This is what the Lord says:
“At a (A)favorable time I answered You,
And on a day of salvation I helped You;
And I will (B)watch over You and (C)make You a covenant of the people,
To [a](D)restore the land, to give as inheritances the deserted hereditary lands;
Saying to those who are (E)bound, ‘[b]Go free,’
To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
They will feed along the roads,
And their pasture will be on all (F)bare heights.
10 They will (G)not hunger or thirst,
Nor will the scorching (H)heat or sun strike them down;
For (I)He who has compassion on them will (J)lead them,
And He will guide them to (K)springs of water.
11 I will make all (L)My mountains a road,
And My (M)highways will be raised up.
12 Behold, these will come (N)from afar;
And behold, these will come from the (O)north and from the west,
And these from the land of Aswan.”
13 (P)Shout for joy, you heavens! And rejoice, you earth!
Break forth into joyful shouting, mountains!
For the (Q)Lord has comforted His people
And will (R)have compassion on His afflicted.

Promise to Zion

14 But Zion said, “The Lord has abandoned 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 (S)I will not forget you.
16 Behold, I have (T)inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your (U)walls are continually before Me.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:8 Lit establish
  2. Isaiah 49:9 Lit Go out

Restoration of Israel

This is what the Lord says:

“In the time of my favor(A) I will answer you,
    and in the day of salvation I will help you;(B)
I will keep(C) you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people,(D)
to restore the land(E)
    and to reassign its desolate inheritances,(F)
to say to the captives,(G) ‘Come out,’
    and to those in darkness,(H) ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads
    and find pasture on every barren hill.(I)
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst,(J)
    nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.(K)
He who has compassion(L) on them will guide(M) them
    and lead them beside springs(N) of water.
11 I will turn all my mountains into roads,
    and my highways(O) will be raised up.(P)
12 See, they will come from afar(Q)
    some from the north, some from the west,(R)
    some from the region of Aswan.[a]

13 Shout for joy,(S) you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;(T)
    burst into song, you mountains!(U)
For the Lord comforts(V) his people
    and will have compassion(W) on his afflicted ones.(X)

14 But Zion(Y) said, “The Lord has forsaken(Z) me,
    the Lord has forgotten me.”

15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child(AA) she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!(AB)
16 See, I have engraved(AC) you on the palms of my hands;
    your walls(AD) are ever before me.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:12 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text Sinim