20 (A)The children you will have,
(B)After you have lost the others,
Will say again in your ears,
‘The place is too small for me;
Give me a place where I may dwell.’
21 Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who has begotten these for me,
Since I have lost my children and am desolate,
A captive, and wandering to and fro?
And who has brought these up?
There I was, left alone;
But these, where were they?’ ”

22 (C)Thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations,
And set up My [a]standard for the peoples;
They shall bring your sons in their [b]arms,
And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders;

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:22 banner
  2. Isaiah 49:22 Lit. bosom

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.’(A)
21 Then you will say in your heart,
    ‘Who bore me these?(B)
I was bereaved(C) and barren;
    I was exiled and rejected.(D)
    Who brought these(E) up?
I was left(F) all alone,(G)
    but these—where have they come from?’”

22 This is what the Sovereign Lord(H) says:

“See, I will beckon to the nations,
    I will lift up my banner(I) to the peoples;
they will bring(J) your sons in their arms
    and carry your daughters on their hips.(K)

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