1 L isten to me, O isles and coastlands, and hearken, you peoples from afar. The Lord has called me from the womb; from the body of my mother He has named my name.

¶ Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken, ye peoples, from far, The LORD has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother he has remembered my name.

2 A nd He has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand has He hid me and made me a polished arrow; in His quiver has He kept me close and concealed me.

And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; with the shadow of his hand he has covered me, and made me a clean arrow; in his quiver he has kept me.

3 A nd said to me, You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

And he said unto me, Thou art my slave, O Israel; in thee I will glory.

4 T hen I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in empty futility; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense is with my God.

But I said, I have laboured in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing, and in vain; yet surely my judgment is before the LORD and my recompense with my God.

5 A nd now, says the Lord—Who formed me from the womb to be His servant to bring Jacob back to Him and that Israel might be gathered to Him and not be swept away, for I am honorable in the eyes of the Lord and my God has become my strength—

And now, saith the LORD, he that formed me from the womb to be his slave, so that Jacob might be converted unto him. But if Israel will not be gathered, even so, yet I shall be esteemed in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

6 H e says, It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will also give you for a light to the nations, that My salvation may extend to the end of the earth.

And he said, It is a light thing that thou should be my slave to wake up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the desolations of Israel; I have also given thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou may be my saving health unto the end of the earth.

7 T hus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, Israel’s Holy One, to him whom man rejects and despises, to him whom the nations abhor, to the servant of rulers: Kings shall see you and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, Who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, Who has chosen you.

¶ Thus has the LORD said, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the Gentiles abhor, to the slave of the tyrants, Kings shall see and be raised up as princes and shall worship because of the LORD, for faithful is the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen thee.

8 T hus says the Lord, In an acceptable and favorable time I have heard and answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you; and I will preserve you and give you for a covenant to the people, to raise up and establish the land and to apportion and cause them to inherit the desolate heritages,

Thus has the LORD said, In an acceptable time I have heard thee, and in the day of saving health I have helped thee; and I will preserve thee and give thee for a covenant of people, that thou might awaken the earth, that thou might inherit the desolate heritages;

9 S aying to those who are bound, Come forth, and to those who are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in all the ways, and their pastures shall be on all the bare hills.

that thou may say to the prisoners, Go forth; and unto those that are in darkness, Show yourselves. Upon the ways shall they be fed, and upon all the high places shall be their pastures.

10 T hey will not hunger or thirst, neither will mirage or scorching wind or sun smite them; for He Who has mercy on them will lead them, and by springs of water will He guide them.

They shall never hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that has mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water he shall feed them.

11 A nd I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways will be raised up.

And I will turn all my mountains into a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

12 B ehold, these shall come from afar—and, behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim (China).

Behold, these shall come from far; and, behold, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.

13 S ing for joy, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion upon His afflicted.

¶ Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD has comforted his people and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

14 B ut Zion said, The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.

But Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.

15 C an a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you.

Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Even though they may forget, I will not forget thee.

16 B ehold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

17 Y our children and your builders make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste go forth from you.

Thy builders shall come in haste; thy destroyers and those that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.

18 L ift up your eyes round about and see; all these gather together and come to you. As I live, says the Lord, you shall surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament and bind them on you as a bride does.

¶ Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thyself with them all, as with a garment of honour and shalt be girded by them as a bride.

19 F or your waste and desolate places and your land of destruction surely now will be too narrow to accommodate the population, and those who once swallowed you up will be far away.

For thy waste and thy desolate places and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and those that destroyed thee shall be separated far away.

20 T he children of your bereavement shall yet say in your ears, The place is too narrow for me; make room for me, that I may live.

Even thy sons which were fatherless, shall say in thine ears, The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell.

21 T hen, you will say in your heart, Who has borne me all these children, seeing that I lost my offspring and am alone and barren and unfruitful, an exile put away and wandering hither and thither? And who brought them up? Behold, I was left alone; from where then did all these children come?

Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who has begotten me these, seeing I had lost my children and was desolate, a stranger removed from my land? and who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?

22 T hus says the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up My hand to the Gentile nations and set up My standard and raise high My signal banner to the peoples; and they will bring your sons in the bosom of their garments, and your daughters will be carried upon their shoulders.

Thus has the Lord GOD said, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and raise up my banner as an example to the peoples: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

23 A nd kings shall be your foster fathers and guardians, and their queens your nursing mothers. They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth and lick up the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be put to shame who wait for, look for, hope for, and expect Me.

And kings shall be thy nursing fathers and their princesses thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for those that wait for me shall not be ashamed.

24 S hall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives of the just be delivered?

¶ Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

25 F or thus says the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the prey of the terrible will be delivered; for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will give safety to your children and ease them.

But thus saith the LORD, 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 that contends with thee, and I will save thy sons.

26 A nd I will make those who oppress you consume themselves, thus eating their own flesh; and they will be drunk with their own blood, as with sweet wine; and all flesh will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

And I will feed those that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.