Isaiah 49

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

1Listen to me, you islands far across the sea. Pay attention, people far away. The LORD called me before I was born. He said my name while I was still inside my mother.

2And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

2God made my words sharp, like a sword. He hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me like a smooth, sharp arrow. He kept me safe in his arrow bag.

3And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

3God said to me, "You are my servant, Israel. I will show how great I am through you."

4Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

4Then I said, "I worked hard, and nothing came of it. I used up all my strength for nothing at all. But the LORD will make things right for me. My pay is safe with my God."

Note"My judgment is with the LORD" does not mean punishment. It means God will show that the servant was right, and God holds his reward for him.

5And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

5The LORD made me before I was born to be his servant. He sent me to bring Jacob's family, the people of Israel, back to him. He sent me to gather Israel together again. The LORD honors me, and my God gives me strength.

6And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

6God said, "It is not enough for you to serve me by bringing Israel's families back. It is not enough to bring home the ones I kept safe. I will also make you a light for all the other nations. You will carry my rescue to the farthest parts of the earth."

Note"It is a light thing" is old English for "it is not enough." God is giving the servant a bigger job, not a smaller one.

7Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

7The LORD is the Holy One of Israel. He is the one who buys his people back and sets them free. He speaks to the servant that people hate and turn away from, the servant who serves rulers. He says, "Kings will see you and stand up. Princes will bow low. They will do this because the LORD keeps his word. The Holy One of Israel has chosen you."

8Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

8This is what the LORD says: "At the right time I answered you. On the day I saved you, I helped you. I will keep you safe. Through you I will make my promise to the people. You will build the land up again. You will hand out the empty, ruined lands to their new owners."

9That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

9"You will tell the prisoners, 'Come out.' You will tell those sitting in the dark, 'Come into the light.' They will eat along the roads. Even the bare hills will be good grass for them."

10They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

10They will not be hungry or thirsty. The hot sun will not beat down on them. The one who loves them will lead them. He will bring them to springs of water.

11And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

11God says, "I will turn all my mountains into roads. My big roads will be lifted up high and smooth."

12Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.

12Look, people are coming from far away. Some come from the north, and some from the west. Some come from the land of Sinim.

NoteSinim was a land very far away from Israel. Some translations call it Aswan, a place in the south of Egypt.

13Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

13Sing, you heavens! Be glad, earth! Break into song, you mountains! The LORD has comforted his people. He will be kind to those who are hurting.

14But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

14But Zion said, "The LORD has left me. My Lord has forgotten all about me." Zion means Jerusalem, the city of God's people.

15Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

15God answers, "Can a mother forget the baby she feeds? Can she stop loving her own child? Even if she could forget, I will never forget you."

16Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

16"Look, I have carved your name on the palms of my hands. Your city walls are always right in front of me."

17Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.

17The people who will build you again are hurrying back to you. The ones who knocked you down are leaving.

18Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.

18Look around you and see. They are all gathering. They are all coming to you. The LORD says, "As surely as I live, you will wear them like pretty jewelry. You will put them on the way a bride dresses up."

19For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.

19Your broken, empty places and your ruined land will be too small. There will be too many people to fit. The ones who swallowed you up will be far away.

20The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.

20You lost your children before. The children born after that will say to you, "This place is too crowded for us. Make room so we can live here."

21Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?

21Then you will say to yourself, "Who gave me all these children? I lost my children. I was alone. I was taken away and pushed from place to place. So who raised these children? I was left all by myself. Where did they come from?"

22Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

22This is what the Lord GOD says: "Watch. I will raise my hand to the nations. I will lift up my flag so the peoples can see it. They will carry your sons back in their arms. They will carry your daughters on their shoulders."

23And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

23Kings will care for you like fathers. Their queens will care for you like mothers. They will bow down with their faces to the ground. They will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD. No one who waits for me will be let down.

Note"Nursing fathers" and "nursing mothers" mean people who feed a child and take care of it. Kings and queens will care for God's people that way.

24Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

24Can you take back things a strong soldier grabbed in war? Can prisoners be pulled away from a cruel ruler?

25But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

25This is what the LORD says: "Yes. Even a strong soldier's prisoners will be taken away from him. The things a cruel ruler grabbed will be taken back. I will fight against anyone who fights against you. I will save your children."

26And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

26"I will make the people who hurt you eat their own flesh. They will drink their own blood like sweet wine. Then everyone alive will know that I, the LORD, am the one who saves you. I buy you back and set you free. I am the Mighty One of Jacob."