Isaiah 49 Parallel Bible Translations

Isaiah 49
swipe to see more →
SLT
Smith's Literal Translation
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 Hear to me, ye islands, and attend ye people from far off; Jehovah called me from the belly; from my mother's bowels he made mention of my name. Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
2 And he set my mouth as a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me, and he will set me for a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.
3 And he will say to me, Thou my servant, Israel, whom I will be honored in thee. And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”
4 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. 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.” 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.”
5 And now, said Jehovah, forming me from the belly for servant to him to turn back Jacob to him, And Israel shall not be gathered, and I shall be honored in the eyes of Jehovah, and God was my strength. And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength— And now the LORD says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength—
6 And he will say, It was light thou being to me a servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to turn back the preserved of Israel: and I gave thee for a light of the nations to be my salvation even to the extremity of the earth. he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
7 Thus said Jehovah redeeming Israel, his Holy One, to the despised of soul, to him being abhorred of the nations, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and princes arose, and they shall worship him for sake of Jehovah who was faithful, the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” This is what the LORD says— the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel— to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see you and stand up, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
8 Thus said Jehovah, In a time of acceptance I answered thee, and in the day of salvation I helped thee: and I will guard thee, and I will give thee for a covenant of the people to cause the earth to stand, to cause to inherit the inheritance of desolations, Thus says the LORD: “In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, This is what the LORD says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
9 To say to the bound, Go forth; to those in darkness, Uncover yourselves. They shall feed upon the ways, and in all naked hills their pastures. saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’ They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture; to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ “They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill.
10 They shall not hunger and they shall not thirst, and the heat shall not strike them, and the sun: for he pitying them shall lead them, and to fountains of water he shall conduct them. they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.
11 And I set all the mountains for a way, and the highways shall be raised up. And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up. I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up.
12 Behold, these shall come from far off; and behold, these from the north, and from the sea; and these from the land of Sinim. Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene.” See, they will come from afar— some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan.”
13 Shout, ye heavens, and rejoice thou earth; and the mountains shall break forth with shouting: for Jehovah comforted his people and he will pity his afflicted. Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted. Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
14 And Zion will say, Jehovah forsook me, and the Lord forgot me. But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.”
15 Shall a woman forget her child, from pitying the son of her womb? also these shall forget, and I shall not forget thee. “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
16 Behold, upon the palms I engraved thee; thy walls before me continually. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.
17 Thy sons hastened; they destroying thee and laying thee waste shall come forth from thee. Your builders make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you. Your children hasten back, and those who laid you waste depart from you.
18 Lift up round about thine eyes and see: they all gathered themselves together, they came to thee. I live, says Jehovah, thou shalt put them all on as an ornament, and thou shalt bind them as a bride. Lift up your eyes around and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I live, declares the LORD, you shall put them all on as an ornament; you shall bind them on as a bride does. Lift up your eyes and look around; all your children gather and come to you. As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride.
19 For thy wastes and thy desolations, and the land of thy destruction, for now it shall press for the inhabitants, and they swallowing thee up were far away. “Surely your waste and your desolate places and your devastated land— surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away. “Though you were ruined and made desolate and your land laid waste, now you will be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away.
20 Yet shall the sons of thy bereavement say in thine ears, The place is strait to me: draw near to me and I shall dwell. The children of your bereavement will yet say in your ears: ‘The place is too narrow for me; make room for me to dwell in.’ 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.’
21 And thou saidst in thy heart, Who begat these to me, and I being bereaved and barren, an exile, and departing? and who caused these to grow? Behold, I was left alone; they, where were they? Then you will say in your heart: ‘Who has borne me these? I was bereaved and barren, exiled and put away, but who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; from where have these come?’” Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who bore me these? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. Who brought these up? I was left all alone, but these—where have they come from?’”
22 Thus said the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and to the peoples I will raise up my signal: and they brought thy sons in the bosom, and thy daughters shall be lifted up upon the shoulder. Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I will beckon to the nations, I will lift up my banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their hips.
23 And kings were thy supporters, and princesses thy nurses: their faces to the earth they shall worship to thee, and the dust of thy feet shall they lick up; and thou knewest that I Jehovah, that they shall not be ashamed waiting for me. Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.” Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”
24 Shall the prey be taken from the strong? and if the captivity of the just shalt be delivered? Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives be rescued from the fierce?
25 For thus said Jehovah, Also the captivity of the strong shall be taken, and the prey of the terrible shall escape: and I will contend with him contending with thee, and thy sons I will save. For thus says the LORD: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children. But this is what the LORD says: “Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.
26 And I will cause those oppressing thee to eat their own flesh, and they shall drink their blood to the full as new wine: and all flesh shall know that I am Jehovah saving thee, and redeeming thee, the Mighty One of Jacob. I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know that I am the LORD your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page