Isaiah 49:4 But I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God."

◄ Isaiah 49:4 ►

New International Version
But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all. Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand, and my reward is with my God.”

New Living Translation
I replied, “But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the LORD’s hand; I will trust God for my reward.”

English Standard Version
But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God.”

Berean Standard Bible
But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.”

King James Bible
Then 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.

New King James Version
Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the LORD, And my work with my God.’ ”

New American Standard Bible
But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and futility; Nevertheless, the justice due to Me is with the LORD, And My reward is with My God.”

NASB 1995
But I said, “I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice due to Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God.”

NASB 1977
But I said, “I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice due to Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But I said, “I have toiled in vain; I have spent My might for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice due to Me is with Yahweh, And My reward with My God.”

Amplified Bible
Then I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity (pride, uselessness); However My justice is with the LORD, And My reward is with My God.”

Christian Standard Bible
But I myself said: I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and futility; yet my vindication is with the LORD, and my reward is with my God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But I myself said: I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and futility; yet my vindication is with the LORD, and my reward is with my God.

American Standard Version
But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with Jehovah, and my recompense with my God.

Contemporary English Version
I said to myself, "I'm completely worn out; my time has been wasted. But I did it for the LORD God, and he will reward me."

English Revised Version
But I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my recompence with my God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
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."

Good News Translation
I said, "I have worked, but how hopeless it is! I have used up my strength, but have accomplished nothing." Yet I can trust the LORD to defend my cause; he will reward me for what I do.

International Standard Version
"I said: 'I've labored for nothing. I've exhausted my strength on futility and on emptiness.' Yet surely my recompense is with the LORD, and my reward is with my God.

Majority Standard Bible
But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.”

NET Bible
But I thought, "I have worked in vain; I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing." But the LORD will vindicate me; my God will reward me.

New Heart English Bible
But I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with the LORD, and my reward with my God."

Webster's Bible Translation
Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught, and in vain; yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

World English Bible
But I said, “I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength in vain for nothing; yet surely the justice due to me is with Yahweh, and my reward with my God.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And I said, “I labored in vain, "" I consumed my power for emptiness and vanity, "" But my judgment [is] with YHWH, "" And my wage with my God.”

Young's Literal Translation
And I said, 'For a vain thing I laboured, For emptiness and vanity my power I consumed, But my judgment is with Jehovah, And my wage with my God.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I said, I labored in vain, for emptiness; and I finish my strength vainly; surely my judgment is with Jehovah and my work with my God.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I said: I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength without cause and in vain: therefore my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And I said: “I have labored toward emptiness. I have consumed my strength without purpose and in vain. Therefore, my judgment is with the Lord, and my work is with my God.”

New American Bible
Though I thought I had toiled in vain, for nothing and for naught spent my strength, Yet my right is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God.

New Revised Standard Version
But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the LORD, and my reward with my God.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
I have not said to the descendants of Jacob that I have labored in vain, nor that I have spent my strength for nought. Surely my judgment is before the LORD, and my work before my God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I have not said to the seed of Yaqob, ‘I have labored for nothing and I have given my power to futility.’ Truly my judgment is before LORD JEHOVAH and my work is before my God”

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
But I said: 'I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; Yet surely my right is with the LORD, And my recompense with my God.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have given my strength for vanity and for nothing: therefore is my judgement with the Lord, and my labour before my God.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

You are My Servant
…3He said to Me, “You are My Servant, Israel, in whom I will display My glory.” 4But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.” 5And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, that Israel might be gathered to Him—for I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and My God is My strength—…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Isaiah 53:10-11
Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. / After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.

Philippians 2:7-9
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. / And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. / Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,

John 1:10-11
He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. / He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

Matthew 26:39
Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

1 Peter 2:23
When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

Jeremiah 20:7-9
You have deceived me, O LORD, and I was deceived. You have overcome me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. / For whenever I speak, I cry out; I proclaim violence and destruction. For the word of the LORD has become to me a reproach and derision all day long. / If I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

John 12:27-28
Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour. / Father, glorify Your name!” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

Matthew 27:46
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Psalm 22:1-2
For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning? / I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Galatians 6:9
Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Hebrews 12:2-3
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. / Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Psalm 73:13-14
Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in innocence I have washed my hands. / For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. / For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. / So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Romans 8:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.

Treasury of Scripture

Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

I have laboured

Isaiah 65:2
I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

Ezekiel 3:19
Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Matthew 17:17
Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

spent

Leviticus 26:20
And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

2 Corinthians 12:15
And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

yet

Isaiah 53:10-12
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand…

Psalm 22:22-31
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee…

Luke 24:26
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

work.

Isaiah 40:10
Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

Isaiah 62:11
Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

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Isaiah 49

1. Christ being sent to the Jews, complains of them
5. He is sent to the Gentiles with gracious promises
13. God's love is perpetual to his church
18. The ample restoration of the church
24. The powerful deliverance out of captivity

Berean Study Bible

But I said
This phrase introduces a personal reflection or lamentation. The speaker, often understood to be the Servant of the Lord, is expressing a deep, internal struggle. In the Hebrew text, the word for "said" (אָמַר, 'amar) conveys a sense of thoughtful articulation, indicating that this is not a rash statement but a considered expression of the Servant's experience and feelings.

I have labored in vain
The Hebrew word for "labored" (יָגַע, yaga') suggests toil and effort, often with a sense of weariness. The phrase "in vain" (רִיק, riq) implies emptiness or nothingness, highlighting the perceived lack of results from the Servant's efforts. Historically, this reflects the challenges faced by prophets and messengers of God who often encountered resistance and rejection despite their faithful service.

I have spent my strength
The word "spent" (כָּלָה, kalah) in Hebrew can mean to be consumed or exhausted. "Strength" (כֹּחַ, koach) refers to physical and spiritual energy. This phrase captures the totality of the Servant's dedication and the depletion of his resources, emphasizing the cost of his mission.

in futility and vanity
"Futility" (תֹּהוּ, tohu) and "vanity" (הֶבֶל, hebel) are terms that denote meaninglessness or transience. These words echo the sentiments found in Ecclesiastes, where human endeavors are often described as fleeting. The Servant's lament here is a profound expression of feeling that his efforts have not achieved their intended purpose.

yet surely
This phrase introduces a contrast and a shift in perspective. The Hebrew word (אָכֵן, aken) conveys a sense of certainty and assurance. It marks a transition from despair to hope, indicating a deep-seated faith that transcends the immediate circumstances.

my vindication is with the LORD
"Vindication" (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat) refers to justice or judgment. The Servant places his trust in the LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh), the covenant name of God, signifying a personal and relational trust. This reflects a belief that ultimate justice and validation come from God, not human recognition.

and my reward is with my God
The word "reward" (פְּעֻלָּה, pe'ullah) implies compensation or recompense. The phrase "with my God" underscores a personal relationship and reliance on God for fulfillment and acknowledgment. This highlights the Servant's faith that God will honor his efforts, even if they seem fruitless in the present.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) Then I said.--The accents of disappointment sound strangely on coming from the lips of the true Servant; but the prophet had learnt by his own experience that this formed part of the discipline of every true servant of God, in proportion to the thoroughness of his service, and therefore it was not strange to him that the ideal Servant should also taste that bitterness. We find in the prophet of Anathoth a partial illustration of the law (Jeremiah 20:14). We find its highest fulfilment in the cries of Gethsemane and Golgotha, The sense of failure is surmounted only, as here, by looking to another judgment than man's, and another reward (better than "work"). (Comp. 1Corinthians 4:3.)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - Then I said, I have laboured in vain; rather, and I, for my part, had said. The Servant had momentarily desponded, seeing the small results of all his efforts to reclaim Israel, and had felt a natural human regret at so much labour apparently expended in vain; but his despondency had been soon checked by the thought that God would not suffer any "labour of love" to be wholly in vain, but would give it the recompense which it merited. The verse brings strongly out the true humanity of the "Servant," who feels as men naturally feel, but restrains himself, and does not allow his feelings to carry him away. Compare with this despondency the grief exhibited by our Lord on two occasions (Matthew 23:37; John 11:35), and the depression which extorted from him the memorable words, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" (Matthew 27:46). My work; rather, my reward, or my recompense.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

But I
וַאֲנִ֤י (wa·’ă·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

said,
אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ (’ā·mar·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I have labored
יָגַ֔עְתִּי (yā·ḡa‘·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3021: To gasp, to be exhausted, to tire, to toil

in vain,
לְרִ֣יק (lə·rîq)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7385: Emptiness, a worthless thing, in vain

I have spent
כִלֵּ֑יתִי (ḵil·lê·ṯî)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3615: To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent

my strength
כֹּחִ֣י (kō·ḥî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3581: A small reptile (of unknown species)

in futility
לְתֹ֥הוּ (lə·ṯō·hū)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8414: A desolation, desert, a worthless thing, in vain

and vanity;
וְהֶ֖בֶל (wə·he·ḇel)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory

yet
אָכֵן֙ (’ā·ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 403: Firmly, surely, but

my vindication
מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י (miš·pā·ṭî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

is with
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Preposition
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

the LORD,
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and my reward
וּפְעֻלָּתִ֖י (ū·p̄ə·‘ul·lā·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6468: A work, recompense

is with
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Preposition
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

my God.”
אֱלֹהָֽי׃ (’ĕ·lō·hāy)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

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OT Prophets: Isaiah 49:4 But I said I have labored (Isa Isi Is)