⁵ And 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)—
⁶ he 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)

⁷ This 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.”

“In the time of my favor^(AE) I will answer you,
    and in the day of salvation I will help you;^(AF)
I will keep^(AG) you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people,^(AH)
to restore the land^(AI)
    and to reassign its desolate inheritances,^(AJ)
9 to say to the captives,^(AK) ‘Come out,’
    and to those in darkness,^(AL) ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads
    and find pasture on every barren hill.^(AM)
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst,^(AN)
    nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.^(AO)
He who has compassion^(AP) on them will guide^(AQ) them
    and lead them beside springs^(AR) of water.
¹¹ I will turn all my mountains into roads,
    and my highways^(AS) will be raised up.^(AT)
12 See, they will come from afar^(AU)—
    some from the north, some from the west,^(AV)
    some from the region of Aswan.^[b]”

¹³ Shout for joy,^(AW) you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;^(AX)
    burst into song, you mountains!^(AY)
For the Lord comforts^(AZ) his people
    and will have compassion^(BA) on his afflicted ones.^(BB)

¹⁴ But Zion^(BC) said, “The Lord has forsaken^(BD) me,
    the Lord has forgotten me.”

¹⁵ “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child^(BE) she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!^(BF)
16 See, I have engraved^(BG) you on the palms of my hands;
    your walls^(BH) are ever before me.
¹⁷ Your children hasten back,
    and those who laid you waste^(BI) depart from you.
¹⁸ Lift up your eyes and look around;
    all your children gather^(BJ) and come to you.
As surely as I live,^(BK)” declares the Lord,
    “you will wear^(BL) them all as ornaments;
    you will put them on, like a bride.

¹⁹ “Though you were ruined and made desolate^(BM)
    and your land laid waste,^(BN)
now you will be too small for your people,^(BO)
    and those who devoured^(BP) you will be far away.
²⁰ The children born during your bereavement
    will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
    give us more space to live in.’^(BQ)
21 Then you will say in your heart,
    ‘Who bore me these?^(BR)
I was bereaved^(BS) and barren;
    I was exiled and rejected.^(BT)
    Who brought these^(BU) up?
I was left^(BV) all alone,^(BW)
    but these—where have they come from?’”

“See, I will beckon to the nations,
    I will lift up my banner^(BY) to the peoples;
they will bring^(BZ) your sons in their arms
    and carry your daughters on their hips.^(CA)
23 Kings^(CB) will be your foster fathers,
    and their queens your nursing mothers.^(CC)
They will bow down^(CD) before you with their faces to the ground;
    they will lick the dust^(CE) at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;^(CF)
    those who hope^(CG) in me will not be disappointed.^(CH)”

²⁴ Can plunder be taken from warriors,^(CI)
    or captives be rescued from the fierce^[c]?

“Yes, captives^(CJ) will be taken from warriors,^(CK)
    and plunder retrieved from the fierce;^(CL)
I will contend with those who contend with you,^(CM)
    and your children I will save.^(CN)
26 I will make your oppressors^(CO) eat^(CP) their own flesh;
    they will be drunk on their own blood,^(CQ) as with wine.
Then all mankind will know^(CR)
    that I, the Lord, am your Savior,^(CS)
    your Redeemer,^(CT) the Mighty One of Jacob.^(CU)”

“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce^(A)
    with which I sent her away?
Or to which of my creditors
    did I sell^(B) you?
Because of your sins^(C) you were sold;^(D)
    because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.
² When I came, why was there no one?
    When I called, why was there no one to answer?^(E)
Was my arm too short^(F) to deliver you?
    Do I lack the strength^(G) to rescue you?
By a mere rebuke^(H) I dry up the sea,^(I)
    I turn rivers into a desert;^(J)
their fish rot for lack of water
    and die of thirst.
³ I clothe the heavens with darkness^(K)
    and make sackcloth^(L) its covering.”

⁴ The Sovereign Lord^(M) has given me a well-instructed tongue,^(N)
    to know the word that sustains the weary.^(O)
He wakens me morning by morning,^(P)
    wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.^(Q)
5 The Sovereign Lord^(R) has opened my ears;^(S)
    I have not been rebellious,^(T)
    I have not turned away.
⁶ I offered my back to those who beat^(U) me,
    my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;^(V)
I did not hide my face
    from mocking and spitting.^(W)
7 Because the Sovereign Lord^(X) helps^(Y) me,
    I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,^(Z)
    and I know I will not be put to shame.^(AA)
8 He who vindicates^(AB) me is near.^(AC)
    Who then will bring charges against me?^(AD)
    Let us face each other!^(AE)
Who is my accuser?
    Let him confront me!
⁹ It is the Sovereign Lord^(AF) who helps^(AG) me.
    Who will condemn^(AH) me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
    the moths^(AI) will eat them up.

¹⁰ Who among you fears^(AJ) the Lord
    and obeys^(AK) the word of his servant?^(AL)
Let the one who walks in the dark,
    who has no light,^(AM)
trust^(AN) in the name of the Lord
    and rely on their God.
¹¹ But now, all you who light fires
    and provide yourselves with flaming torches,^(AO)
go, walk in the light of your fires^(AP)
    and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:^(AQ)
    You will lie down in torment.^(AR)