bride does.

19 “For your waste and desolate places,

And the land of your destruction,

Will even now be too small for the inhabitants;

And those who swallowed you up will be far away.

20 The children you will have,

After you have lost the others,

Will say again in your ears,

‘The place is too small for me;

Give me a place where I may dwell.’

16 See, I have written your name on my hand.

Jerusalem, I always think about your walls.

17 Your children will soon return to you,

and the people who defeated you and destroyed you will leave.

18 Look up and look around you.

All your children are gathering to return to you.”

The Lord says, “As surely as I live,

your children will be like jewels

that a bride wears proudly.

19 “You were destroyed and defeated,

and your land was made useless.

But now you will have more people than the land can hold,

and those people who destroyed you will be far away.

20 Children were born to you while you were sad,

but they will say to you,

‘This place is too small for us.

Give us a bigger place to live.’

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. 17 Thy children make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth from thee. 18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith Jehovah, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all as with an ornament, and gird thyself with them, like a bride. 19 For, as for thy waste and thy desolate places, and thy land that hath been destroyed, surely now shalt thou be too strait for the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. 20 The children of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears, The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell.

16 Lo, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. 17 Thy sons shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that laid thee waste shall go forth from thee.

18 Lift up thine eyes round about and behold: they all gather themselves together, they come to thee. As I live, saith Jehovah, thou shalt indeed clothe thee with them all as with an ornament, and bind them on as a bride doth. 19 For in thy waste and thy desolate places, and thy destroyed land, thou shalt even now be too straitened by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. 20 The children of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears, The place is too narrow for me: make room for me, that I may dwell.

16 I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. 

Your walls are always in my presence. 

17 Your children will hurry back. 

Those who destroyed you and laid waste to you will leave you. 

18 Look up, look around, and watch! 

All of your children are gathering together and returning to you. 

“I solemnly swear as I live,” declares the Lord, 

“you will wear all of them like jewels 

and display them on yourself as a bride would.” 

19 Though you are destroyed and demolished and your land is in ruins, 

you will be too crowded for ⸤your⸥ people now. 

Those who devoured you will be long gone. 

20 The children taken from you will say to you, 

“This place is too crowded for me. 

Make room for me to live here.” 

16 Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;

your walls are continually before Me.

17 Your builders hurry;

those who destroy and devastate you will leave you.

18 Look up, and look around.

They all gather together; they come to you.

As I live”—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

“you will wear all your children as jewelry,

and put them on as a bride does.

19 For your waste and desolate places

and your land marked by ruins—

will now be indeed too small for the inhabitants,

and those who swallowed you up will be far away.

20 Yet 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.’

16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;

your walls are continually before me.

17 Your builders outdo your destroyers,

and those who laid you waste go away from you.

18 Lift up your eyes all around and see;

they all gather; they come to you.

As I live, says the Lord,

you shall put all of them on like an ornament,

and like a bride you shall bind them on.

19 For your wastelands, your desolate places,

and your devastated land—

now you will be too crowded for your inhabitants,

and those who swallowed you up will be far away.

20 The children born in the time of your bereavement

will yet say in your hearing:

“The place is too crowded for me;

make room for me to settle.”

16 Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;

your walls are continually before me.

17 Your children hasten;

your destroyers and those who laid you waste depart from you.

18 Lift your eyes up all around and see;

all of them gather; they come to you.

As surely as I live,

declares Yahweh,

surely you shall put on all of them like an ornament,

and you shall bind them on like a bride.

19 Surely your sites of ruins and desolate places and land of ruins,

surely now you will be too cramped for your inhabitants,

and those who engulfed you will be far away.

20 Yet the children born when you were bereaved will say in your hearing,

“The place is too cramped for me;

make room for me so that I can dwell.”

16 I have written your name on the palms of my hands.

Your walls are never out of my sight.

17 Your people will hurry back.

Those who destroyed you so completely will leave you.

18 Look up. Look all around you.

All of your people are getting together

to come back to you.

You can be sure that I live,”

announces the Lord.

“And you can be just as sure that your people

will be like decorations you will wear.

Like a bride, you will wear them proudly.

19 “Zion, you were destroyed. Your land was left empty.

It was turned into a dry and empty desert.

But now you will be too small to hold all of your people.

And those who destroyed you will be far away.

20 The children who were born during your time of sorrow

will speak to you. They will say,

‘This city is too small for us.

Give us more space to live in.’

16 “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;

Your walls are continually before Me.

17 “Your builders hurry;

Your destroyers and devastators

Will depart from you.

18 “Lift up your eyes and look around;

All of them gather together, they come to you.

As I live,” declares the Lord,

“You will surely put on all of them as jewels and bind them on as a bride.

19 “For your waste and desolate places and your destroyed land—

Surely now you will be too cramped for the inhabitants,

And those who swallowed you will be far away.

20 “The children of whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears,

‘The place is too cramped for me;

Make room for me that I may live here.’