Isaiah 49 - New Century Version (NCV)

God Calls His Special Servant

49 All of you people in faraway places, listen to me.
Listen, all you nations far away.
Before I was born, the Lord called me to serve him.
The Lord named me while I was still in my mother’s womb.
2 He made my tongue like a sharp sword.
He hid me in the shadow of his hand.
He made me like a sharp arrow.
He hid me in the holder for his arrows.
3 He told me, “Israel, you are my servant.
I will show my glory through you.”
4 But I said, “I have worked hard for nothing;
I have used all my power, but I did nothing useful.
But the Lord will decide what my work is worth;
God will decide my reward.”
5 The Lord made me in the body of my mother
to be his servant,
to lead the people of Jacob back to him
so that Israel might be gathered to him.
The Lord will honor me,
and I will get my strength from my God.
6 Now he told me,
“You are an important servant to me
to bring back the tribes of Jacob,
to bring back the people of Israel who are left alive.
But, more importantly, I will make you a light for all nations
to show people all over the world the way to be saved.”

7 The Lord who saves you
is the Holy One of Israel.
He speaks to the one who is hated by the people,
to the servant of rulers.
This is what he says: “Kings will see you and stand to honor you;
great leaders will bow down before you,
because the Lord can be trusted.
He is the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

The Day of Salvation

8 This is what the Lord says:
“At the right time I will hear your prayers.
On the day of salvation I will help you.
I will protect you,
and you will be the sign of my agreement with the people.
You will bring back the people to the land
and give the land that is now ruined back to its owners.
9 You will tell the prisoners, ‘Come out of your prison.’
You will tell those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’
The people will eat beside the roads,
and they will find food even on bare hills.
10 They will not be hungry or thirsty.
Neither the hot sun nor the desert wind will hurt them.
The God who comforts them will lead them
and guide them by springs of water.
11 I will make my mountains into roads,
and the roads will be raised up.
12 Look, people are coming to me from far away,
from the north and from the west,
from Aswan in southern Egypt.”

13 Heavens and earth, be happy.
Mountains, shout with joy,
because the Lord comforts his people
and will have pity on those who suffer.

Jerusalem and Her Children

14 But Jerusalem said, “The Lord has left me;
the Lord has forgotten me.”

15 The Lord answers, “Can a woman forget the baby she nurses?
Can she feel no kindness for the child to which she gave birth?
Even if she could forget her children,
I will not forget you.
16 See, I have written your name on my hand.
Jerusalem, I always think about your walls.
17 Your children will soon return to you,
and the people who defeated you and destroyed you will leave.
18 Look up and look around you.
All your children are gathering to return to you.”
The Lord says, “As surely as I live,
your children will be like jewels
that a bride wears proudly.

19 “You were destroyed and defeated,
and your land was made useless.
But now you will have more people than the land can hold,
and those people who destroyed you will be far away.
20 Children were born to you while you were sad,
but they will say to you,
‘This place is too small for us.
Give us a bigger place to live.’
21 Then you will say to yourself,
‘Who gave me all these children?
I was sad and lonely,
defeated and separated from my people.
So who reared these children?
I was left all alone.
Where did all these children come from?’”

22 This is what the Lord God says:
“See, I will lift my hand to signal the nations;
I will raise my banner for all the people to see.
Then they will bring your sons back to you in their arms,
and they will carry your daughters on their shoulders.
23 Kings will teach your children,
and daughters of kings will take care of them.
They will bow down before you
and kiss the dirt at your feet.
Then you will know I am the Lord.
Anyone who trusts in me will not be disappointed.”

24 Can the wealth a soldier wins in war be taken away from him?
Can a prisoner be freed from a powerful soldier?
25 This is what the Lord says:
“The prisoners will be taken from the strong soldiers.
What the soldiers have taken will be saved.
I will fight your enemies,
and I will save your children.
26 I will force those who trouble you to eat their own flesh.
Their own blood will be the wine that makes them drunk.
Then everyone will know
I, the Lord, am the One who saves you;
I am the Powerful One of Jacob who saves you.”

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49 Hearken, O isles, unto me, And attend, O peoples, from afar, Jehovah from the womb hath called me, From the bowels of my mother He hath made mention of my name. 2 And he maketh my mouth as a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He hath hid me, And He maketh me for a clear arrow, In His quiver H...
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49 Isles, hear ye, and peoples afar, perceive ye; the Lord called me from the womb, he thought on my name from the womb of my mother. (Islands, hear ye, and peoples afar off, understand ye; the Lord called me from the womb, he thought about me from my mother’s womb.) 2 And he hath set my mouth as a ...
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Isaiah 49 - World English Bible (WEB)

49 Listen, islands, to me. Listen, you peoples, from afar:Yahweh has called me from the womb; from the inside of my mother, he has mentioned my name.2 He has made my mouth like a sharp sword. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand.He has made me a polished shaft. He has kept me close in his quiv...
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Isaiah 49 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Second Servant Song: Light of the Nations49 Listen, to Me, islands!Pay attention, peoples far away.Adonai called Me from the womb,from My mother’s belly He named Me.2 He made My mouth like a sharp sword.In the shadow of His hand He hid Me.He made Me a polished arrow,He has hidden Me in His quiver.3 ...
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Isaiah 49 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Servant’s Mission49 Listen to me, O coastlands,and hearken, you peoples from afar.The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me;he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away.3 A...
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Isaiah 49 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

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Isaiah 49 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

The Servant’s Mission49 Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away!The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me;he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid ...
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Isaiah 49 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Servant’s Mission49 Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away!The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me;he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid ...
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Isaiah 49 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Lord’s Servant Commissioned49 Listen to me, all you in distant lands! Pay attention, you who are far away!The Lord called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name.2 He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. I am like a shar...
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Isaiah 49 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Servant of the Lord49 Listen to Me, O islands. Listen, you people from far away. The Lord called Me before I was born. From the body of My mother he said My name. 2 He has made My mouth like a sharp sword. He has hidden Me in the shadow of His hand. He has made Me a shining arrow, keeping Me in...
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The Servant, the Light to the Gentiles49 “Listen, (A)O coastlands, to Me,And take heed, you peoples from afar!(B)The Lord has called Me from the womb;From the [a]matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.2 And He has made (C)My mouth like a sharp sword;(D)In the shadow of His hand He has hi...
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Isaiah 49 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The servant of the Lord49 Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations:before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me;he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in hi...
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Isaiah 49 - New International Version (NIV)

The Servant of the Lord49 Listen(A) to me, you islands;(B) hear this, you distant nations:Before I was born(C) the Lord called(D) me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.(E)2 He made my mouth(F) like a sharpened sword,(G) in the shadow of his hand(H) he hid me;he made me into a polished arro...
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Isaiah 49 - New English Translation (NET)

Delivery of the Exiles49 Listen to me, you coastlands![a]Pay attention, you people who live far away!The Lord summoned me from birth;[b]he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world.[c]2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,he hid me in the hollow of his hand;he made me like a sharpened...
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