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Chapter 49
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1
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Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from
far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the
bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. |
2
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And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the
shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished
shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; |
3
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And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in
whom I will be glorified. |
4
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Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent
my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment
is with the LORD, and my work with my God. |
5
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And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb
to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though
Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the
eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. |
6
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And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest
be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to
restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee
for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation
unto the end of the earth. |
7
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Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his
Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the
nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall
see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of
the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel,
and he shall choose thee. |
8
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Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard
thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and
I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of
the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit
the desolate heritages; |
9
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That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to
them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall
feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all
high places. |
10
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They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the
heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them
shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he
guide them. |
11
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And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways
shall be exalted. |
12
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Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from
the north and from the west; and these from the land
of Sinim. |
13
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Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break
forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted
his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. |
14
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But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord
hath forgotten me. |
15
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Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should
not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they
may forget, yet will I not forget thee. |
16
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Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;
thy walls are continually before me. |
17
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Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they
that made thee waste shall go forth of thee. |
18
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Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these
gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live,
saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them
all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a
bride doeth. |
19
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For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land
of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason
of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall
be far away. |
20
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The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast
lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place
is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. |
21
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Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten
me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate,
a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought
up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had
they been? |
22
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Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine
hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people:
and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy
daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. |
23
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And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens
thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with
their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of
thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for
they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. |
24
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Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful
captive delivered? |
25
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But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty
shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall
be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth
with thee, and I will save thy children. |
26
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And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own
flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood,
as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the
LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One
of Jacob. |
