1 ARST All you people who live on islands in the ocean and in other distant areas, pay attention to what I will say! Yahweh called me before I was born; he chose me when I was still in my mother’ s womb. BSB BSB: Listen to Me, O islands; pay attention, O distant peoples: The LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.
2 ARST When I grew up, he caused my messages to be like a sharp sword. He has protected me by his hand. He protects me like someone protects sharp arrows in a quiver. BSB BSB: He made My mouth like a sharp sword; He hid Me in the shadow of His hand. He made Me like a polished arrow; He hid Me in His quiver.
4 ARST I replied,“My work has been useless; I have used my strength, but I have accomplished nothing worthwhile; everything that I have done has been in vain. However, Yahweh can honor me as he pleases; my God is the one who will reward me as I deserve.” BSB BSB: But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.”
7 ARST Yahweh, the one who saves us, the Holy God of us Israelite people, says to the one who was despised and rejected by the people of many nations, to the one who is the slave of rulers,“Some day kings will stand up to respect you when they see you, and princes will bow down before you because you serve me, Yahweh, the one who faithfully does what I promise. I am the Holy God to whom you Israelites belong, the one who has chosen you.” BSB BSB: Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You.”
8 ARST This is also what Yahweh says:“At a time when it pleases me, I will answer your prayers. On the day when I rescue you from your oppressors, I will help you. I will protect you and enable you to establish an agreement with other nations. And by what you do, I will re- establish your nation of Israel and allow you to live again in your land that was abandoned. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: “In the time of favor I will answer You, and in the day of salvation I will help You; I will keep You and appoint You to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to apportion its desolate inheritances,
9 ARST You will say to those who were captured and exiled,‘Leave Babylonia and return to your own country!’ And you will say to those who are in dark prisons,‘Come out into the light!’ When that happens, they will again be like sheep that eat grass in green pastures, on hills where before there was no grass. BSB BSB: to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ They will feed along the pathways, and find pasture on every barren hill.
10 ARST They will not be hungry or thirsty anymore; the hot sun will not beat upon them again. I, Yahweh, will act mercifully toward them and lead them; I will lead them to where there are springs of cool water. BSB BSB: They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them. For He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.
11 ARST And I will cause the mountains to become as though they were level roads, and I will prepare good highways for my people to travel on, to return to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: I will turn all My mountains into roads, and My highways will be raised up.
12 ARST My people will return from far away; some will come from the north, some from the west, some from southern Egypt.” BSB BSB: Behold, they will come from far away, from the north and from the west, and from the land of Aswan.”
13 ARST Because of what Yahweh has promised to do, everything should shout joyfully— the sky and the earth and the mountains should sing, because Yahweh comforts his people, and he will pity those who are suffering. BSB BSB: Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; break forth in song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, and He will have compassion on His afflicted ones.
14 ARST The people of Jerusalem say,“Yahweh has abandoned us; he has forgotten about us.” BSB BSB: But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!”
15 ARST But Yahweh replies,“That is not true! Can a woman forget the infant that she is nursing? Can she stop acting kindly toward the child to whom she has given birth? But even if a woman would do that, I will not forget you! BSB BSB: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!
16 ARST Note that I have written your names on the palms of my hands; I am always looking at the walls of your city. BSB BSB: Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.
17 ARST Soon your children will be returning there, and all those who destroyed your city will leave. BSB BSB: Your builders hasten back; your destroyers and wreckers depart from you.
18 ARST You will look around and see all of your children coming back to you. As surely as I live, they will be with you for you to show to people like a bride shows her wedding ornaments! BSB BSB: Lift up your eyes and look around. They all gather together; they come to you. As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “you will wear them all as jewelry and put them on like a bride.
19 ARST Your land has been ruined and caused to become desolate, but some day it will be filled with people, and those who conquered you will be far away. BSB BSB: For your ruined and desolate places and your ravaged land will now indeed be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away.
20 ARST The children who were born while you were exiled will return to Jerusalem and say,‘This city is too small for us; We need more space to live in!’ BSB BSB: Yet the children of your bereavement will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; make room for us to live here.’
21 ARST Then you will think to yourselves,‘It is amazing that we have all these children! Most of our children were dead, and the rest were exiled. We were left here alone; so we do not know where all these children have come from! Who raised them?’” BSB BSB: Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten these for me? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. So who has reared them? Look, I was left all alone, so where did they come from?’”
22 ARST This is what Yahweh our God says:“Watch! It is as though I will lift up my hand to signal to those who are not Israelites. And they will carry your little sons and daughters on their shoulders and bring them back to you. BSB BSB: This is what the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and raise My banner to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders.
23 ARST Kings will serve you and will tutor your children, and their queens will take care of your young children. They will prostrate themselves in front of you and lick the dust off your feet. When that happens, you will know that I am Yahweh; and those who trust in me will never be disappointed.” BSB BSB: Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.”
24 ARST There is no one who can snatch valuable things from a soldier who has captured those things in a war; there is no one who can force a tyrant to free the people whom he has captured. BSB BSB: Can the plunder be snatched from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be delivered?
25 ARST But Yahweh says this:“Some day, those who have been captured will go free, and the valuable things that tyrants have snatched from others will be returned, because I will fight against those who fight against you, and I will rescue your children. BSB BSB: Indeed, this is what the LORD says: “Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the plunder of the tyrant will be retrieved; I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.
26 ARST And I will cause your enemies to destroy themselves instead of murdering others. When that happens, everyone in the world will know that I, Yahweh, am the one who saves you, the one who rescues you from your enemies; everyone will know that I am the mighty God to whom you descendants of Jacob belong.” BSB BSB: I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.