Isaiah 49:1–13

The Servant Brings Salvation

49Coastlands, ^slisten to me;

distant peoples, pay attention.

The Lord called ^tme before I was born.

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

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

He hid me in the shadow of His hand. ^w

He made me like a sharpened arrow;

He hid me in His quiver.

³He said to me, “You are My Servant, Israel; ^x

I will be glorified in him.”

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, ^y

to be My salvation to the ends of the earth.” ^z

⁷This is what the Lord,

the Redeemer ^aof Israel, his Holy One, says

to one who is despised,

to one abhorred by people, ^bc

to a servant of rulers:

“Kings will see and stand up,

and princes ^dwill bow down,

because of the Lord, who is faithful,

the Holy One of Israel ^e—and He has chosen you.” ^f

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. ^g

I will keep you, and I will appoint you

to be a covenant for the people, ^h

to restore the land,

to make them possess the desolate inheritances,

⁹saying to the prisoners: Come out, ⁱ

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. ^j

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 of water. ^k

¹¹I will make all My mountains into a road,

and My highways will be raised up. ^l

¹²See, these will come from far away,

from the north and from the west, ^mn

and from the land of Sinim. ^op

¹³Shout for joy, you heavens! ^q

Earth, rejoice!

Mountains break into joyful shouts!

For the Lord has comforted His people, ^r

and will have compassion on His afflicted ones. ^s