This is what the Lord says:

I will answer you in a time of favor,
and I will help you in the day of salvation.(A)
I will keep you, and I will appoint you
to be a covenant for the people,(B)
to restore the land,
to make them possess the desolate inheritances,
saying to the prisoners, “Come out,”(C)
and to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.”
They will feed along the pathways,
and their pastures will be on all the barren heights.(D)
10 They will not hunger or thirst,
the scorching heat or sun will not strike them;
for their compassionate one will guide them,
and lead them to springs.(E)
11 I will make all my mountains into a road,
and my highways will be raised up.(F)
12 See, these will come from far away,
from the north and from the west,[a](G)
and from the land of Sinim.[b][c]

13 Shout for joy, you heavens!(H)
Earth, rejoice!
Mountains break into joyful shouts!
For the Lord has comforted his people,(I)
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 49:12 Lit sea
  2. 49:12 DSS read of the Syenites
  3. 49:12 Perhaps modern Aswan in southern Egypt

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