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The Prophecy
of Isaias 49
Give ear, ye islands, and hearken, ye people from afar.
The Lord hath called me from the womb, from the bowels
of my mother he hath been mindful of my name.
And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword: in the
shadow of his hand he hath protected me, and hath made
me as a chosen arrow: in his quiver he hath hidden me.
And he said to me: Thou art my servant Israel, for in
thee will I glory.
And I said: I have laboured in vain, I have spent my
strength without cause and in vain: therefore my judgment
is with the Lord, and my work with my God.
And now saith the Lord, that formed me from the womb
to be his servant, that I may bring back Jacob unto
him, and Israel will not be gathered together: and I
am glorified in the eyes of the Lord, and my God is
made my strength.
And he said: It is a small thing that thou shouldst
be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to
convert the dregs of Israel. Behold, I have given thee
to be the light of the Gentiles, that thou mayst be
my salvation even to the farthest part of the earth.
Thus saith the Lord the redeemer of Israel, his Holy
One, to the soul that is despised, to the nation that
is abhorred, to the servant of rulers: Kings shall see,
end princes shall rise up, and adore for the Lord's
sake, because he is faithful, and for the Holy One of
Israel, who hath chosen thee.
Thus saith the Lord: In an acceptable time I have heard
thee, and in the day of salvation I have helped thee:
and I have preserved thee, and given thee to be a covenant
of the people, that thou mightest raise up the earth,
and possess the inheritances that were destroyed:
That thou mightest say to them that are bound: Come
forth: and to them that are in darkness: Shew yourselves.
They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall
be in every plain.
They shall not hunger, nor thirst, neither shall the
heat nor the sun strike them: for he that is merciful
to them, shall be their shepherd, and at the fountains
of waters he shall give them drink.
And I will make all my mountains a way, and my paths
shall be exalted.
Behold these shall come from afar, and behold these
from the north and from the sea, and these from the
south country.
Give praise, O ye heavens, and rejoice, O earth, ye
mountains, give praise with jubilation: because the
Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy
on his poor ones.
And Sion said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and the Lord
hath forgotten me.
Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity
on the son of her womb? and if she should forget, yet
will not I forget thee.
Behold, I have graven thee in my hands: thy walls are
always before my eyes.
Thy builders are come: they that destroy thee and make
thee waste shall go out of thee.
Lift up thy eyes round about, and see all these are
gathered together, they are come to thee: I live, saith
the Lord, thou shalt be clothed with all these se with
an ornament, and as a bride thou shalt put them about
thee.
For thy deserts, and thy desolate places, and the land
of thy destruction shall now be too narrow by reason
of the inhabitants, end they that swallowed thee up
shall be chased far away.
The children of thy barrenness shall still say in thy
ears: The place is too strait for me, make me room to
dwell in.
And thou shalt-say in thy heart: Who hath begotten these?
I was barren and brought not forth, led away, and captive:
and who hath brought up these? I was destitute and alone:
and these, where were they?
Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will lift up my hand
to the Gentiles, and will set up my standard to the
people. And they shall bring thy sons in their arms,
and carry thy daughters upon their shoulders.
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and queens thy
nurses: they shall worship thee with their face toward
the earth, and they shall lick up the dust of thy feet.
And thou shalt know that I am the Lord, for they shall
not be confounded that wait for him.
Shall the prey be taken from the strong? or can that
which was taken by the mighty be delivered?
For thus saith the Lord: Yea verily, even the captivity
shall be taken away from the strong: and that which
was taken by the mighty, shall be delivered. But I will
judge those that have judged thee, and thy children
I will save.
And I will feed thy enemies with their own flesh: and
they shall be made drunk with their own blood, as with
new wine: and all flesh shall know, that I am the Lord
that save thee, and thy Redeemer the Mighty One of Jacob. |