Isaiah 49:9-26

9Saying to those who are 1bound, ‘Go forth,’ To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ Along the roads they will feed, And their pasture will be on all 2bare heights.10They will 3not hunger or thirst, Nor will the scorching 4heat or sun strike them down; For 5He who has compassion on them will 6lead them And will guide them to 7springs of water.11I will make all 8My mountains a road, And My 9highways will be raised up.12Behold, these will come 10from afar; And lo, these will come from the 11north and from the west, And these from the land of Sinim.”1312Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the 13Lord has comforted His people And will 14have 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 15I will not forget you.16Behold, I have 16inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your 17walls are continually before Me.17Your 18builders hurry; Your 19destroyers and devastators Will depart from you.1820Lift up your eyes and look around; 21All of them gather together, 22they come to you. 23As I live,” declares the Lord, “You will surely 24put on all of them as 25jewels and bind them on as a bride.19For 26your waste and desolate places and your destroyed land-- Surely now you will be 27too cramped for the inhabitants, And those who 28swallowed you will be far away.20The 29children of 30whom 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 31say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten these for me, Since I have been bereaved of my children And am 32barren, an 33exile and a wanderer? And who has reared these? Behold, I was 34left alone; 3536From where did these come?’”

22Thus says the Lord 37God, “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations And set up My 38standard to the peoples; And they will 39bring your sons in their bosom, And your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.2340Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will 41bow down to you with their faces to the earth And 42lick the dust of your feet; And you will 43know that I am the Lord; Those who hopefully 44wait for Me will 45not be put to shame.

24“46Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, Or the captives of 47a tyrant be rescued?” 25Surely, thus says the Lord, “Even the 48captives of the mighty man will be taken away, And the prey of the tyrant will be rescued; For I will contend with the one who contends with you, And I will 49save your sons.26I will feed your 50oppressors with their 51own flesh, And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And 52all flesh will know that I, the Lord, am your 53Savior And your 54Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”