God Calls His Servant
Listen, house of Israel. All of you who were broken off and driven away because your leaders were wicked. All of you who were scattered around the world who are my people, house of Israel. Listen to me, you islands. Listen to me, you people from far away. The Lord called me before I was born. He spoke my name before my mother gave birth to me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword. He hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me like a polished arrow. He hid me in his quiver. He said to me: 'You are my servant, Israel. I will be honored through you.'
Then I said: 'I have worked for nothing. I have used my strength for nothing and in vain. My judgment belongs with the Lord. My work belongs with my God.'
A Light to the Nations
The Lord says this. He formed me before I was born to be his servant. He wanted me to bring Jacob back to him. Even if Israel is not gathered, I will still be honored by the Lord. My God will be my strength. He said: 'It is not enough for you to be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob. It is not enough to bring back the saved people of Israel. I will also make you a light to the Gentiles. You will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.' The Lord, the Savior of Israel, the Holy One says this to the one people hate. He says this to the one nations reject. He says this to the servant of rulers: Kings will see and stand up. Princes will also bow down. This is because of the Lord who is faithful.
The Lord says: 'At the right time I have heard you, islands of the sea. On the day of salvation I have helped you. I will keep you safe. I will give you my servant to make a promise with the people. You will establish the earth. You will make the empty lands inhabited again.'
Freedom for the Prisoners
You can say to the prisoners: 'Go free.' You can say to those in darkness: 'Show yourselves.' They will eat food along the roads. They will find pastures on all the high places. They will not be hungry or thirsty. The heat and sun will not hurt them. The one who has mercy on them will lead them. He will guide them by springs of water. I will make all my mountains into roads. My highways will be raised up.
Then, house of Israel, these people will come from far away. These will come from the north and west. These will come from the land of Sinim. Sing, heavens! Be joyful, earth! The people in the east will be made strong. Break out in singing, mountains! They will not be hurt anymore because the Lord has comforted his people. He will have mercy on those who suffer.
God Never Forgets
But Zion has said: 'The Lord has left me. My Lord has forgotten me.' But he will show that he has not. Can a woman forget her baby that she is nursing? Can she not love the child she gave birth to? Yes, mothers might forget. But I will not forget you, house of Israel. I have carved you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are always before me.
Your children will hurry to fight against those who destroy you. Those who made you empty will leave you.
The Land Will Be Full Again
Look up and see all around you. All these people gather together and come to you. As I live, says the Lord, you will wear them all like jewelry. You will put them on like a bride. Your empty places and destroyed land will now be too crowded because of all the people living there. Those who swallowed you up will be far away. The children you will have after you lost the others will say in your ears: 'This place is too crowded for me. Give me room so I can live.'
Then you will say in your heart: 'Who gave birth to these children for me? I lost my children and am alone, a prisoner moving around from place to place. Who raised these children? I was left alone. Where have these been?'
Kings Will Help
The Lord God says: 'I will raise my hand to the Gentiles. I will set up my banner to the people. They will bring your sons in their arms. They will carry your daughters on their shoulders.' Kings will be like fathers who take care of you. Their queens will be like mothers who feed you. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground. They will lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Those who wait for me will not be disappointed.'
Can someone take treasure away from a strong person? Can prisoners be set free from someone who captured them fairly? But the Lord says: 'The prisoners of the strong person will be taken away. The treasure of the terrible person will be set free. I will fight against the one who fights against you. I will save your children.' I will make those who hurt you eat their own flesh. They will get drunk on their own blood like it was sweet wine. Then everyone will know that I the Lord am your Savior and the one who saves you, 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.