Isa 49:14-21 | NASB1995 | STEP | But Zion said , “The Lord has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me.”

Isaiah 49:14-21

Promise to Zion

14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
And the Lord has forgotten me.”
15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child
And have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, but ^aI will not forget you.
16 “Behold, I have ^binscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your ^cwalls are continually before Me.
17 “Your ^{▼▼ So ancient versions and DSS; M.T. reads sons}builders hurry;
Your ^edestroyers and devastators
Will depart from you.
18 ^f“Lift up your eyes and look around;
^gAll of them gather together, ^hthey come to you.
ⁱAs I live,” declares the Lord,
“You will surely ^jput on all of them as ^{▼▼ Lit an ornament}jewels and bind them on as a bride.
19 “For ^lyour waste and desolate places and your destroyed land—
Surely now you will be ^mtoo cramped for the inhabitants,
And those who ⁿswallowed you will be far away.
20 “The ^ochildren of ^{▼▼ Lit your bereavement}whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears,
‘The place is too cramped for me;
Make room for me that I may live here.’
21 “Then you will ^qsay in your heart,
‘Who has begotten these for me,
Since I have been bereaved of my children
And am ^rbarren, an ^sexile and a wanderer?
And who has reared these?
Behold, I was ^tleft alone;
^{▼▼ Lit These, where are they?
,} ^vFrom where did these come?’”