Isaiah 49

1 “Listen to me, you coastlands! Pay ^{a49:1 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read and pay} attention, you people ^{b49:1 Lit. peoples; i.e. non-Israelis then in the land} from far away! The LORD called me from the womb; while I was still in my mother’s body, he pronounced my name.ISV — Isaiah 49:1

2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword; he hid me in the shadow of his hands. ^{c49:2 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read hand} He made me like a polished arrow and hid me away in his quivers. ^{d49:2 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab 4QIsad MT LXX read quiver}ISV — Isaiah 49:2

3 He said to me: ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will glorify myself.’ISV — Isaiah 49:3

4 “I ^{e49:4 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT LXX read But I} said: ‘I’ve labored for nothing. I’ve exhausted my strength on futility and on ^{f49:4 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT lack on} emptiness.’ Yet surely my recompense is with the LORD, and my reward is with my God.ISV — Isaiah 49:4

5 “And now, says the LORD, who formed you ^{g49:5 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX me} from the womb as his servant to bring Jacob back to him so that Israel might be gathered ^{h49:5 So 1QIsaa MTqere LXX; 4QIsad MT might not be gathered (misspelling)} to him— and I am honored in the LORD’s sight and my God has been my help ^{i49:5 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX strength} —ISV — Isaiah 49:5

6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Israel ^{j49:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX Jacob} and bring back those of Jacob ^{k49:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX Israel} I have preserved. I’ll also make you as a light to the nations, to be my salvation to the ends ^{l49:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX end} of the earth.ISV — Isaiah 49:6

7 “This is what my Lord ^{m49:7 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab; MT LXX lacks my Lord} says— the LORD your Redeemer, O Israel, ^{n49:7 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT read the Redeemer of Israel} and his Holy One— to one despised by people, ^{o49:7 So 1QIsaa 4QIsad; MT CaiGen LXX reads to one people despise} to those abhorred ^{p49:7 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX reads one abhorred} as a nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings see ^{q49:7 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT read Kings will see; LXX reads Kings will see him} and arise, and princes ^{r49:7 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab reads They will rise; MT LXX read princes will rise, and they} will bow down, because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, the one who has ^{s49:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads and the one who has; LXX reads and I have} chosen you.”ISV — Isaiah 49:7

8 “This what the LORD says: “I’ll answer ^{t49:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX reads I have answered} you in a time of favor, and on a day of salvation I’ll help ^{u49:8 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read I have helped} you. I have watched over you, and given you as a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to reassign the inheritances that have been devastated;ISV — Isaiah 49:8

9 saying to captives, ‘Come out!’ and ^{v49:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lack and} to those who are in darkness, ‘Be free!’ ^{w49:9 Or darkness, ‘Show yourselves!’} “They will feed on all the mountains, ^{x49:9 So 1QIsaa; MT reads by the roads; LXX reads in all their roads} and their pasture will be on all the barren hills.ISV — Isaiah 49:9

10 They won’t hunger or thirst, nor will the desert heat or sun beat upon them; for the one who has compassion on them will drive them and guide them alongside springs of water.ISV — Isaiah 49:10

11 I’ll turn all my mountains into a road, and my highways will be raised up.ISV — Isaiah 49:11

12 “Watch! They’ll come from far away— some from the north and from the west, and others from the Aswan region.” ^{y49:12 Lit. Syenes; so 1QIsaa; MT reads Syene; LXX reads Persians}ISV — Isaiah 49:12

13 Shout with joy, you heavens, and rock with glee, you earth! Break out in song, you mountains! ^{z49:13 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read Let the mountains break out; MTqere, mss read And break out, you mountains} The LORD is comforting ^{aa49:13 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read has comforted} his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.ISV — Isaiah 49:13

14 “But Zion said, ‘The LORD has abandoned me, and my God ^{bb49:14 So 1QIsaa corrector; Lit. my God written above my Lord; MT LXX read my Lord} has forgotten me.’ISV — Isaiah 49:14

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or have no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these mothers may forget; But as for me, I’ll never forget you!ISV — Isaiah 49:15

16 Look! I’ve inscribed you on the palms of my hands, and ^{cc49:16 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read and} your walls are forever before me.ISV — Isaiah 49:16

17 Your builders ^{dd49:17 So 1QIsaa Aquila Vulg LXX; MT reads sons} are working faster than your destroyers, and those who devastated you go away from you.ISV — Isaiah 49:17

18 Lift up your eyes and look around— they have all gathered together and are coming to you. “As surely as I live,” says the LORD, “you will clothe yourself with all of them like ornaments, and tie them on like a bride.ISV — Isaiah 49:18

19 Indeed, your ruins, your desolate places, and your devastated land will now be too crowded for your inhabitants, while those who swallowed you up will be far away.ISV — Isaiah 49:19

20 “The children who are grieving at present ^{ee49:20 Lit. children of your bereavement} will yet say in your hearing, ‘This place is too crowded for me; make room for me, so I may have a place to live.’ISV — Isaiah 49:20

21 Then you’ll ask ^{ff49:21 Lit. say} in your heart, ‘Who bore these children for me, although I was childless and barren, and ^{gg49:21 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack and} an exile ^{hh49:21 LXX lacks and an exile} and cast aside? Who ^{ii49:21 So 1QIsaa. MT LXX read And who} brought these up? Look! ^{jj49:21 So 1QIsaa MT; LXX lacks Look!} For my part I was left all alone; but as for these, where have they come from?’ISV — Isaiah 49:21

22 “For ^{kk49:22 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack For} this what the LORD ^{ll9:22 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads my Lord the LORD} says, ‘Watch! I’ll lift up my hand to the nations and raise my banner to the ^{mm49:22 So 1QIsaa; MT lacks the} peoples. ^{nn49:22 So 1QIsaa MT; LXX reads islands} They will bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.’ISV — Isaiah 49:22

23 “Oh, yes! ^{oo49:23 Or And aha!; so 1QIsaa cf. Isa 55:1; MT LXX read And it will happen that} Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens will be your nursing mothers. They will bow to you with their faces to the ground, and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.ISV — Isaiah 49:23

24 “Can they seize plunder ^{pp49:24 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads plunder be seized} from warriors, or ^{qq49:24 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks or} can the captives of tyrants ^{rr49:24 So 1QIsaa LXX Targ Vulg; MT reads righteous ones} be rescued?ISV — Isaiah 49:24

25 But this is what the LORD says: “He will seize ^{ss49:25 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads will be seized;} even the warriors’ plunder, ^{tt49:25 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX reads captives} and the captives ^{uu49:25 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX reads plunder} of tyrants will be rescued. I myself will quarrel with those who have a quarrel with you, ^{vv49:25 So 1QIsaa; MT Vulg read with your contender; LXX reads your cause} and I myself will save your children.ISV — Isaiah 49:25

26 “I’ll make those who mistreat you ^{ww49:26 So 1QIsaa probably misspells this word as I will eat.} eat their own flesh, and they will get drunk on their own blood, as with new wine. “Then all mankind will know that I am the LORD your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”ISV — Isaiah 49:26