Isaiah 48:12-50:11
Contemporary English Version
12 (A) Israel, my chosen people,
listen to me.
I alone am the Lord,
the first and the last.
13 With my own hand
I created the earth
and stretched out the sky.
They obey my every command.
The Lord Speaks to the Nations
14 Gather around me, all of you!
Listen to what I say.
Did any of your idols
predict this would happen?
Did they say that my friend[a]
would do what I want done
to Babylonia?[b]
15 I was the one who chose him.
I have brought him this far,
and he will be successful.
16 Come closer and listen!
I have never kept secret
the things I have said,
and I was here
before time began.
It Is Best To Obey the Lord
By the power of his Spirit
the Lord God has sent me
17 with this message:
People of Israel,
I am the holy Lord God,
the one who rescues you.
For your own good,
I teach you, and I lead you
along the right path.
18 How I wish that you
had obeyed my commands!
Your success and good fortune
would then have overflowed
like a flooding river.
19 Your nation would be blessed
with more people
than there are grains of sand
along the seashore.
And I would never have let
your country be destroyed.
20 (B) Now leave Babylon!
Celebrate as you go.
Be happy and shout
for everyone to hear,
“The Lord has rescued
his servant Israel!
21 He led us through the desert
and made water flow from a rock
to satisfy our thirst.
22 (C) But the Lord has promised
that none who are evil
will live in peace.”
The Work of the Lord's Servant
49 (D) Everyone, listen,
even you foreign nations
across the sea.
The Lord chose me
and gave me a name
before I was born.
2 (E) He made my words pierce
like a sharp sword
or a pointed arrow;
he kept me safely hidden
in the palm of his hand.
3 The Lord said to me,
“Israel, you are my servant;
and because of you
I will be highly honored.”
4 I said to myself,
“I'm completely worn out;
my time has been wasted.
But I did it for the Lord God,
and he will reward me.”
5 Even before I was born,
the Lord God chose me
to serve him and to lead back
the people of Israel.
So the Lord has honored me
and made me strong.
6 (F) Now the Lord says to me,
“It isn't enough for you
to be merely my servant.
You must do more than lead back
survivors from the tribes
of Israel.
I have placed you here as a light
for other nations;
you must take my saving power
to everyone on earth.”
The Lord Will Rescue His People
7 Israel, I am the holy Lord God,
the one who rescues you.
You are slaves of rulers
and of a nation
who despises you.[c]
Now this is what I promise:
Kings and rulers will honor you
by kneeling at your feet.
You can trust me! I am your Lord,
the holy God of Israel,
and you are my chosen ones.
The Lord Will Lead His People Home
8 (G) This is what the Lord says:
I will answer your prayers
because I have set a time
when I will help
by coming to save you.
I have chosen you
to take my promise of hope
to other nations.[d]
You will rebuild the country
from its ruins,
then people will come
and settle there.
9 You will set prisoners free
from dark dungeons
to see the light of day.
On their way home,
they will find plenty to eat,
even on barren hills.
10 (H) They won't go hungry
or get thirsty;
they won't be bothered
by the scorching sun
or hot desert winds.
I will be merciful
while leading them along
to streams of water.
11 I will level the mountains
and make roads.
12 Then my people will return
from distant lands
in the north and the west
and from the city of Syene.[e]
The Lord's Mercy
13 Tell the heavens and the earth
to celebrate and sing;
command every mountain
to join in the song.
The Lord's people have suffered,
but he has shown mercy
and given them comfort.
14 The people of Zion said,
“The Lord has turned away
and forgotten us.”
15 The Lord answered,
“Could a mother forget a child
who nurses at her breast?
Could she fail to love an infant
who came from her own body?
Even if a mother could forget,
I will never forget you.
16 A picture of your city
is drawn on my hand.
You are always in my thoughts!
17 “Your city will be built faster
than it was destroyed[f]—
those who attacked it
will retreat and leave.
18 Look around! You will see
your people coming home.
As surely as I live,
I, the Lord, promise
that your city with its people
will be as lovely as a bride
wearing her jewelry.”
Jerusalem's Bright Future
19 Jerusalem is now in ruins!
Nothing is left of the city.
But it will be rebuilt
and soon overcrowded;
its cruel enemies
will be gone far away.
20 Jerusalem is a woman
whose children were born
while she was in deep sorrow[g]
over the loss of her husband.
Now those children
will come and seek room
in the crowded city,
21 and Jerusalem will ask,
“Am I really their mother?
How could I have given birth
when I was still mourning
in a foreign land?
Who raised these children?
Where have they come from?”
22 (I) The Lord God says:
“I will soon give a signal
for the nations
to return your sons
and your daughters
to the arms of Jerusalem.
23 The kings and queens
of those nations
where they were raised
will come and bow down.
They will take care of you
just like a slave
taking care of a child.
Then you will know
that I am the Lord.
You won't be disappointed
if you trust me.”
The Lord Is on Our Side
24 Is it possible to rescue victims
from someone strong
and cruel?[h]
25 But the Lord has promised
to fight on our side
and to rescue our children
from those strong
and violent enemies.
26 He will make those cruel people
dine on their own flesh
and get drunk from drinking
their own blood.
Then everyone will know
that the Lord is our Savior;
the powerful God of Israel
has rescued his people.
The Lord's Power To Punish
50 (J) The Lord says, “Children,
I didn't divorce your mother
or sell you to pay debts;
I divorced her and sold you
because of your sins.
2 I came and called out,
but you didn't answer.
Have I lost my power
to rescue and save?
At my command oceans and rivers
turn into deserts;
fish rot and stink
for lack of water.
3 I make the sky turn dark
like the sackcloth
you wear at funerals.”
God's Servant Must Suffer
4 The Lord God gives me
the right words
to encourage the weary.
Each morning he awakens me
eager to learn his teaching;
5 he made me willing to listen
and not rebel or run away.
6 (K) I let them beat my back
and pull out my beard.
I didn't turn aside
when they insulted me
and spit in my face.
7 But the Lord God keeps me
from being disgraced.
So I refuse to give up,
because I know
God will never let me down.
8 (L) My protector is nearby;
no one can stand here
to accuse me of wrong.
9 The Lord God will help me
and prove I am innocent.
My accusers will wear out
like moth-eaten clothes.
10 None of you respect the Lord
or obey his servant.
You walk in the dark
instead of the light;
you don't trust the name
of the Lord your God.[i]
11 Go ahead and walk in the light
of the fires you have set.[j]
But with his own hand,
the Lord will punish you
and make you suffer.
Footnotes
- 48.14 my friend: Probably Cyrus (see 44.28; 45.1).
- 48.14 Babylonia: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 14.
- 49.7 You … you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 49.8 my … nations: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 49.12 Syene: The Dead Sea Scrolls; the Standard Hebrew Text “Sinim.” This city was located at the first cataract of the Nile near the site of modern-day Aswan.
- 49.17 Your city … destroyed: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 49.20 whose children … sorrow: These “children” are Jews who were born in foreign countries during the time that Jerusalem was in ruins. Jerusalem probably stands for all the cities in Judah that were destroyed by the Babylonians.
- 49.24 cruel: The Dead Sea Scrolls and two ancient translations; the Standard Hebrew Text “good.”
- 50.10 God: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
- 50.11 Go … set: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Isaiah 48:12-50:11
New International Version
Israel Freed
12 “Listen(A) to me, Jacob,
Israel, whom I have called:(B)
I am he;(C)
I am the first and I am the last.(D)
13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,(E)
and my right hand spread out the heavens;(F)
when I summon them,
they all stand up together.(G)
14 “Come together,(H) all of you, and listen:
Which of the idols has foretold(I) these things?
The Lord’s chosen ally(J)
will carry out his purpose(K) against Babylon;(L)
his arm will be against the Babylonians.[a]
15 I, even I, have spoken;
yes, I have called(M) him.
I will bring him,
and he will succeed(N) in his mission.
16 “Come near(O) me and listen(P) to this:
“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;(Q)
at the time it happens, I am there.”
17 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer,(U) the Holy One(V) of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches(W) you what is best for you,
who directs(X) you in the way(Y) you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention(Z) to my commands,
your peace(AA) would have been like a river,(AB)
your well-being(AC) like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants(AD) would have been like the sand,(AE)
your children like its numberless grains;(AF)
their name would never be blotted out(AG)
nor destroyed from before me.”
20 Leave Babylon,
flee(AH) from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy(AI)
and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth;(AJ)
say, “The Lord has redeemed(AK) his servant Jacob.”
21 They did not thirst(AL) when he led them through the deserts;
he made water flow(AM) for them from the rock;
he split the rock
and water gushed out.(AN)
The Servant of the Lord
49 Listen(AQ) to me, you islands;(AR)
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born(AS) the Lord called(AT) me;
from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.(AU)
2 He made my mouth(AV) like a sharpened sword,(AW)
in the shadow of his hand(AX) he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow(AY)
and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,(AZ)
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.(BA)”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;(BB)
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,(BC)
and my reward(BD) is with my God.”(BE)
5 And now the Lord says—
he who formed me in the womb(BF) to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel(BG) to himself,
for I am[b] honored(BH) in the eyes of the Lord
and my God has been my strength(BI)—
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant(BJ)
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.(BK)
I will also make you a light(BL) for the Gentiles,(BM)
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”(BN)
7 This is what the Lord says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel(BO)—
to him who was despised(BP) and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings(BQ) will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,(BR)
because of the Lord, who is faithful,(BS)
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen(BT) you.”
Restoration of Israel
8 This is what the Lord says:
“In the time of my favor(BU) I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you;(BV)
I will keep(BW) you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people,(BX)
to restore the land(BY)
and to reassign its desolate inheritances,(BZ)
9 to say to the captives,(CA) ‘Come out,’
and to those in darkness,(CB) ‘Be free!’
“They will feed beside the roads
and find pasture on every barren hill.(CC)
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst,(CD)
nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.(CE)
He who has compassion(CF) on them will guide(CG) them
and lead them beside springs(CH) of water.
11 I will turn all my mountains into roads,
and my highways(CI) will be raised up.(CJ)
12 See, they will come from afar(CK)—
some from the north, some from the west,(CL)
some from the region of Aswan.[c]”
13 Shout for joy,(CM) you heavens;
rejoice, you earth;(CN)
burst into song, you mountains!(CO)
For the Lord comforts(CP) his people
and will have compassion(CQ) on his afflicted ones.(CR)
15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child(CU) she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!(CV)
16 See, I have engraved(CW) you on the palms of my hands;
your walls(CX) are ever before me.
17 Your children hasten back,
and those who laid you waste(CY) depart from you.
18 Lift up your eyes and look around;
all your children gather(CZ) and come to you.
As surely as I live,(DA)” declares the Lord,
“you will wear(DB) them all as ornaments;
you will put them on, like a bride.
19 “Though you were ruined and made desolate(DC)
and your land laid waste,(DD)
now you will be too small for your people,(DE)
and those who devoured(DF) you will be far away.
20 The children born during your bereavement
will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
give us more space to live in.’(DG)
21 Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who bore me these?(DH)
I was bereaved(DI) and barren;
I was exiled and rejected.(DJ)
Who brought these(DK) up?
I was left(DL) all alone,(DM)
but these—where have they come from?’”
22 This is what the Sovereign Lord(DN) says:
“See, I will beckon to the nations,
I will lift up my banner(DO) to the peoples;
they will bring(DP) your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their hips.(DQ)
23 Kings(DR) will be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.(DS)
They will bow down(DT) before you with their faces to the ground;
they will lick the dust(DU) at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;(DV)
those who hope(DW) in me will not be disappointed.(DX)”
25 But this is what the Lord says:
“Yes, captives(DZ) will be taken from warriors,(EA)
and plunder retrieved from the fierce;(EB)
I will contend with those who contend with you,(EC)
and your children I will save.(ED)
26 I will make your oppressors(EE) eat(EF) their own flesh;
they will be drunk on their own blood,(EG) as with wine.
Then all mankind will know(EH)
that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(EI)
your Redeemer,(EJ) the Mighty One of Jacob.(EK)”
Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience
50 This is what the Lord says:
“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce(EL)
with which I sent her away?
Or to which of my creditors
did I sell(EM) you?
Because of your sins(EN) you were sold;(EO)
because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.
2 When I came, why was there no one?
When I called, why was there no one to answer?(EP)
Was my arm too short(EQ) to deliver you?
Do I lack the strength(ER) to rescue you?
By a mere rebuke(ES) I dry up the sea,(ET)
I turn rivers into a desert;(EU)
their fish rot for lack of water
and die of thirst.
3 I clothe the heavens with darkness(EV)
and make sackcloth(EW) its covering.”
4 The Sovereign Lord(EX) has given me a well-instructed tongue,(EY)
to know the word that sustains the weary.(EZ)
He wakens me morning by morning,(FA)
wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.(FB)
5 The Sovereign Lord(FC) has opened my ears;(FD)
I have not been rebellious,(FE)
I have not turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat(FF) me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;(FG)
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.(FH)
7 Because the Sovereign Lord(FI) helps(FJ) me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,(FK)
and I know I will not be put to shame.(FL)
8 He who vindicates(FM) me is near.(FN)
Who then will bring charges against me?(FO)
Let us face each other!(FP)
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign Lord(FQ) who helps(FR) me.
Who will condemn(FS) me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths(FT) will eat them up.
10 Who among you fears(FU) the Lord
and obeys(FV) the word of his servant?(FW)
Let the one who walks in the dark,
who has no light,(FX)
trust(FY) in the name of the Lord
and rely on their God.
11 But now, all you who light fires
and provide yourselves with flaming torches,(FZ)
go, walk in the light of your fires(GA)
and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:(GB)
You will lie down in torment.(GC)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 48:14 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 20
- Isaiah 49:5 Or him, / but Israel would not be gathered; / yet I will be
- Isaiah 49:12 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text Sinim
- Isaiah 49:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint and verse 25); Masoretic Text righteous
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