1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lordhath calledme from the womb; from the bowelsof my motherhath he made mentionof my name.2 And he hath mademy mouthlike a sharpsword; in the shadowof his handhath he hidme, and mademe a polishedshaft; in his quiverhath he hid me;3 And said unto me, Thou artmy servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.4 Then I said, I have labouredin vain, I have spentmy strengthfor nought, and in vain: yetsurelymy judgmentiswith the Lord, and my workwith my God.nmy work: or, my reward
5 And now, saiththe Lordthat formedme from the wombto behis servant, to bringJacobagainto him, Though Israelbe not gathered, yet shall I be gloriousin the eyesof the Lord, and my Godshall be my strength.nThough…: or, That Israel may be gathered to him, and I may, etc6 And he said, It is a light thingthat thou shouldest be my servantto raise upthe tribesof Jacob, and to restorethe preservedof Israel: I will also givethee for a lightto the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvationunto the endof the earth.nIt is…: or, Art thou lighter than that thou shouldest, etcnpreserved: or, desolations7 Thus saiththe Lord, the Redeemerof Israel, andhis Holy One, to him whom mandespiseth, to him whom the nationabhorreth, to a servantof rulers, Kingsshall seeand arise, princesalso shall worship, because of the Lordthat is faithful, andthe Holy Oneof Israel, and he shall choose thee.nwhom man…: or, that is despised in soul8 Thus saiththe Lord, In an acceptabletimehave I heardthee, and in a dayof salvationhave I helpedthee: and I will preservethee, and givethee for a covenantof the people, to establishthe earth, to cause to inheritthe desolateheritages;nestablish: or, raise up9 That thou mayest sayto the prisoners, Go forth; to them that arein darkness, Shewyourselves. They shall feedin the ways, and their pasturesshall bein all high places.10 They shall not hungernor thirst; neither shall the heatnor sunsmitethem: for he that hath mercyon them shall leadthem, even by the springsof watershall he guide them.11 And I will makeall my mountainsa way, and my highwaysshall be exalted.12 Behold, these shall comefrom far: and, lo, these from the northand from the west; and these from the landof Sinim.
13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forthinto singing, O mountains: for the Lordhath comfortedhis people, and will have mercyupon his afflicted.14 But Zionsaid, The Lordhath forsakenme, and my Lordhath forgotten me.15 Can a womanforgether sucking child, that she should not have compassionon the sonof her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.nthat…: Heb. from having compassion16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of myhands; thy wallsarecontinually before me.17 Thy childrenshall make haste; thy destroyersand they that made thee wasteshall go forth of thee.
18 Lift upthine eyesround about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, andcome to thee. AsI live, saiththe Lord, thou shalt surely clothethee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bridedoeth.19 For thy wasteand thy desolate places, and the landof thy destruction, shall even now be too narrowby reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee upshall be far away.20 The childrenwhich thou shalt have, after thou hast lostthe other, shall sayagain in thine ears, The placeistoo straitfor me: giveplaceto me that I may dwell.21 Then shalt thou sayin thine heart, Who hath begottenme these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought upthese? Behold, I was leftalone; these, wherehad they been?22 Thus saiththe LordGod, Behold, I will lift upmine handto the Gentiles, and set upmy standardto the people: and they shall bringthy sons in theirarms, and thy daughtersshall be carried upon theirshoulders.narms: Heb. bosom23 And kingsshall be thy nursing fathers, and their queensthy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with theirfacetoward the earth, and lick upthe dustof thy feet; and thou shalt know that I amthe Lord: for they shall not be ashamedthat wait for me.nnursing fathers: Heb. nourishersnqueens: Heb. princesses
24 Shall the preybe takenfrom the mighty, or the lawfulcaptivedelivered?nlawful…: Heb. captivity of the just25 But thus saiththe Lord, Even the captivesof the mightyshall be taken away, and the preyof the terribleshall be delivered: for I will contendwith him that contendethwith thee, and I will savethy children.ncaptives: Heb. captivity26 And I will feedthem that oppressthee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunkenwith their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all fleshshall knowthat I the Lordamthy Saviourand thy Redeemer, the mighty Oneof Jacob.nsweet: or, new