Isaiah, chapter 49
The focus in chapters 49–55 is on the new future that the Lord is creating for the people of Israel. Jerusalem lies in ruins, but it will be rebuilt, and the people will rejoice. God will bless and protect those who return from exile. This section also includes three more “songs” of the Lord's “suffering servant.”
The Work of the Lord's Servant
veryone, listen, even you foreign nations
across the sea.
The Lord chose me and gave me a name
before I was born.
2He made my words pierce like a sharp sword
or a pointed arrow;
he kept me safely hidden in the palm of his hand.
3The Lord said to me, “Israel, you are my servant;
and because of you I will be highly honored.”
4I 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.”
5Even before I was born, the Lord God chose me
to serve him and to lead back the people of Israel.
So the Lord has honored me and made me strong.
6 Now the Lord says to me, “It isn't enough for you
to be merely my servant.
You must do more than lead back survivors
from the tribes of Israel.
I have placed you here as a light for other nations;
you must take my saving power to everyone on earth.”
The Lord Will Rescue His People
7Israel, I am the holy Lord God,
the one who rescues you.
You are slaves of rulers
and of a nation who despises you.
Now this is what I promise:
Kings and rulers will honor you
by kneeling at your feet.
You can trust me! I am your Lord,
the holy God of Israel,
and you are my chosen ones.
The Lord Will Lead His People Home
8 This is what the Lord says: I will answer your prayers
because I have set a time when I will help
by coming to save you.
I have chosen you to take my promise of hope
to other nations.
You will rebuild the country from its ruins,
then people will come and settle there.
9 You will set prisoners free from dark dungeons
to see the light of day.
On their way home, they will find plenty to eat,
even on barren hills.
10 They won't go hungry or get thirsty;
they won't be bothered by the scorching sun
or hot desert winds.
I will be merciful while leading them along
to streams of water.
11I will level the mountains and make roads.
12Then my people will return from distant lands
in the north and the west
and from the city of Syene.
The Lord's Mercy
13 Tell the heavens and the earth to celebrate and sing;
command every mountain to join in the song.
The Lord's people have suffered,
but he has shown mercy and given them comfort.
14The people of Zion said, “The Lord has turned away
and forgotten us.”
15The Lord answered, “Could a mother forget a child
who nurses at her breast?
Could she fail to love an infant
who came from her own body?
Even if a mother could forget, I will never forget you.
16A picture of your city is drawn on my hand.
You are always in my thoughts!
17“Your city will be built faster than it was destroyed—
those who attacked it will retreat and leave.
18 Look around! You will see your people coming home.
As surely as I live, I, the Lord, promise
that your city with its people
will be as lovely as a bride wearing her jewelry.”
Jerusalem's Bright Future
19Jerusalem is now in ruins! Nothing is left of the city.
But it will be rebuilt and soon overcrowded;
its cruel enemies will be gone far away.
20Jerusalem is a woman whose children were born
while she was in deep sorrow
over the loss of her husband.
Now those children will come and seek room
in the crowded city,
21and Jerusalem will ask, “Am I really their mother?
How could I have given birth
when I was still mourning in a foreign land?
Who raised these children? Where have they come from?”
22The Lord God says: “I will soon give a signal
for the nations to return your sons and your daughters
to the arms of Jerusalem.
23The kings and queens of those nations
where they were raised will come and bow down.
They will take care of you
just like a slave taking care of a child.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
You won't be disappointed if you trust me.”
The Lord Is on Our Side
24Is it possible to rescue victims
from someone strong and cruel?
25But the Lord has promised to fight on our side
and to rescue our children from those strong
and violent enemies.
26He will make those cruel people dine on their own flesh
and get drunk from drinking their own blood.
Then everyone will know that the Lord is our Savior;
the powerful God of Israel has rescued his people.