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 2protected 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.”7This is what the Lord, the 7Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, Says to the 89despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers: “10Kings will see and arise, Princes will also 11bow down, Because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.”

8This is what the Lord says: “At a 12favorable time I answered You, And on a day of salvation I helped You; And I will 13watch over You and 14make You a covenant of the people, To 1516restore the land, to give as inheritances the deserted hereditary lands;9Saying to those who are 17bound, ‘18Go free,’ To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ They will feed along the roads, And their pasture will be on all 19bare heights.10They will 20not hunger or thirst, Nor will the scorching 21heat or sun strike them down; For 22He who has compassion on them will 23lead them, And He will guide them to 24springs of water.11I will make all 25My mountains a road, And My 26highways will be raised up.12Behold, these will come 27from afar; And behold, these will come from the 28north and from the west, And these from the land of Aswan.”1329Shout for joy, you heavens! And rejoice, you earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, mountains! For the 30Lord has comforted His people And will 31have compassion on His afflicted.

14But 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 32I will not forget you.16Behold, I have 33inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your 34walls are continually before Me.17Your 35builders hurry; Your 36destroyers and devastators Will leave you.1837Raise your eyes and look around; 38All of them gather together, 39they come to you. 40As I live,” declares the Lord, “You will certainly 41put them all on as 42jewelry and bind them on as a bride.19For 43your ruins and deserted places and your destroyed land-- Now you will certainly be 44too cramped for the inhabitants, And those who 45swallowed you will be far away.20The 46children 47you lost 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 48say in your heart, ‘Who has fathered these for me, Since I have been bereaved of my children And 49cannot conceive, and I am an 50exile, and a wanderer? And who has raised these? Behold, I was 51left alone; 5253Where are these from?’”

22This is what the Lord 54God says: “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations And set up My 55flag to the peoples; And they will 56bring your sons 57in their arms, And your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.2358Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will 59bow down to you with their faces to the ground And 60lick the dust from your feet; And you will 61know that I am the Lord; Those who hopefully 62wait for Me will 63not be put to shame.