Called From the Womb
Listen closely, house of Israel—all of you who’ve been scattered and driven out because your leaders failed you. All of you who’ve been torn from your homeland and spread across the world, listen. You distant shores, hear me. The Lord called me before I was born. Even in my mother’s womb, he spoke my name. He made my words sharp as a sword. He hid me in the shadow of his hand and shaped me like a polished arrow, kept safe in his quiver. He said to me: 'You are my servant, Israel. Through you I will show my glory.'
But I said, 'I’ve worked for nothing. I’ve poured out my strength and gotten nowhere.' Still, I know the Lord will judge me fairly, and my God holds my work in his hands. Now the Lord speaks—the one who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him. Even if Israel isn’t gathered, I will still be honored in the Lord’s eyes, and my God will be my strength. He said: 'It’s not enough for you to be my servant just to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel. I’m making you a light to the nations, so my salvation can reach the ends of the earth.'
This is what the Lord says—the Redeemer of Israel, the Holy One—to the one despised by people, hated by nations, enslaved by rulers: 'Kings will see you and stand up. Princes will bow down, because the Lord is faithful.'
The Day of Rescue
This is what the Lord says: 'At just the right time, I heard you, you distant shores. On the day of rescue, I helped you. I will protect you and make you my servant, a promise to the people. You’ll rebuild the land and reclaim what was left in ruins.' 'You’ll tell the prisoners, 'Come out!' You’ll tell those sitting in darkness, 'Step into the light!' They’ll graze along the roads, and find pasture even on barren hills. They won’t go hungry or thirsty. The scorching heat won’t touch them. The one who has mercy on them will lead them to springs of water and guide them there. I’ll level my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up.
Look, house of Israel—they’ll come from far away. Some from the north, some from the west, and some from the land of Sinim. Sing, you heavens! Celebrate, earth! Those who’ve walked in the east will stand strong again. Break into song, you mountains! They won’t be struck down anymore—the Lord has comforted his people and will show mercy to those who’ve suffered.
Never Forgotten
But Zion says, 'The Lord has abandoned me. My Lord has forgotten me.' He’ll show that this isn’t true. Can a mother forget the baby nursing at her breast? Could she stop caring for the child she carried? Even if she could forget, I will never forget you, house of Israel. I’ve carved you into the palms of my hands. Your walls are always before my eyes.
Your children will come quickly. Those who destroyed you and left you in ruins will leave you alone. Look around you. See how they’re all gathering and coming to you? As surely as I live, says the Lord, you’ll wear them like jewelry, like a bride putting on her wedding dress.
Your ruined and desolate places, your destroyed land—it’ll be too crowded now with all the people living there. Those who tried to swallow you up will be far away. The children born to you after you lost everything will say to you, 'This place is too small for us. We need more room.' Then you’ll wonder, 'Who gave me all these children? I lost my family. I was alone, exiled, wandering from place to place. Who raised these kids? I was left by myself. Where did they all come from?'
A Promise of Restoration
This is what the Lord God says: 'I will signal to the nations and raise my banner to the peoples. They’ll bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders.' 'Kings will care for you like fathers, and queens will nurse you like mothers. They’ll bow down before you with their faces to the ground and humble themselves at your feet. Then you’ll know that I am the Lord. Those who wait for me will never be disappointed.'
Can treasure be taken from warriors? Can captives be freed from the powerful? But this is what the Lord says: 'Even captives held by warriors will be taken away. Even treasure seized by tyrants will be freed. I will fight against anyone who fights you, and I will rescue your children.' 'I will make your oppressors destroy themselves. They’ll be drunk on their own blood like it’s sweet wine. Then everyone will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.'
Influences
- 21:1 — Isaiah 49:1 (KJV)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.
- 21:2 — Isaiah 49:2 (KJV)And 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;
- 21:3 — Isaiah 49:3 (KJV)And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
- 21:4 — Isaiah 49:4 (KJV)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.
- 21:5 — Isaiah 49:5 (KJV)And 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.
- 21:6 — Isaiah 49:6 (KJV)And 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.
- 21:7 — Isaiah 49:7 (KJV)Thus 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.
- 21:8 — Isaiah 49:8 (KJV)Thus 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;
- 21:9 — Isaiah 49:9 (KJV)That 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.
- 21:10 — Isaiah 49:10 (KJV)They 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.
- 21:12 — Isaiah 49:12 (KJV)Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
- 21:13 — Isaiah 49:13 (KJV)Sing, 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.
- 21:15 — Isaiah 49:15 (KJV)Can 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.
- 21:16 — Isaiah 49:16 (KJV)Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
- 21:17 — Isaiah 49:17 (KJV)Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
- 21:18 — Isaiah 49:18 (KJV)Lift 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.
- 21:19 — Isaiah 49:19 (KJV)For 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.
- 21:20 — Isaiah 49:20 (KJV)The 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.
- 21:21 — Isaiah 49:21 (KJV)Then 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?
- 21:22 — Isaiah 49:22 (KJV)Thus 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.
- 21:23 — Isaiah 49:23 (KJV)And 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.
- 21:25 — Isaiah 49:25 (KJV)But 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.
- 21:26 — Isaiah 49:26 (KJV)And 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.