LEB ISA Chapter 49

Yahweh’s Servant Brings Salvation

• and listen attentively, peoples from far away!
• Yahweh called me from the womb;
  • from the[fn] of my mother he made my name known.
  • 2 [fn] my mouth like a sharp sword; he hid me in the shadow of his hand,
• and he[fn] me like an sharpened arrow;
  • he hid me in his quiver.
  • 3 are my servant, Israel, in whom I will show my glory.”
  • 4 [fn] I myself said, “I have labored in[fn] vain; I have used up my strength for nothing and vanity!
• Nevertheless, my justice is with Yahweh,
  • and my reward is with my God.”
  • 5  who formed me from the womb as a servant for him,
• to bring Jacob back to him,
  • and that Israel might not[fn] be gathered,
• for[fn] I am honored in the eyes of Yahweh,
  • and my God has become my strength.
• 6 And he says, “It is trivial for you to be[fn] a servant for me, to raise up the tribes of Jacob
  • and to bring back the preserved of Israel.
• I will give you as a light to the nations,
  • to be my salvation to the end of the earth.”
• 7 Thus says Yahweh, the redeemer of Israel, his holy one,to the one who despises[fn] life,
  • to the one who abhors the nation,
  • to the slave of rulers:
• “Kings shall see and stand up;
  • princes, and they shall bow down,
• for the sake of Yahweh, who is faithful,
  • the holy one of Israel, and he has chosen you.”

Yahweh Restores the Afflicted

• 8 Thus says Yahweh:“I have answered you in a time of favor,
  • and helped you on a day of salvation,
• and watched over you,
  • and given you as a covenant of the people,
• to raise up the land,
  • to give the desolate hereditary property as an inheritance,
  • 9 [fn] “Come out!” to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves!”
• they shall feed[fn] the ways,
  • and their pasturage shall be on all the barren heights.
  • 10  and heat and sun shall not strike them,
• for he who takes pity on them will lead them,
  • and he will guide them to springs of water.
  • 11 [fn] all my mountains like a road, and my highways shall lead up.[fn]
  • 12  And look! These from the north and from the west
  • and these from the land of Sinim.”
  • 13  Mountains must break forth in rejoicing!
• For Yahweh has comforted his people,
  • and he will take pity on his afflicted ones.

Yahweh Remembers Zion

• 14 [fn] Zion said, “Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me!”
• 15  refrain from having compassion on the child of her womb?
• Indeed, these may forget,
  • but[fn] I, I will not forget you!
  • 16 my hands; your walls are continually before me.
  • 17  your destroyers and those who laid you waste depart[fn] from you.
  • 18  all of them gather; they come to you.
• [fn]
  • [fn] Yahweh,
• surely you shall put on all of them like an ornament,
  • and you shall bind them on like a bride.
• 19 Surely your sites of ruins and desolate places and land of ruins,[fn] surely now you will be[fn] inhabitants,[fn]
  • and those who engulfed you will be far away.
• 20 Yet the children born when you were bereaved[fn] will say in your hearing,[fn] “The place is too cramped for me;
  • [fn] for me so that I can dwell.”
• 21 Then[fn] you will say in your heart, “Who has borne me these?”
  • And, “I was bereaved and barren,
• exiled and thrust away;
  • so[fn] who raised these?
• Look at me! I was left alone;
  • [fn]
• 22 Thus says the Lord Yahweh:“Look! I will lift my hand up to the nations,
  • and I will raise my signal to the peoples,
• and they shall bring your sons in their bosom,
  • and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.[fn]
  • 23 [fn] and their queens your nurses.
• They shall bow down,[fn] to the ground, to you,
  • and they will lick up the dust of your feet.
• Then[fn] you will know that I am Yahweh;
  • those who await me shall not be ashamed.
  • 24 the mighty? or can a captive of a righteous[fn] person be rescued?
• 25 But thus says Yahweh:“Indeed a captive of the mighty shall be taken,
  • and the war-booty of the tyrant shall be rescued,
• for[fn] I myself will dispute with your opponent,
  • and I myself will save your children.
  • 26 own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their blood as with wine.
• Then[fn] all flesh shall know that I am Yahweh,
  • your savior and redeemer, the strong one of Jacob.”