The Servant of the LORD

1“Listen to me, you coastlands!

Paya attention, you peopleb from far away!

The LORD called me from the womb;

while I was still in my mother’s body,

he pronounced my name.

2He made my mouth like a sharp sword;

he hid me in the shadow of his hands.c

He made me like a polished arrow

and hid me away in his quivers.d

3He said to me: ‘You are my servant,

Israel, in whom I will glorify myself.’

4“Ie said: ‘I’ve labored for nothing.

I’ve exhausted my strength on futility and onf emptiness.’

Yet surely my recompense is with the LORD,

and my reward is with my God.

5“And now, says the LORD,

who formed youg from the womb as his servant

to bring Jacob back to him

so that Israel might be gatheredh to him—

and I am honored in the LORD’s sight

and my God has been my helpi —

6he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant,

to raise up the tribes of Israelj

and bring back those of Jacobk I have preserved.

I’ll also make you as a light to the nations,

to be my salvation to the endsl of the earth.

7“This is what my Lordm says—

the LORD your Redeemer, O Israel,n

and his Holy One—

to one despised by people,o

to those abhorredp as a nation,

to the servant of rulers:

“Kings seeq and arise,

and princesr will bow down,

because of the LORD who is faithful,

the Holy One of Israel,

the one who hass chosen you.”

The Restoration of Israel

8“This what the LORD says:

“I’ll answert you in a time of favor,

and on a day of salvation I’ll helpu 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;

9saying to captives, ‘Come out!’

andv to those who are in darkness, ‘Be free!’w

“They will feed on all the mountains,x

and their pasture will be on all the barren hills.

10They 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.

11I’ll turn all my mountains into a road,

and my highways will be raised up.

12“Watch! They’ll come from far away—

some from the north and from the west,

and others from the Aswan region.”y

13Shout with joy, you heavens,

and rock with glee, you earth!

Break out in song, you mountains!z

The LORD is comfortingaa his people

and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

Zion Not Forgotten

14“But Zion said, ‘The LORD has abandoned me,

and my Godbb has forgotten me.’

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!

16Look! I’ve inscribed you on the palms of my hands,

andcc your walls are forever before me.

17Your buildersdd are working faster than your destroyers,

and those who devastated you go away from you.

18Lift 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.

19Indeed, 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.

20“The children who are grieving at presentee

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.’

21Then you’ll askff in your heart,

‘Who bore these children for me,

although I was childless and barren,

andgg an exilehh and cast aside?

Whoii brought these up?

Look!jj For my part I was left all alone;

but as for these, where have they come from?’

22“Forkk this what the LORDll says,

‘Watch! I’ll lift up my hand to the nations

and raise my banner to themm peoples.nn

They will bring your sons in their arms,

and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.’

23“Oh, yes!oo 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.

24“Can they seize plunderpp from warriors,

orqq can the captives of tyrantsrr be rescued?

25But this is what the LORD says:

“He will seizess even the warriors’ plunder,tt

and the captivesuu of tyrants will be rescued.

I myself will quarrel with those who have a quarrel with you,vv

and I myself will save your children.

26“I’ll make those who mistreat youww 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.”