1 “Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, you people, from far; יהוה hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath He made mention of my name.
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.”
3 And He said unto me, ‘You are my servant, O Yisrael, 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 יהוה, and my work with my God (Elohim).’”
5 And now, saith יהוה that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob (Yaaqov) again to Him, “Though Yisrael be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of יהוה, and my God (Elohim) shall be my strength.
6 And He said, ‘It is a light thing that you shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob (Yaaqov), and to restore the preserved of Yisrael; I will also give you for a light to the nations, that you mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth.’”
7 Thus saith יהוה, the Redeemer of Yisrael, 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 יהוה who is faithful, and the Holy One of Yisrael, and He shall choose You.”
8 Thus saith יהוה: “In an acceptable time have I heard You, and in a day of salvation have I helped You; and I will preserve You, and give You for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
9 That You 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.
10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for He who hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them.
11 And I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be exalted.
12 Behold, these shall come from far; and, behold, these 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 יהוה hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted.
14 But Zion (Tsiyon) said, “יהוה hath forsaken me, and my Lord (Adonai) hath 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 you.
16 Behold, I have engraved you upon the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.
17 Your children shall make haste; your destroyers and they that made you waste shall go forth of you.
18 Lift up your eyes round about, and behold; all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live,” saith יהוה, “You shalt surely clothe you with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on you, as a bride doeth.
19 “For your waste and your desolate places, and the land of your destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed you up shall be far away.
20 The children which you shalt have, after you have lost the other, shall say again in your ears, ‘The place is too small for me; give place to me that I may dwell.’
21 Then shalt you say in your 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?’”
22 Thus saith Lord (Adonai) יהוה, “Behold, I will lift up Mine hand to the nations, and set up My standard to the people; and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders;
23 And kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers; they shall bow down to you with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet; and you shalt know that I am יהוה, for they shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.”
24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
25 But thus saith יהוה: “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 you, and I will save your children.
26 And I will feed them that oppress you with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I יהוה am your Savior (Moshia) and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob (Yaaqov).”