1 Listen, islands, to me; and listen, you peoples, from far:
Yahweh has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother
has he made mention of my name: 2 and he has made my mouth
like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand has he hid me: and
he has made me a polished shaft; in his quiver has he kept me
close: 3 and he said to me, "You are my servant; Israel, in
whom I will be glorified." 4 But I said, "I have labored in
vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely
the justice [due] to me is with Yahweh, and my reward with my
God."
5 Now says Yahweh who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered to him
(for I am honorable in the eyes of Yahweh, and my God is become
my strength); 6 yes, he says, "It is too light a thing that
you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to
restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light
to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the
earth."
7 Thus says Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, [and] his Holy One, to
him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a
servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they
shall worship; because of Yahweh who is faithful, [even] the Holy
One of Israel, who has chosen you." 8 Thus says Yahweh, "In an acceptable time have I answered you,
and in a day of salvation have I helped you; and I will preserve
you, and give you for a covenant of the people, to raise up the
land, to make them inherit the desolate heritage: 9 saying
to those who are bound, 'Come out!'; to those who are in
darkness, 'Show yourselves!'
"They shall feed in the ways, and on all bare heights shall be their
pasture. 10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall
the heat nor sun strike them: for he who has mercy on them will
lead them, even by springs of water he will guide them. 11 I
will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be
exalted. 12 Behold, these shall come from far; and behold,
these from the north and from the west; and these from the land
of Sinim."
13 Sing, heavens; and be joyful, earth; and break forth into
singing, mountains: for Yahweh has comforted his people, and will
have compassion on his afflicted. 14 But Zion said, "Yahweh
has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me."
15 "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have
compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, these may forget, yet I
will not forget you! 16 Behold, I have engraved you on the
palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. 17
Your children make haste; your destroyers and those who made you
waste shall go forth from you. 18 Lift up your eyes all
around, and see: all these gather themselves together, and come
to you. As I live," says Yahweh, "you shall surely clothe
yourself with them all as with an ornament, and gird yourself
with them, like a bride.
19 "For, as for your waste and your desolate places, and your land
that has been destroyed, surely now you shall be too small for
the inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up shall be far
away. 20 The children of your bereavement shall yet say in
your ears, The place is too small for me; give place to me that I
may dwell. 21 Then you will say in your heart, 'Who has
conceived these for me, seeing I have been bereaved of my
children, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering back and
forth? Who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these,
where were they?'"
22 Thus says the Lord Yahweh, "Behold, I will lift up my hand to
the nations, and set up my banner to the peoples; and they shall
bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be
carried on their shoulders. 23 Kings shall be your nursing
fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers: they shall bow
down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of
your feet; and you shall know that I am Yahweh; and those who
wait for me shall not be disappointed."
24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives
be delivered?
25 But thus says Yahweh, "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 who contends with you, and I will save
your children. 26 I will feed those who oppress you with
their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood,
as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I, Yahweh, am
your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."