Isaiah 49

The Servant of the LORD declares that the LORD called Him from the womb and made His mouth like a sharp sword. The LORD says it is too small a thing for the Servant to restore only Israel -- He will also be a light to the nations. Kings shall see and arise, and princes shall worship. Zion says the LORD has forsaken her, but the LORD answers that He has engraved her on the palms of His hands.

v	King James Version	Modern English
1	Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.	Listen to Me, O coastlands; pay attention, You peoples from far away. The LORD called Me from the womb; He named Me from my mother's body.
2	And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;	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 concealed Me.
3	And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.	He said to Me, "You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
4	Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.	But I said, "I have labored in vain. I have spent My strength for nothing and emptiness. Yet surely My right is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God."
5	And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.	And now the LORD says — He who formed Me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to him, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and My God has become My strength —
6	And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.	He says: "It is too small a thing for you to be My servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
7	Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.	Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel — His Holy One — to One deeply despised, rejected by the nation, the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and stand up; princes, and they shall bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You."
8	Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;	Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I have answered You, and in a day of salvation I have helped You. I will keep You and make You a covenant to the people, to restore the land and to apportion the desolate inheritances,
9	That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.	saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Come into the light.' They shall feed along the paths, and their pasture shall be on all the bare heights.
10	They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.	They shall not hunger or thirst; neither scorching heat nor sun shall strike them. For He who has mercy on them will lead them, and by springs of water He will guide them.
11	And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.	I will make all My mountains into roads, and My highways shall be raised up.
12	Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.	See, these shall come from far away — from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim.
13	Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.	Sing for joy, O heavens; shout, O earth. Break out into song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people and will have mercy on His afflicted.
14	But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.	But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me."
15	Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.	Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget You.
16	Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.	See, I have engraved You on the palms of My hands. Your walls are always before Me.
17	Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.	Your children hasten back. Those who destroyed You and laid You waste shall depart from You.
18	Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.	Lift up Your eyes and look around — all of them gather and come to You. As I live, declares the LORD, You shall wear them all as an ornament; You shall put them on like a bride.
19	For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.	Your waste and desolate places — your ruined land — will surely now be too small for Your inhabitants, while those who swallowed You up are far away.
20	The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.	The children born during Your time of bereavement will yet say in Your hearing, "The place is too cramped for me; make room for me to live."
21	Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?	Then You will say in Your heart, "Who bore me these? I had lost my children; I was barren, exiled and put away. Who then raised these? I was left alone — where did these come from?"
22	Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.	Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will lift up My hand to the nations and set up My ensign to the peoples. They shall bring Your sons in their arms, and Your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.
23	And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.	Kings shall be Your foster fathers, and their queens Your nursing mothers. They shall bow down to You with their faces to the ground and lick the dust of Your feet. Then You will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for Me shall not be put to shame."
24	Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, and the lawful captive delivered?	Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, or can the lawful captive be rescued?
25	But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.	But thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of a mighty man shall be taken away, and the prey of a tyrant shall be rescued. I will contend with those who contend with You, and I will save Your children.
26	And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.	I will make Your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with new wine. Then all people will know that I am the LORD Your Savior, Your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."