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The Lord Has Not Forgotten Israel

14 But Zion said, “Yahweh has abandoned me.
    My Adonay has forgotten me.”

15 Can a woman forget her nursing child?
    Will she have no compassion on the child from her womb?
    Although mothers may forget,
    I will not forget you.
16 I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.
    Your walls are always in my presence.
17 Your children will hurry back.
    Those who destroyed you and laid waste to you will leave you.
18 Look up, look around, and watch!
    All of your children are gathering together and returning to you.
    “I solemnly swear as I live,” declares Yahweh,
    “you will wear all of them like jewels
        and display them on yourself as a bride would.”

19 Though you are destroyed and demolished and your land is in ruins,
    you will be too crowded for your people now.
        Those who devoured you will be long gone.
20 The children taken from you will say to you,
    “This place is too crowded for me.
    Make room for me to live here.”
21 Then you will ask yourself,
    “Who has fathered these children for me?
        I was childless and unable to have children.
        I was exiled and rejected.
    Who raised these children for me?
        I was left alone.
    Where have they come from?”

22 This is what Adonay Yahweh says:

I will lift my hand to signal the nations.
    I will raise my flag for the people.
    They will bring your sons in their arms
        and carry your daughters on their shoulders.
23 Then kings will be your foster fathers,
    and their queens will nurse you.
    They will bow in front of you
        with their faces touching the ground.
    They will lick the dust at your feet.
        Then you will know that I am Yahweh.
            Those who wait with hope for me will not be put to shame.

24 Can loot be taken away from mighty men
    or prisoners be freed from conquerors?

25 This is what Yahweh says:

Prisoners will be freed from mighty men.
    Loot will be taken away from tyrants.
    I will fight your enemies,
    and I will save your children.
26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh,
    and they will become drunk on their own blood
        as though it were new wine.
    Then all humanity will know that I am Yahweh, who saves you,
    the Mighty One of Jacob, who reclaims you.

The Lord’s People Were Sold because of Their Sin

50 This is what Yahweh says:

Where are your mother’s divorce papers?
    Did I give her any to get rid of her?
    To which of my creditors did I sell you?
    You were sold because of your sins.
    I got rid of your mother because of your rebellion.
Why was no one here when I came?
    Why was no one here to answer when I called?
    Am I too weak to reclaim you?
    Don’t I have the power to rescue you?
    I dry up the sea with my command,
    and I turn rivers into deserts.
        Their fish stink because there is no water,
            and people die of thirst.
I clothe the heavens in darkness
    and cover them with sackcloth.

The Lord’s Servant Trusts in the Lord’s Help

Adonay Yahweh will teach me what to say,
    so I will know how to encourage weary people.
    Morning after morning he will wake me
    to listen like a student.
Adonay Yahweh will open my ears.
    I will not rebel, nor will I turn away from him.
I will offer my back to those who whip me
    and my cheeks to those who pluck hairs out of my beard.
    I will not turn my face away from those who humiliate me
    and spit on me.

Adonay Yahweh helps me.
    That is why I will not be ashamed.
        I have set my face like a flint.
            I know that I will not be put to shame.
The one who pronounces me innocent is near.
    Who will bring a case against me?
        Let us confront each other!
    Who accuses me?
        Let him confront me!
Adonay Yahweh helps me.
    Who will find me guilty?
        They will all wear out like a garment.
            Moths will eat them.

10 Who among you fears Yahweh
    and obeys his Ebed?
    Let those who walk in darkness and have no light
    trust the name of Yahweh
        and depend upon their Elohim.

11 But all of you light fires
    and arm yourselves with flaming torches.
    So walk in your own light
    and among the torches you have lit.

This is what you will receive from me:
    You will be tormented.

The Lord Will Save His People

51 Listen to me, you people who pursue what is right and seek Yahweh.
    Look to the rock from which you were cut
    and to the quarry from which you were dug.
Look to Abraham, your ancestor,
    and to Sarah, from whom you are descended.
    When I called Abraham, he was childless.
    I blessed him and gave him many descendants.
So Yahweh will comfort Zion.
    He will comfort all those who live among its ruins.
    He will make its desert like Eden.
    He will make its wilderness like the garden of Yahweh.
        Joy and gladness will be found in it,
            thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

14 But Zion(A) said, “The Lord has forsaken(B) me,
    the Lord has forgotten me.”

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

19 “Though you were ruined and made desolate(K)
    and your land laid waste,(L)
now you will be too small for your people,(M)
    and those who devoured(N) 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.’(O)
21 Then you will say in your heart,
    ‘Who bore me these?(P)
I was bereaved(Q) and barren;
    I was exiled and rejected.(R)
    Who brought these(S) up?
I was left(T) all alone,(U)
    but these—where have they come from?’”

22 This is what the Sovereign Lord(V) says:

“See, I will beckon to the nations,
    I will lift up my banner(W) to the peoples;
they will bring(X) your sons in their arms
    and carry your daughters on their hips.(Y)
23 Kings(Z) will be your foster fathers,
    and their queens your nursing mothers.(AA)
They will bow down(AB) before you with their faces to the ground;
    they will lick the dust(AC) at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;(AD)
    those who hope(AE) in me will not be disappointed.(AF)

24 Can plunder be taken from warriors,(AG)
    or captives be rescued from the fierce[a]?

25 But this is what the Lord says:

“Yes, captives(AH) will be taken from warriors,(AI)
    and plunder retrieved from the fierce;(AJ)
I will contend with those who contend with you,(AK)
    and your children I will save.(AL)
26 I will make your oppressors(AM) eat(AN) their own flesh;
    they will be drunk on their own blood,(AO) as with wine.
Then all mankind will know(AP)
    that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(AQ)
    your Redeemer,(AR) the Mighty One of Jacob.(AS)

Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience

50 This is what the Lord says:

“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce(AT)
    with which I sent her away?
Or to which of my creditors
    did I sell(AU) you?
Because of your sins(AV) you were sold;(AW)
    because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.
When I came, why was there no one?
    When I called, why was there no one to answer?(AX)
Was my arm too short(AY) to deliver you?
    Do I lack the strength(AZ) to rescue you?
By a mere rebuke(BA) I dry up the sea,(BB)
    I turn rivers into a desert;(BC)
their fish rot for lack of water
    and die of thirst.
I clothe the heavens with darkness(BD)
    and make sackcloth(BE) its covering.”

The Sovereign Lord(BF) has given me a well-instructed tongue,(BG)
    to know the word that sustains the weary.(BH)
He wakens me morning by morning,(BI)
    wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.(BJ)
The Sovereign Lord(BK) has opened my ears;(BL)
    I have not been rebellious,(BM)
    I have not turned away.
I offered my back to those who beat(BN) me,
    my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;(BO)
I did not hide my face
    from mocking and spitting.(BP)
Because the Sovereign Lord(BQ) helps(BR) me,
    I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,(BS)
    and I know I will not be put to shame.(BT)
He who vindicates(BU) me is near.(BV)
    Who then will bring charges against me?(BW)
    Let us face each other!(BX)
Who is my accuser?
    Let him confront me!
It is the Sovereign Lord(BY) who helps(BZ) me.
    Who will condemn(CA) me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
    the moths(CB) will eat them up.

10 Who among you fears(CC) the Lord
    and obeys(CD) the word of his servant?(CE)
Let the one who walks in the dark,
    who has no light,(CF)
trust(CG) 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,(CH)
go, walk in the light of your fires(CI)
    and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:(CJ)
    You will lie down in torment.(CK)

Everlasting Salvation for Zion

51 “Listen(CL) to me, you who pursue righteousness(CM)
    and who seek(CN) the Lord:
Look to the rock(CO) from which you were cut
    and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
look to Abraham,(CP) your father,
    and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was only one man,
    and I blessed him and made him many.(CQ)
The Lord will surely comfort(CR) Zion(CS)
    and will look with compassion on all her ruins;(CT)
he will make her deserts like Eden,(CU)
    her wastelands(CV) like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness(CW) will be found in her,
    thanksgiving(CX) and the sound of singing.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint and verse 25); Masoretic Text righteous