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Zion’s Children to Be Brought Home

Thus says the Lord:
“In a time of favor I have answered you,
    in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I have kept you and given you
    as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
    to apportion the desolate heritages;
saying to the prisoners, ‘Come forth,’
    to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’
They shall feed along the ways,
    on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
10 they shall not hunger or thirst,
    neither scorching wind nor sun shall smite them,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
    and by springs of water will guide them.
11 And I will make all my mountains a way,
    and my highways shall be raised up.
12 Lo, these shall come from afar,
    and lo, these from the north and from the west,
    and these from the land of Syene.”[a]
13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
    break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people,
    and will have compassion on his afflicted.

14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
    my Lord has forgotten me.”
15 “Can a woman forget her sucking child,
    that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
    yet I will not forget you.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:12 Cn: Heb Sinim

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)

14 But Zion(Y) said, “The Lord has forsaken(Z) me,
    the Lord has forgotten me.”

15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child(AA) she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!(AB)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:12 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text Sinim