[1] Listen to me, O coastlands, and hearken, you peoples from afar. The
LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.
[2] He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid
me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. [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 my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my
God." [5] And now the LORD says, who formed me from the womb to be his
servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to
him, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my
strength-- [6] 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 give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may
reach to the end of the earth." [7] Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of
Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall
prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of
Israel, who has chosen you." [8] Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I
have answered you, in a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you
and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to
apportion the desolate heritages; [9] saying to the prisoners, `Come
forth,' to those who are in darkness, `Appear.' They shall feed along the
ways, on all bare heights shall be their pasture; [10] they shall not
hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall smite them, for he
who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide
them. [11] And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be
raised up. [12] Lo, these shall come from afar, and lo, these from the
north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene." [13] Sing for
joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the LORD has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his
afflicted. [14] But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, my Lord has
forgotten me." [15] "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should
have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I
will not forget you. [16] Behold, I have graven you on the palms of my
hands; your walls are continually before me. [17] Your builders outstrip
your destroyers, and those who laid you waste go forth from you. [18] Lift
up your eyes round about and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I
live, says the LORD, you shall put them all on as an ornament, you shall
bind them on as a bride does. [19] "Surely your waste and your desolate
places and your devastated land-- surely now you will be too narrow for
your inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away. [20] The
children born in the time of your bereavement will yet say in your ears:
`The place is too narrow for me; make room for me to dwell in.' [21] Then
you will say in your heart: `Who has borne me these? I was bereaved and
barren, exiled and put away, but who has brought up these? Behold, I was
left alone; whence then have these come?'" [22] Thus says the Lord GOD:
"Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal 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 foster
fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the
ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you
will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for me shall not be put to
shame." [24] Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a
tyrant be rescued? [25] Surely, thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of
the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I
will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your
children. [26] I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they
shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know
that I am the LORD your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of
Jacob."