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GOD’S WORD Translation
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49TH CHAPTER

The Lord’s Servant Will Bring Salvation to the Nations

Listen to me, you islands. 

Pay attention, you people far away. 

Before I was born, the Lord chose me. 

While I was in my mother’s womb, he recorded my name. 

He made my tongue like a sharp sword 

and hid me in the palm of his hand. 

He made me like a sharpened arrow 

and hid me in his quiver. 

He said to me, 

“You are my servant Israel. 

I will display my glory through you.” 

But I said, 

“I have worked hard for nothing. 

I have used my strength, but I didn’t accomplish anything. 

Yet, certainly my case is in the Lord’s hands, 

and my reward is with my God.” 

The Lord formed me in the womb to be his servant 

in order to bring Jacob back to him 

and gather Israel to him. 

(The Lord honors me, 

and my God has become my strength.) 

Now, the Lord says, 

“You are not just my servant 

who restores the tribes of Jacob 

and brings back those in Israel whom I have preserved. 

I have also made you a light for the nations 

so that you would save people all over the world.” 

The Lord is the defender of Israel, its Holy One. 

This is what the Lord says to the despised one, to the one scorned by the nation, to the slave of rulers: 

Kings will see ⸤you⸥ and stand. 

Princes will see ⸤you⸥ and bow. 

The Lord is faithful. 

The Holy One of Israel has chosen you. 

This is what the Lord says: 

In the time of favor I will answer you. 

In the day of salvation I will help you. 

I will protect you. 

I will appoint you as my promisea to the people. 

You will restore the land. 

You will make them inherit the desolate inheritance. 

You will say to the prisoners, “Come out,” 

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

They will graze along every path, 

and they will find pastures on every bare hill. 

10  They will never be hungry or thirsty, 

nor will the sun or the burning, hot wind strike them. 

The one who has compassion on them will lead them 

and guide them to springs. 

11  I will turn all my mountains into roads, 

and my highways will be restored. 

12  They will come from far away. 

They will come from the north and from the west, 

and they will come from the land of Sinim. 

13  Sing with joy, you heavens! 

Rejoice, you earth! 

Break into shouts of joy, you mountains! 

The Lord has comforted his people 

and will have compassion on his humble people. 

The Lord Has Not Forgotten Israel

14  But Zion said, “The Lord has abandoned me. 

My Lord has forgotten me.” 

15  Can a woman forget her nursing child? 

Will she have no compassion on the child from her womb? 

Although mothers may forget, 

I will not forget you. 

16  I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. 

Your walls are always in my presence. 

17  Your children will hurry back. 

Those who destroyed you and laid waste to you will leave you. 

18  Look up, look around, and watch! 

All of your children are gathering together and returning to you. 

“I solemnly swear as I live,” declares the Lord

“you will wear all of them like jewels 

and display them on yourself as a bride would.” 

19  Though you are destroyed and demolished and your land is in ruins, 

you will be too crowded for ⸤your⸥ people now. 

Those who devoured you will be long gone. 

20  The children taken from you will say to you, 

“This place is too crowded for me. 

Make room for me to live here.” 

21  Then you will ask yourself, 

“Who has fathered these ⸤children⸥ for me? 

I was childless and unable to have children. 

I was exiled and rejected. 

Who raised these ⸤children for me⸥? 

I was left alone. 

Where have they come from?” 

22 This is what the Almighty Lord says: 

I will lift my hand ⸤to signal⸥ the nations. 

I will raise my flag for the people. 

They will bring your sons in their arms 

and carry your daughters on their shoulders. 

23  Then kings will be your foster fathers, 

and their queens will nurse you. 

They will bow in front of you 

with their faces touching the ground. 

They will lick the dust at your feet. 

Then you will know that I am the Lord

Those who wait with hope for me will not be put to shame. 

24  Can loot be taken away from mighty men 

or prisoners be freed from conquerors? 

25 This is what the Lord says: 

Prisoners will be freed from mighty men. 

Loot will be taken away from tyrants. 

I will fight your enemies, 

and I will save your children. 

26  I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, 

and they will become drunk on their own blood 

as though it were new wine. 

Then all humanity will know that I am the Lord, who saves you, 

the Mighty One of Jacob, who reclaims you. 

GW

About GOD’S WORD Translation

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) communicates the saving, life-changing Good News about Jesus in clear, natural English. Translated directly from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek by a committee of scholars, GOD’S WORD is an exceptional Bible that consciously combines scholarly fidelity with natural English.

By implementing the translation principles of Closest Natural Equivalence, the translation committee seeks to translate the best available texts into English with the closest possible accuracy. This commitment to accurately translating the Bible includes expressing the meaning naturally and in a style that preserves the characteristics of the source text.

The combination of accuracy and readability makes GOD’S WORD ideally suited for the following:

Devotional reading and in-depth study

Preaching, teaching, and worship

Memorization

Discipleship

Copyright

Scripture references from GOD’S WORD are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.

Up to 500 verses from GOD’S WORD may be quoted in any form (printed, written, visual, electronic, or audio) without written permission, provided that no more than half of any one book is quoted, and the verses quoted do not amount to more than 25% of the text of the work in which they are quoted.

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GOD’S WORD is a copyrighted work of God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society. Quotations are used by permission.

If used in a work that is for sale, the following copyright notice must be used:

GOD’S WORD is a copyrighted work of God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.

For quotation of over 500 verses and/or questions about these policies, contact God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, P.O. Box 26343, Cleveland, Ohio 44126-0343, U.S.A.

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