Isaiah 49:1–13

The Servant of the Lord

49Listen^s to me, you islands;^t

hear this, you distant nations:

Before I was born^u the Lord called^v me;

from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.^w

²He made my mouth^x like a sharpened sword,^y

in the shadow of his hand^z he hid me;

he made me into a polished arrow^a

and concealed me in his quiver.

³He said to me, “You are my servant,^b

Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.^c”

⁴But I said, “I have labored in vain;^d

I have spent my strength for nothing at all.

Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,^e

and my reward^f is with my God.”^g

⁵And now the Lord says—

he who formed me in the womb^h to be his servant

to bring Jacob back to him

and gather Israelⁱ to himself,

for I am^a honored^j in the eyes of the Lord

and my God has been my strength^k—

⁶he says:

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant^l

to restore the tribes of Jacob

and bring back those of Israel I have kept.^m

I will also make you a lightⁿ for the Gentiles,^o

that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”^p

⁷This is what the Lord says—

the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel^q—

to him who was despised^r and abhorred by the nation,

to the servant of rulers:

“Kings^s will see you and stand up,

princes will see and bow down,^t

because of the Lord, who is faithful,^u

the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen^v you.”

Restoration of Israel

⁸This is what the Lord says:

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

and in the day of salvation I will help you;^x

I will keep^y you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people,^z

to restore the land^a

and to reassign its desolate inheritances,^b

⁹to say to the captives,^c ‘Come out,’

and to those in darkness,^d ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads

and find pasture on every barren hill.^e

¹⁰They will neither hunger nor thirst,^f

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

He who has compassion^h on them will guideⁱ them

and lead them beside springs^j of water.

¹¹I will turn all my mountains into roads,

and my highways^k will be raised up.^l

¹²See, they will come from afar^m—

some from the north, some from the west,ⁿ

some from the region of Aswan.^b”

¹³Shout for joy,^o you heavens;

rejoice, you earth;^p

burst into song, you mountains!^q

For the Lord comforts^r his people

and will have compassion^s on his afflicted ones.^t