Isaia 49
Conferenza Episcopale Italiana
Secondo canto del servo del Signore
49 Ascoltatemi, o isole,
udite attentamente, nazioni lontane;
il Signore dal seno materno mi ha chiamato,
fino dal grembo di mia madre ha pronunziato il mio nome.
2 Ha reso la mia bocca come spada affilata,
mi ha nascosto all'ombra della sua mano,
mi ha reso freccia appuntita,
mi ha riposto nella sua faretra.
3 Mi ha detto: «Mio servo tu sei, Israele,
sul quale manifesterò la mia gloria».
4 Io ho risposto: «Invano ho faticato,
per nulla e invano ho consumato le mie forze.
Ma, certo, il mio diritto è presso il Signore,
la mia ricompensa presso il mio Dio».
5 Ora disse il Signore
che mi ha plasmato suo servo dal seno materno
per ricondurre a lui Giacobbe
e a lui riunire Israele,
- poiché ero stato stimato dal Signore
e Dio era stato la mia forza -
6 mi disse: «E' troppo poco che tu sia mio servo
per restaurare le tribù di Giacobbe
e ricondurre i superstiti di Israele.
Ma io ti renderò luce delle nazioni
perché porti la mia salvezza
fino all'estremità della terra».
7 Dice il Signore,
il redentore di Israele, il suo Santo,
a colui la cui vita è disprezzata, al reietto delle nazioni,
al servo dei potenti:
«I re vedranno e si alzeranno in piedi,
i principi vedranno e si prostreranno,
a causa del Signore che è fedele,
a causa del Santo di Israele che ti ha scelto».
La gioia del ritorno
8 Dice il Signore:
«Al tempo della misericordia ti ho ascoltato,
nel giorno della salvezza ti ho aiutato.
Ti ho formato e posto
come alleanza per il popolo,
per far risorgere il paese,
per farti rioccupare l'eredità devastata,
9 per dire ai prigionieri: Uscite,
e a quanti sono nelle tenebre: Venite fuori.
Essi pascoleranno lungo tutte le strade,
e su ogni altura troveranno pascoli.
10 Non soffriranno né fame né sete
e non li colpirà né l'arsura né il sole,
perché colui che ha pietà di loro li guiderà,
li condurrà alle sorgenti di acqua.
11 Io trasformerò i monti in strade
e le mie vie saranno elevate.
12 Ecco, questi vengono da lontano,
ed ecco, quelli vengono da mezzogiorno e da occidente
e quelli dalla regione di Assuan».
13 Giubilate, o cieli; rallegrati, o terra,
gridate di gioia, o monti,
perché il Signore consola il suo popolo
e ha pietà dei suoi miseri.
14 Sion ha detto: «Il Signore mi ha abbandonato,
il Signore mi ha dimenticato».
15 Si dimentica forse una donna del suo bambino,
così da non commuoversi per il figlio delle sue viscere?
Anche se queste donne si dimenticassero,
io invece non ti dimenticherò mai.
16 Ecco, ti ho disegnato sulle palme delle mie mani,
le tue mura sono sempre davanti a me.
17 I tuoi costruttori accorrono,
i tuoi distruttori e i tuoi devastatori si allontanano da te.
18 Alza gli occhi intorno e guarda:
tutti costoro si radunano, vengono da te.
«Com'è vero ch'io vivo - oracolo del Signore-
ti vestirai di tutti loro come di ornamento,
te ne ornerai come una sposa».
19 Poiché le tue rovine e le tue devastazioni
e il tuo paese desolato
saranno ora troppo stretti per i tuoi abitanti,
benché siano lontani i tuoi divoratori.
20 Di nuovo ti diranno agli orecchi
i figli di cui fosti privata:
«Troppo stretto è per me questo posto;
scostati, e mi accomoderò».
21 Tu penserai: «Chi mi ha generato costoro?
Io ero priva di figli e sterile;
questi chi li ha allevati?
Ecco, ero rimasta sola
e costoro dove erano?».
22 Così dice il Signore Dio:
«Ecco, io farò cenno con la mano ai popoli,
per le nazioni isserò il mio vessillo.
Riporteranno i tuoi figli in braccio,
le tue figlie saran portate sulle spalle.
23 I re saranno i tuoi tutori,
le loro principesse tue nutrici.
Con la faccia a terra essi si prostreranno davanti a te,
baceranno la polvere dei tuoi piedi;
allora tu saprai che io sono il Signore
e che non saranno delusi quanti sperano in me».
24 Si può forse strappare la preda al forte?
Oppure può un prigioniero sfuggire al tiranno?
25 Eppure dice il Signore:
«Anche il prigioniero sarà strappato al forte,
la preda sfuggirà al tiranno.
Io avverserò i tuoi avversari;
io salverò i tuoi figli.
26 Farò mangiare le loro stesse carni ai tuoi oppressori,
si ubriacheranno del proprio sangue come di mosto.
Allora ogni uomo saprà
che io sono il Signore, tuo salvatore,
io il tuo redentore e il Forte di Giacobbe».
Isaiah 49
King James Version
49 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.
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 said unto me, Thou art my servant, O 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.
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.
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.
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.
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;
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.
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.
11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, 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 the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
14 But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord 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 thee.
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
17 Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
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.
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.
Isaiah 49
New King James Version
The Servant, the Light to the Gentiles
49 “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 hidden Me,
And made Me (E)a polished shaft;
In His quiver He has hidden Me.”
3 “And He said to me,
(F)‘You are My servant, O Israel,
(G)In whom I will be glorified.’
4 (H)Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain;
Yet surely my [b]just reward is with the Lord,
And my [c]work with my God.’ ”
5 “And now the Lord says,
Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back to Him,
So that Israel (I)is [d]gathered to Him
(For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,
And My God shall be My strength),
6 Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a (J)light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
7 Thus says the Lord,
The Redeemer of Israel, [e]their Holy One,
(K)To Him [f]whom man despises,
To Him whom the nation abhors,
To the Servant of rulers:
(L)“Kings shall see and arise,
Princes also shall worship,
Because of the Lord who is faithful,
The Holy One of Israel;
And He has chosen You.”
8 Thus says the Lord:
“In an (M)acceptable[g] time I have heard You,
And in the day of salvation I have helped You;
I will [h]preserve You (N)and give You
As a covenant to the people,
To restore the earth,
To cause them to inherit the desolate [i]heritages;
9 That You may say (O)to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’
To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
“They shall feed along the roads,
And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.
10 They shall neither (P)hunger nor thirst,
(Q)Neither heat nor sun shall strike them;
For He who has mercy on them (R)will lead them,
Even by the springs of water He will guide them.
11 (S)I will make each of My mountains a road,
And My highways shall be elevated.
12 Surely (T)these shall come from afar;
Look! Those from the north and the west,
And these from the land of Sinim.”
13 (U)Sing, O heavens!
Be joyful, O earth!
And break out in singing, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted His people,
And will have mercy on His afflicted.
God Will Remember Zion
14 (V)But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
And my Lord has forgotten me.”
15 “Can(W) a woman forget her nursing child,
[j]And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget,
(X)Yet I will not forget you.
16 See, (Y)I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me.
17 Your [k]sons shall make haste;
Your destroyers and those who laid you waste
Shall go away from you.
18 (Z)Lift up your eyes, look around and see;
All these gather together and come to you.
As I live,” says the Lord,
“You shall surely clothe yourselves with them all (AA)as an ornament,
And bind them on you as a bride does.
19 “For your waste and desolate places,
And the land of your destruction,
(AB)Will even now be too small for the inhabitants;
And those who swallowed you up will be far away.
20 (AC)The children you will have,
(AD)After you have lost the others,
Will say again in your ears,
‘The place is too small for me;
Give me a place where I may dwell.’
21 Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who has begotten these for me,
Since I have lost my children and am desolate,
A captive, and wandering to and fro?
And who has brought these up?
There I was, left alone;
But these, where were they?’ ”
22 (AE)Thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations,
And set up My [l]standard for the peoples;
They shall bring your sons in their [m]arms,
And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders;
23 (AF)Kings shall be your foster fathers,
And their queens your nursing mothers;
They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth,
And (AG)lick up the dust of your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord,
(AH)For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.”
25 But thus says the Lord:
“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away,
And the prey of the terrible be delivered;
For I will contend with him who contends with you,
And I will save your children.
26 I will (AJ)feed those who oppress you with their own flesh,
And they shall be drunk with their own (AK)blood as with sweet wine.
All flesh (AL)shall know
That I, the Lord, am your Savior,
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 49:1 Lit. inward parts
- Isaiah 49:4 justice
- Isaiah 49:4 recompense
- Isaiah 49:5 Qr., DSS, LXX gathered to Him; Kt. not gathered
- Isaiah 49:7 Lit. his or its
- Isaiah 49:7 Lit. who is despised of soul
- Isaiah 49:8 favorable
- Isaiah 49:8 keep
- Isaiah 49:8 inheritances
- Isaiah 49:15 Lit. From having compassion
- Isaiah 49:17 DSS, LXX, Tg., Vg. builders
- Isaiah 49:22 banner
- Isaiah 49:22 Lit. bosom
- Isaiah 49:24 So with MT, Tg.; DSS, Syr., Vg. of the mighty; LXX unjustly
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
