Isaiah 49:8–13

Thus says the Lord:

“In a time of favor I have answered you;

in a day of salvation I have helped you;

I will keep you and give you

as a covenant to the people,

to establish the land,

to apportion the desolate heritages,

saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’

to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’

They shall feed along the ways;

on all bare heights shall be their pasture;

they shall not hunger or thirst,

neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,

for he who has pity on them will lead them,

and by springs of water will guide them.

And I will make all my mountains a road,

and my highways shall be raised up.

Behold, these shall come from afar,

and behold, these from the north and from the west,

and these from the land of Syene.”

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;

break forth, O mountains, into singing!

For the Lord has comforted his people

and will have compassion on his afflicted.

This is what the Lord says:

“In the time of my favor I will answer you,

and in the day of salvation I will help you;

I will keep you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people,

to restore the land

and to reassign its desolate inheritances,

to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’

and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads

and find pasture on every barren hill.

They will neither hunger nor thirst,

nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.

He who has compassion on them will guide them

and lead them beside springs of water.

I will turn all my mountains into roads,

and my highways will be raised up.

See, they will come from afar—

some from the north, some from the west,

some from the region of Aswan.”

Shout for joy, you heavens;

rejoice, you earth;

burst into song, you mountains!

For the Lord comforts his people

and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

This is what the Lord says:

I will answer you in a time of favor,

and I will help you in the day of salvation.

I will keep you, and I will appoint you

to be a covenant for the people,

to restore the land,

to make them possess the desolate inheritances,

saying to the prisoners, “Come out,”

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.

They 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.

I will make all my mountains into a road,

and my highways will be raised up.

See, these will come from far away,

from the north and from the west,

and from the land of Sinim.

Shout for joy, you heavens!

Earth, rejoice!

Mountains break into joyful shouts!

For the Lord has comforted his people,

and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

This is what the Lord says:

“At just the right time, I will respond to you.

On the day of salvation I will help you.

I will protect you and give you to the people

as my covenant with them.

Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel

and assign it to its own people again.

I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’

and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’

They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures

and on hills that were previously bare.

They will neither hunger nor thirst.

The searing sun will not reach them anymore.

For the Lord in his mercy will lead them;

he will lead them beside cool waters.

And I will make my mountains into level paths for them.

The highways will be raised above the valleys.

See, my people will return from far away,

from lands to the north and west,

and from as far south as Egypt.”

Sing for joy, O heavens!

Rejoice, O earth!

Burst into song, O mountains!

For the Lord has comforted his people

and will have compassion on them in their suffering.

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,

saying to the prisoners, “Come out!”

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

they shall feed along the ways,

and their pasturage shall be on all the barren heights.

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.

And I will make all my mountains like a road,

and my highways shall lead up.

Look! These shall come from afar,

And look! These from the north and from the west

and these from the land of Sinim.”

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.

Thus saith the Lord,

In an acceptable time have I heard thee,

And in a day of salvation have I helped thee:

And I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people,

To establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth;

To them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves.

They shall feed in the ways,

And their pastures shall be in all high places.

They shall not hunger nor thirst;

Neither shall the heat nor sun smite them:

For he that hath mercy on them shall lead them,

Even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

And I will make all my mountains a way,

And my highways shall be exalted.

Behold, these shall come from far:

And, lo, these from the north and from the west;

And these from the land of Sinim.

Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth;

And break forth into singing, O mountains:

For the Lord hath comforted his people,

And will have mercy upon his afflicted.