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          DASV: Isaiah 49    

1 Listen to me, O coastlands,
     and pay attention, O distant nations;
      the LORD has called me from the womb;
     from the belly of my mother he has mentioned my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
          he hid me in the shadow of his hand.
      He made me a polished arrow;
          he has tucked me away in his quiver.
3 He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel,
     through whom I will be glorified."
4 But I said, "I have labored in vain;
     I have spent my strength for nothing, only futility.
     yet surely the justice due me is with the LORD,
          and my reward is with my God."

5 And now the LORD speaks
     who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
     to bring Jacob back to him,
     that Israel might be regathered to him
     for I will be honored in the eyes of the LORD,
     my God is my strength.
6 He said, "It is too insignificant that you should be my servant
     to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
           and to restore the survivors of Israel.
      I will also make you a light to the nations,
     that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."
7 This is what the LORD says,
     the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
      to one who is despised,
     to one whom the nations abhor,
           to one who is a servant of rulers:
      "Kings will see and rise up in respect.
     Princes will bow down
      because of the LORD, who is faithful,
     the Holy One of Israel,
           has chosen you."

8 This is what the LORD says,
     "In the time of my favor, I answered you;
     and in a day of salvation, I helped you.
     I will protect you,
     I will give you as a covenant for the people,
           to restore the land,
           to reestablish their desolate inheritances.
9 I will say to the prisoners,
     'You're free;'
      to those hidden in the darkness,
          'Show yourselves.'
     They will feed along the road ways,
          and all bare heights will be their pasture.
10 They will not hunger or thirst,
     neither will the heat or sun strike them down;
      for he who has mercy on them will lead them;
     he will lead them beside springs of water.
11 I will make all my mountains into roads,
     and my highways will be raised up.
12 Look, these will come from far away.
     Look, these come from the north
           and from the west;
           these from the southern land of Syene."
13 Sing, O heavens,
          and be joyful, O earth.
      Break out into singing, O mountains;
          for the LORD has comforted his people,
          and will have compassion upon his afflicted.

14 But Zion said,
     "The LORD has forsaken me,
           the Lord has forgotten me.
15 Can a woman forget her nursing child?
      Will she have no compassion on the son of her womb?
      Even if these might forget,
      I could never forget you.
16 Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;
     your walls are continually before me.
17 Your children hurry to return;
     those who destroyed and laid you waste
           will leave you.
18 Lift up your eyes and look around;
     all these gather themselves together
           and come home to you.
     "As I live," says the LORD,
     "you will surely wear all of them
           like jewelry,
      and adorn yourself with them,
           like a bride.

19 For though your waste and your desolate places,
     and your land has been destroyed,
      but now you will be too crowded for your inhabitants,
     and they who swallowed you up will be far away.
20 The children of your bereavement will yet say in your ears,
     'This place is too cramped for me;
           give me more room where I can live.'
21 Then you will say in your heart,
          'Who has given birth to all these for me?
      For I have been bereaved of my children and barren,
           exiled and divorced,
          so who has reared these children?
      Look, I was left all alone,
           so where did these come from?'"

22 This is what the sovereign LORD says,
     "Look, I will raise up my hand to signal the nations,
           and set up my signal flag to the peoples.
      They will bring your sons in their arms,
          and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.
23 Kings will be your foster fathers,
          and their queens your nursing mothers.
      They will bow their faces to the ground before you,
          and lick the dust of your feet.
      You will know that I am the LORD,
          and they who expectantly wait for me
           will not be put to shame."
24 Can plunder be taken away from a warrior,
          or captives be rescued from a tyrant?

25 But this is what the LORD says,
     "Even the captives will be taken away from the mighty,
          and the plunder of the tyrant will be rescued.
      I will attack those who attack you,
          and I will save your children.
26 I will force those who oppress you to eat their own flesh;
     they will get drunk with their own blood,
           as with wine.
      Then everyone will know that I am the LORD,
          your Savior and your Redeemer,
           the Mighty One of Jacob."

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