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Zion’s Children to Be Brought Home

Thus says the Lord:
In a time of favor I have answered you;
    on a day of salvation I have helped you;
I have kept you and given you
    as a covenant to the people,[a]
to establish the land,
    to apportion the desolate heritages,(A)
saying to the prisoners, “Come out,”
    to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.”
They shall feed along the ways;
    on all the bare heights[b] shall be their pasture;(B)
10 they shall not hunger or thirst,
    neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,
for he who has pity on them will lead them
    and by springs of water will guide them.(C)
11 And I will turn all my mountains into a road,
    and my highways shall be raised up.(D)
12 Look, some shall come from far away,
    some from the north and from the west,
    and some from the land of Syene.[c](E)

13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
    break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people
    and will have compassion on his suffering ones.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 49.8 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 49.9 Or the trails
  3. 49.12 Q ms: MT Sinim

The Restoration of Israel

“This what the Lord says:

“I’ll answer[a] you in a time of favor,
    and on a day of salvation I’ll help[b] you.
I have watched over you,
    and given you as a covenant for the people,
to restore the land,
    to reassign the inheritances that have been devastated;
saying to captives, ‘Come out!’
    and[c] to those who are in darkness, ‘Be free!’[d]

“They will feed on all the mountains,[e]
    and their pasture will be on all the barren hills.
10 They won’t hunger or thirst,
    nor will the desert heat or sun beat upon them;
for the one who has compassion on them will drive them
    and guide them alongside springs of water.
11 I’ll turn all my mountains into a road,
    and my highways will be raised up.

12 “Watch! They’ll come from far away—
    some from the north and from the west,
        and others from the region of China.”[f]
13 Shout with joy, you heavens,
    and rock with glee, you earth!
        Break out in song, you mountains![g]
The Lord is comforting[h] his people
    and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX reads I have answered
  2. Isaiah 49:8 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read I have helped
  3. Isaiah 49:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lack and
  4. Isaiah 49:9 Or darkness,Show yourselves!’
  5. Isaiah 49:9 So 1QIsaa; MT reads by the roads; LXX reads in all their roads
  6. Isaiah 49:12 Lit. Syenes; so 1QIsaa; MT reads Syene; LXX reads Persians
  7. Isaiah 49:13 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read Let the mountains break out; MTqere, mss read And break out, you mountains
  8. Isaiah 49:13 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read has comforted

Restoration of Israel

This is what the Lord says:

“In the time of my favor(A) I will answer you,
    and in the day of salvation I will help you;(B)
I will keep(C) you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people,(D)
to restore the land(E)
    and to reassign its desolate inheritances,(F)
to say to the captives,(G) ‘Come out,’
    and to those in darkness,(H) ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads
    and find pasture on every barren hill.(I)
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst,(J)
    nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.(K)
He who has compassion(L) on them will guide(M) them
    and lead them beside springs(N) of water.
11 I will turn all my mountains into roads,
    and my highways(O) will be raised up.(P)
12 See, they will come from afar(Q)
    some from the north, some from the west,(R)
    some from the region of Aswan.[a]

13 Shout for joy,(S) you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;(T)
    burst into song, you mountains!(U)
For the Lord comforts(V) his people
    and will have compassion(W) on his afflicted ones.(X)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:12 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text Sinim