Isaiah 49:6-23

6He says, “It is too 1small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the 2preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a 3light 4of the nations So that My salvation may 5reach to the 6end of the earth.”7Thus says the Lord, the 7Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, To the 8despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers, “9Kings will see and arise, Princes will also 10bow down, Because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.”

8Thus says the Lord, “In a 11favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will 12keep You and 13give You for a covenant of the people, To 1415restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages;9Saying to those who are 16bound, ‘Go forth,’ To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ Along the roads they will feed, And their pasture will be on all 17bare heights.10They will 18not hunger or thirst, Nor will the scorching 19heat or sun strike them down; For 20He who has compassion on them will 21lead them And will guide them to 22springs of water.11I will make all 23My mountains a road, And My 24highways will be raised up.12Behold, these will come 25from afar; And lo, these will come from the 26north and from the west, And these from the land of Sinim.”1327Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the 28Lord has comforted His people And will 29have compassion on His afflicted.

14But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken 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 30I will not forget you.16Behold, I have 31inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your 32walls are continually before Me.17Your 33builders hurry; Your 34destroyers and devastators Will depart from you.1835Lift up your eyes and look around; 36All of them gather together, 37they come to you. 38As I live,” declares the Lord, “You will surely 39put on all of them as 40jewels and bind them on as a bride.19For 41your waste and desolate places and your destroyed land-- Surely now you will be 42too cramped for the inhabitants, And those who 43swallowed you will be far away.20The 44children of 45whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears, ‘The place is too cramped for me; Make room for me that I may live here.’21Then you will 46say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten these for me, Since I have been bereaved of my children And am 47barren, an 48exile and a wanderer? And who has reared these? Behold, I was 49left alone; 5051From where did these come?’”

22Thus says the Lord 52God, “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations And set up My 53standard to the peoples; And they will 54bring your sons in their bosom, And your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.2355Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will 56bow down to you with their faces to the earth And 57lick the dust of your feet; And you will 58know that I am the Lord; Those who hopefully 59wait for Me will 60not be put to shame.