Isaiah 49:13-23

Common English Bible

¹³Sing, heavens! Rejoice, earth!
Break out, mountains, with a song.
The Lord has comforted his people,
and taken pity on those who suffer.

Compassion for Zion

¹⁴But Zion says, “The Lord has abandoned me;
    my Lord has forgotten me.”
¹⁵Can a woman forget her nursing child,
    fail to pity the child of her womb?
        Even these may forget,
        but I won’t forget you.
¹⁶Look, on my palms I’ve inscribed you;
    your walls are before me continually.
¹⁷Your builders^[a] come quickly;
    those who destroy and demolish you will depart from you.
¹⁸Look up all around and see:
    they are all gathered;
    they come to you.
As surely as I live, says the Lord,
    you will put them all on like ornaments,
    bind them on like a bride.

¹⁹As for your ruins and desolate places
    and destroyed land—
    you will soon be crowded with settlers,
    and those who swallowed you will be far away.
²⁰You will again hear the children who were born bereaved say,
    “The place is too crowded for me;
    make room for me to settle.”
²¹And you will think to yourself,
    Who bore me these?
    I was bereaved and desolate, exiled and sent off.
So who raised these?
    I was left behind, I was alone;
    where were these?

²²The Lord God says:
Look, I will raise my hand to the nations,
    and to the peoples I will lift up my signal.
They will bring your sons in their arms,
    and will carry your daughters on their shoulders.
²³Kings will be your attendants,
    and their queens your nursemaids.
With faces to the ground they will bow down to you;
    they will lick the dust from your feet.
You will know that I am the Lord;
    the one who hopes in me won’t be ashamed.