Yahweh’s Servant Brings Salvation

49 Listen to me, coastlands,

and listen attentively, peoples from far away!

Yahweh called me from the womb;

from the ⌊body⌋a of my mother he made my name known.

2 And he ⌊made⌋b my mouth like a sharp sword;

he hid me in the shadow of his hand,

and he ⌊made⌋c me like a sharpened arrow;

he hid me in his quiver.

3 And he said to me, “You are my servant,

Israel, in whom I will show my glory.”

4 Butd I myself said, “I have labored ine vain;

I have used up my strength for nothing and vanity!

Nevertheless, my justice is with Yahweh,

and my reward is with my God.”

5 And now Yahweh says,

who formed me from the womb as a servant for him,

to bring Jacob back to him,

and that Israel might notf be gathered,

forg I am honored in the eyes of Yahweh,

and my God has become my strength.

6 And he says, “It is trivial ⌊for you to be⌋h a servant for me,

to raise up the tribes of Jacob

and to bring back the preserved of Israel.

I will give you as a light to the nations,

to be my salvation to the end of the earth.”

7 Thus says Yahweh, the redeemer of Israel, his holy one,

to the one who despisesi life,

to the one who abhors the nation,

to the slave of rulers:

“Kings shall see and stand up;

princes, and they shall bow down,

for the sake of Yahweh, who is faithful,

the holy one of Israel, and he has chosen you.”

Yahweh Restores the Afflicted

8 Thus says Yahweh:

“I have answered you in a time of favor,

and helped you on a day of salvation,

and watched over you,

and given you as a covenant of the people,

to raise up the land,

to give the desolate hereditary property as an inheritance,

9 saying to the ⌊prisoners⌋,j “Come out!”

to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves!”

they shall feed ⌊along⌋k the ways,

and their pasturage shall be on all the barren heights.

10 They shall not be hungry or thirsty,

and heat and sun shall not strike them,

for he who takes pity on them will lead them,

and he will guide them to springs of water.

11 And I will ⌊make⌋l all my mountains like a road,

and my highways shall lead up.m

12 Look! These shall come from afar,

And look! These from the north and from the west

and these from the land of Sinim.”

13 Sing for joy, heavens, and rejoice, earth!

Mountains must break forth in rejoicing!

For Yahweh has comforted his people,

and he will take pity on his afflicted ones.