Isaiah 49:1-13

The Servant of the Lord

1 Listen to me, aO coastlands,
and give attention, you peoples bfrom afar.
cThe Lord called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother he named my name.
2 dHe made my mouth like a sharp sword;
ein the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
in his quiver he hid me away.
3And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, fin whom I will be glorified.”
Or  I will display my beauty

4 hBut 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 iAnd now the Lord says,
he jwho formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for kI am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength
6he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
lI will make you mas a light for the nations,
that nmy salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
7 Thus says the Lord,
othe Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
pto one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
qKings 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.”

The Restoration of Israel

8 Thus says the Lord:
r“In a stime of favor I have answered you;
in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I will keep you tand give you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
uto apportion the desolate heritages,
9 vsaying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’
wThey shall feed along the ways;
on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
10 xthey shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,
for he who has pity on them ywill lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
11 zAnd I will make all my mountains a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.
12 aaBehold, these shall come from afar,
and behold, abthese from the north and from the west,
Hebrew  from the sea

and these from the land of Syene.”
Dead Sea Scroll; Masoretic Text Sinim

13 aeSing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord afhas comforted his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted.
Copyright information for ESV