This is what the Lord says:
“At a (A)favorable time I answered You,
And on a day of salvation I helped You;
And I will (B)watch over You and (C)make You a covenant of the people,
To [a](D)restore the land, to give as inheritances the deserted hereditary lands;
Saying to those who are (E)bound, ‘[b]Go free,’
To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
They will feed along the roads,
And their pasture will be on all (F)bare heights.
10 They will (G)not hunger or thirst,
Nor will the scorching (H)heat or sun strike them down;
For (I)He who has compassion on them will (J)lead them,
And He will guide them to (K)springs of water.
11 I will make all (L)My mountains a road,
And My (M)highways will be raised up.
12 Behold, these will come (N)from afar;
And behold, these will come from the (O)north and from the west,
And these from the land of Aswan.”
13 (P)Shout for joy, you heavens! And rejoice, you earth!
Break forth into joyful shouting, mountains!
For the (Q)Lord has comforted His people
And will (R)have compassion on His afflicted.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:8 Lit establish
  2. Isaiah 49:9 Lit Go out

Promises of Israel’s Restoration

This is what the Lord says:

“At just the right time, I will respond to you.[a]
    On the day of salvation I will help you.
I will protect you and give you to the people
    as my covenant with them.
Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel
    and assign it to its own people again.
I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’
    and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’
They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures
    and on hills that were previously bare.
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst.
    The searing sun will not reach them anymore.
For the Lord in his mercy will lead them;
    he will lead them beside cool waters.
11 And I will make my mountains into level paths for them.
    The highways will be raised above the valleys.
12 See, my people will return from far away,
    from lands to the north and west,
    and from as far south as Egypt.[b]

13 Sing for joy, O heavens!
    Rejoice, O earth!
    Burst into song, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted his people
    and will have compassion on them in their suffering.

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Footnotes

  1. 49:8 Greek version reads I heard you. Compare 2 Cor 6:2.
  2. 49:12 As in Dead Sea Scrolls, which read from the region of Aswan, which is in southern Egypt. Masoretic Text reads from the region of Sinim.