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Isaiah 49
New International Reader's Version
Isaiah 49
New International Reader's Version
The Servant of the Lord
49 People who live on the islands, listen to me.
Pay attention, you nations far away.
Before I was born the Lord chose me to serve him.
Before I was born the Lord spoke my name.
2 He made my words like a sharp sword.
He hid me in the palm of his hand.
He made me into a sharpened arrow.
He took good care of me and kept me safe.
3 He said to me, “You are my true servant Israel.
I will show my glory through you.”
4 But I said, “In spite of my hard work,
I feel as if I haven’t accomplished anything.
I’ve used up all my strength.
It seems as if everything I’ve done is worthless.
But the Lord will give me what I should receive.
My God will reward me.”
5 The Lord formed me in my mother’s body to be his servant.
He wanted me to bring the family of Jacob back to him.
He wanted me to gather the people of Israel to himself.
The Lord will honor me.
My God will give me strength.
6 Here is what the Lord says to me.
“It is not enough for you as my servant
to bring the tribes of Jacob back to their land.
It is not enough for you to bring back
the people of Israel I have kept alive.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles.
Then you will make it possible for the whole world to be saved.”
7 The Lord sets his people free.
He is the Holy One of Israel.
He speaks to his servant, who is looked down on and hated by the nations.
He speaks to the servant of rulers. He says to him,
“Kings will see you and stand up to honor you.
Princes will see you and bow down to show you their respect.
I am the Lord. I am faithful.
I am the Holy One of Israel.
I have chosen you.”
Israel Is Brought Back to Their Land
8 The Lord says to his servant,
“When it is time to have mercy on you, I will answer your prayers.
When it is time to save you, I will help you.
I will keep you safe.
You will put into effect my covenant with the people of Israel.
Then their land will be made like new again.
Each tribe will be sent back to its territory that was left empty.
9 I want you to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out.’
Tell those who are in their dark cells, ‘You are free!’
“On their way home they will eat beside the roads.
They will find plenty to eat on every bare hill.
10 They will not get hungry or thirsty.
The heat from the desert sun will not beat down on them.
The God who has tender love for them will guide them.
Like a shepherd, he will lead them beside springs of water.
11 I will make roads across the mountains.
I will build wide roads for my people.
12 They will come from far away.
Some of them will come from the north.
Others will come from the west.
Still others will come from Aswan in the south.”
13 Shout for joy, you heavens!
Be glad, you earth!
Burst into song, you mountains!
The Lord will comfort his people.
He will show his tender love to those who are suffering.
14 But the city of Zion said, “The Lord has deserted me.
The Lord has forgotten me.”
15 The Lord answers, “Can a mother forget the baby
who is nursing at her breast?
Can she stop having tender love
for the child who was born to her?
She might forget her child.
But I will not forget you.
16 I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
Your walls are never out of my sight.
17 Your people will hurry back.
Those who destroyed you so completely will leave you.
18 Look up. Look all around you.
All your people are getting together
to come back to you.
You can be sure that I live,”
announces the Lord.
“And you can be just as sure that your people
will be like decorations you will wear.
Like a bride, you will wear them proudly.
19 “Zion, you were destroyed. Your land was left empty.
It was turned into a dry and empty desert.
But now you will be too small to hold all your people.
And those who destroyed you will be far away.
20 The children born during your time of sorrow
will speak to you. They will say,
‘This city is too small for us.
Give us more space to live in.’
21 Then you will say to yourself,
‘Whose children are these?
I lost my children.
And I couldn’t have any more.
My children were taken far away from me.
And no one wanted them.
Who brought these children up?
I was left all alone.
So where have these children come from?’ ”
22 The Lord and King continues,
“I will call out to the nations.
I will give a signal to them.
They will bring back your sons in their arms.
They will carry your daughters on their hips.
23 Their kings will become like fathers to you.
Their queens will be like mothers who nurse you.
They will bow down to you with their faces toward the ground.
They will kiss the dust at your feet to show you their respect.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
Those who put their hope in me will not be ashamed.”
24 Can goods that were stolen by soldiers be taken away from them?
Can prisoners be set free from the powerful Babylonians?
25 “Yes, they can,” the Lord answers.
“Prisoners will be taken away from soldiers.
Stolen goods will be taken back from the powerful Babylonians.
Zion, I will fight against those who fight against you.
And I will save your people.
26 I will make those who treat you badly eat the flesh of others.
They will drink blood and get drunk on it as if it were wine.
Then everyone on earth will know
that I am the one who saves you.
I am the Lord. I set you free.
I am the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Isaiah 49
New International Version
Isaiah 49
New International Version
The Servant of the Lord
49 Listen(A) to me, you islands;(B)
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born(C) the Lord called(D) me;
from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.(E)
2 He made my mouth(F) like a sharpened sword,(G)
in the shadow of his hand(H) he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow(I)
and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,(J)
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.(K)”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;(L)
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,(M)
and my reward(N) is with my God.”(O)
5 And now the Lord says—
he who formed me in the womb(P) to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel(Q) to himself,
for I am[a] honored(R) in the eyes of the Lord
and my God has been my strength(S)—
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant(T)
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.(U)
I will also make you a light(V) for the Gentiles,(W)
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”(X)
7 This is what the Lord says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel(Y)—
to him who was despised(Z) and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings(AA) will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,(AB)
because of the Lord, who is faithful,(AC)
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen(AD) you.”
Restoration of Israel
8 This is what the Lord says:
“In the time of my favor(AE) I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you;(AF)
I will keep(AG) you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people,(AH)
to restore the land(AI)
and to reassign its desolate inheritances,(AJ)
9 to say to the captives,(AK) ‘Come out,’
and to those in darkness,(AL) ‘Be free!’
“They will feed beside the roads
and find pasture on every barren hill.(AM)
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst,(AN)
nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.(AO)
He who has compassion(AP) on them will guide(AQ) them
and lead them beside springs(AR) of water.
11 I will turn all my mountains into roads,
and my highways(AS) will be raised up.(AT)
12 See, they will come from afar(AU)—
some from the north, some from the west,(AV)
some from the region of Aswan.[b]”
13 Shout for joy,(AW) you heavens;
rejoice, you earth;(AX)
burst into song, you mountains!(AY)
For the Lord comforts(AZ) his people
and will have compassion(BA) on his afflicted ones.(BB)
15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child(BE) she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!(BF)
16 See, I have engraved(BG) you on the palms of my hands;
your walls(BH) are ever before me.
17 Your children hasten back,
and those who laid you waste(BI) depart from you.
18 Lift up your eyes and look around;
all your children gather(BJ) and come to you.
As surely as I live,(BK)” declares the Lord,
“you will wear(BL) them all as ornaments;
you will put them on, like a bride.
19 “Though you were ruined and made desolate(BM)
and your land laid waste,(BN)
now you will be too small for your people,(BO)
and those who devoured(BP) you will be far away.
20 The children born during your bereavement
will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
give us more space to live in.’(BQ)
21 Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who bore me these?(BR)
I was bereaved(BS) and barren;
I was exiled and rejected.(BT)
Who brought these(BU) up?
I was left(BV) all alone,(BW)
but these—where have they come from?’”
22 This is what the Sovereign Lord(BX) says:
“See, I will beckon to the nations,
I will lift up my banner(BY) to the peoples;
they will bring(BZ) your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their hips.(CA)
23 Kings(CB) will be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.(CC)
They will bow down(CD) before you with their faces to the ground;
they will lick the dust(CE) at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;(CF)
those who hope(CG) in me will not be disappointed.(CH)”
25 But this is what the Lord says:
“Yes, captives(CJ) will be taken from warriors,(CK)
and plunder retrieved from the fierce;(CL)
I will contend with those who contend with you,(CM)
and your children I will save.(CN)
26 I will make your oppressors(CO) eat(CP) their own flesh;
they will be drunk on their own blood,(CQ) as with wine.
Then all mankind will know(CR)
that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(CS)
your Redeemer,(CT) the Mighty One of Jacob.(CU)”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 49:5 Or him, / but Israel would not be gathered; / yet I will be
- Isaiah 49:12 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text Sinim
- Isaiah 49:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint and verse 25); Masoretic Text righteous
New International Reader's Version (NIRV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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