Isaiah 49–57

The Servant of the Lord

49People who live on the islands, listen to me.

Pay attention, you nations far away.

Before I was born the Lord chose me to serve him.

He appointed me by name.

²He made my words like a sharp sword.

He hid me in the palm of his hand.

He made me into a sharpened arrow.

He took good care of me and kept me safe.

³He said to me, “You are my true servant Israel.

I will show my glory through you.”

⁴But I said, “In spite of my hard work,

I feel as if I haven’t accomplished anything.

I’ve used up all of my strength.

It seems as if everything I’ve done is worthless.

But the Lord will give me what I should receive.

My God will reward me.”

⁵The Lord formed me in my mother’s body to be his servant.

He wanted me to bring the family of Jacob back to him.

He wanted me to gather the people of Israel to himself.

The Lord will honor me.

My God will give me strength.

⁶The Lord says to me,

“It is not enough for you as my servant

to bring the tribes of Jacob back to their land.

It is not enough for you to bring back

the people of Israel I have kept alive.

I will also make you a light for other nations.

Then you will make it possible for the whole world to be saved.”

⁷The Lord sets his people free.

He is the Holy One of Israel.

He speaks to his servant, who is looked down on and hated by the nations.

He speaks to the servant of rulers. He says to him,

“Kings will see you and rise up to honor you.

Princes will see you and bow down to show you their respect.

I am the Lord. I am faithful.

I am the Holy One of Israel.

I have chosen you.”

Israel Is Brought Back to Their Land

⁸The Lord says to his servant,

“When it is time to show you my favor, I will answer your prayers.

When it is time to save you, I will help you.

I will keep you safe.

You will put my covenant with the people of Israel into effect.

Then their land will be made like new again.

Each tribe will be sent back to its territory that was left empty.

⁹I want you to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out.’

Tell those who are in their dark cells, ‘You are free!’

“On their way home they will eat beside the roads.

They will find plenty to eat on every bare hill.

¹⁰They will not get hungry or thirsty.

The heat from the desert sun will not beat down on them.

The One who shows his tender love to them will guide them.

Like a shepherd, he will lead them beside springs of water.

¹¹I will make roads across the mountains.

I will build wide roads for my people.

¹²They will come from far away.

Some of them will come from the north.

Others will come from the west.

Still others will come from Aswan in the south.”

¹³Shout with joy, you heavens!

Be glad, you earth!

Burst into song, you mountains!

The Lord will comfort his people.

He will show his tender love to those who are suffering.

¹⁴But the city of Zion said, “The Lord has deserted me.

The Lord has forgotten me.”

¹⁵The Lord answers, “Can a mother forget the baby

who is nursing at her breast?

Can she stop showing her tender love

to the child who was born to her?

She might forget her child.

But I will not forget you.

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

Your walls are never out of my sight.

¹⁷Your people will hurry back.

Those who destroyed you so completely will leave you.

¹⁸Look 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.

²⁰The 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.’

²¹Then you will say to yourself,

‘Whose children are these?

I lost my children.

And I couldn’t have any more.

My children were taken far away from me.

And no one wanted them.

Who brought these children up?

I was left all alone.

So where have these children come from?’ ”

²²The Lord and King continues,

“I will call out to the nations.

I will give a signal to them.

They will bring back your sons in their arms.

They will carry your daughters on their shoulders.

²³Their kings will become like fathers to you.

Their queens will be like mothers who nurse you.

They will bow down to you with their faces toward the ground.

They will kiss the dust at your feet to show you their respect.

Then you will know that I am the Lord.

Those who put their hope in me will not be ashamed.”

²⁴Can goods that were stolen by soldiers be taken away from them?

Can prisoners be set free from the powerful Babylonians?

²⁵“Yes, they can,” the Lord answers.

“Prisoners will be taken away from soldiers.

Stolen goods will be taken back from the powerful Babylonians.

Zion, I will fight against those who fight against you.

And I will save your people.

²⁶I will make those who beat you down eat the flesh of others.

They will drink blood and get drunk on it as if it were wine.

Then everyone on earth will know

that I am the one who saves you.

I am the Lord. I set you free.

I am the Mighty One of Jacob.”

The Lord’s Servant Obeys Him

50The Lord says to the people in Jerusalem,

“Do you think I divorced your people before you?

Is that why I sent them away?

If it is, show me the letter of divorce.

I did not sell you into slavery to pay someone I owe.

You were sold because you sinned against me.

Your people were sent away because of their lawless acts.

²When I came to save you, why didn’t anyone welcome me?

When I called out to you, why didn’t anyone answer me?

Wasn’t my arm powerful enough to set you free?

Wasn’t I strong enough to save you?

I dry up the sea with a single command.

I turn rivers into a desert.

Then fish rot because they do not have any water.

They die because they are thirsty.

³I make the sky turn dark.

It looks as if it is dressed in black clothes.”

⁴The Lord and King has taught me what to say.

He has taught me how to help those who are tired.

He wakes me up every morning.

He makes me want to listen like a good student.

⁵The Lord and King has unplugged my ears.

I’ve always obeyed him.

I haven’t turned away from him.

⁶I let my enemies beat me on my bare back.

I let them pull the hair out of my beard.

I didn’t turn my face away

when they made fun of me and spit on me.

⁷The Lord and King helps me.

He won’t let me be dishonored.

So I’ve made up my mind to keep on serving him.

I know he won’t let me be put to shame.

⁸He is near. He will prove I haven’t done anything wrong.

So who will bring charges against me?

Let’s face each other in court!

Who can bring charges against me?

Let him come and face me!

⁹The Lord and King helps me.

So who will judge me?

My enemies will be like clothes that moths have eaten up.

They will disappear.

¹⁰Does anyone among you have respect for the Lord?

Does anyone obey the message of the Lord’s servant?

Let the person who walks in the dark

trust in the Lord.

Let the one who doesn’t have any light to guide him

depend on his God.

¹¹But all of you sinners who light fires

should go ahead and walk in their light.

You who carry flaming torches

should walk in their light.

Here’s what I’m going to do to you.

I’ll make you lie down in great pain.

Zion Will Be Saved

51The Lord says, “Listen to me, you who want to do what is right.

Pay attention, you who look to me.

Consider the rock you were cut out of.

Think about the rock pit you were dug from.

²Consider Abraham. He is the father of your people.

Think about Sarah. She is your mother.

When I chose Abraham, he did not have any children.

But I blessed him and gave him many of them.

³You can be sure that I will comfort Zion’s people.

I will look with loving concern on all of their destroyed buildings.

I will make their deserts like Eden.

I will make their dry and empty land like my very own garden.

Joy and gladness will be there.

People will sing and give thanks to me.

⁴“Listen to me, my people.

Pay attention, my nation.

My law will go out to the nations.

I make everything right.

That will be a guiding light for them.

⁵The time for me to set you free is near.

I will soon save you.

My powerful arm will make everything right among the nations.

The islands will put their hope in me.

They will wait for my powerful arm to act.

⁶Look up toward the heavens.

Then look at the earth.

The heavens will vanish like smoke.

The earth will wear out like clothes.

Those who live there will die like flies.

But I will save you forever.

My saving power will never end.

⁷“Listen to me, you who know what is right.

Pay attention, you who have my law in your hearts.

Do not be afraid when mere people make fun of you.

Do not be terrified when they laugh at you.

⁸They will be like clothes that moths have eaten up.

They will be like wool that worms have chewed up.

But my saving power will last forever.

I will save you for all time to come.”

⁹Wake up! Lord, wake up! Dress your powerful arm with strength

as if it were your clothes.

Wake up, just as you did in the past.

Wake up, as you did long ago.

Didn’t you cut Rahab to pieces?

Didn’t you stab that sea monster to death?

¹⁰Didn’t you dry up the Red Sea?

Didn’t you dry up those deep waters?

You made a road on the bottom of that sea.

Then those who were set free went across.

¹¹Those the Lord has saved will return to their land.

They will sing as they enter the city of Zion.

Joy that lasts forever will be like beautiful crowns on their heads.

They will be filled with gladness and joy.

Sorrow and sighing will be gone.

¹²The Lord says to his people,

“I comfort you because of who I am.

Why are you afraid of mere men?

They are only human beings.

They are like grass that dries up.

¹³How can you forget me? I made you.

I spread out the heavens.

I laid the foundations of the earth.

Why are you terrified every day?

Is it because those who are angry with you are crushing you?

Is it because…