Isaiah 49:7–20

⁷Thus says the Lord,

the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,

to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,

the slave of rulers,

“Kings shall see and stand up;

princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,

because of the Lord, who is faithful,

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

Zion’s Children to Be Brought Home

⁸Thus says the Lord:

In a time of favor I have answered you;

on a day of salvation I have helped you;

I have kept you and given you

as a covenant to the people,^u

to establish the land,

to apportion the desolate heritages,^*

⁹saying to the prisoners, “Come out,”

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

They shall feed along the ways;

on all the bare heights^v shall be their pasture;^*

¹⁰they shall not hunger or thirst,

neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,

for he who has pity on them will lead them

and by springs of water will guide them.^*

¹¹And I will turn all my mountains into a road,

and my highways shall be raised up.^*

¹²Look, some shall come from far away,

some from the north and from the west,

and some from the land of Syene.^w*

¹³Sing 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 suffering ones.^*

¹⁴But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me;

my Lord has forgotten me.”^*

¹⁵Can a woman forget her nursing child

or show no compassion for the child of her womb?

Even these might forget,

yet I will not forget you.^*

¹⁶See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;

your walls are continually before me.^*

¹⁷Your builders outdo your destroyers,^x

and those who laid you waste go away from you.^*

¹⁸Lift up your eyes all around and see;

they all gather; they come to you.

As I live, says the Lord,

you shall put all of them on like an ornament,

and like a bride you shall bind them on.^*

¹⁹For your wastelands, your desolate places,

and your devastated land—

now you will be too crowded for your inhabitants,

and those who swallowed you up will be far away.^*

²⁰The children born in the time of your bereavement

will yet say in your hearing:

“The place is too crowded for me;

make room for me to settle.”^*