Isaiah 49:1-7

New International Version

The Servant of the Lord

49 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)
²He 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 arrow^(I)
    and concealed me in his quiver.
³He said to me, “You are my servant,^(J)
    Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.^(K)”
⁴But I said, “I have labored in vain;^(L)
    I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,^(M)
    and my reward^(N) is with my God.”^(O)

⁵And now the Lord says—
    he who formed me in the womb^(P) to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
    and gather Israel^(Q) to himself,
for I am^[a] honored^(R) in the eyes of the Lord
    and my God has been my strength^(S)—
⁶he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant^(T)
    to restore the tribes of Jacob
    and bring back those of Israel I have kept.^(U)
I will also make you a light^(V) for the Gentiles,^(W)
    that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”^(X)

⁷This is what the Lord says—
    the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel^(Y)—
to him who was despised^(Z) and abhorred by the nation,
    to the servant of rulers:
“Kings^(AA) will see you and stand up,
    princes will see and bow down,^(AB)
because of the Lord, who is faithful,^(AC)
    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen^(AD) you.”

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Footnotes

Isaiah 49:5 Or him, / but Israel would not be gathered; / yet I will be

Matthew 4:12-23

New International Version

Jesus Begins to Preach

¹²When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison,^(A) he withdrew to Galilee.^(B) ¹³Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum,^(C) which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴to fulfill^(D) what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶the people living in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
    a light has dawned.”^[a]^(E)

¹⁷From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven^(F) has come near.”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples^(G)

¹⁸As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,^(H) he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter^(I) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹“Come, follow me,”^(J) Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰At once they left their nets and followed him.^(K)

²¹Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John.^(L) They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, ²²and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.^(M)

Jesus Heals the Sick

²³Jesus went throughout Galilee,^(N) teaching in their synagogues,^(O) proclaiming the good news^(P) of the kingdom,^(Q) and healing every disease and sickness among the people.^(R)