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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Isaiah 49 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/isaiah/49.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/isaiah/49-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Isaiah 49</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../isaiah/48.htm" title="Isaiah 48">◄</a> Isaiah 49 <a href="../isaiah/50.htm" title="Isaiah 50">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">The Work of the Lord's Servant</h3>1<a href="#fn" id="link_Isa.49.1!x.1" class="notelink x-link"></a> Everyone, listen,even you foreign nationsacross the sea.The Lord chose meand gave me a namebefore I was born.2<a href="#fn" id="link_Isa.49.2!x.1" class="notelink x-link"></a> He made my words piercelike a sharp swordor a pointed arrow;he kept me safely hiddenin the palm of his hand.3The Lord said to me,“Israel, you are my servant;and because of youI will be highly honored.”4I said to myself,“I'm completely worn out;my time has been wasted.But I did it for the Lord God,and he will reward me.”5Even before I was born,the Lord God chose meto serve him and to lead backthe people of Israel.So the Lord has honored meand made me strong.6<a href="#fn" id="link_Isa.49.6!x.1" class="notelink x-link"></a> Now the Lord says to me,“It isn't enough for youto be merely my servant.You must do more than lead backsurvivors from the tribesof Israel.I have placed you here as a lightfor other nations;you must take my saving powerto everyone on earth.”<h3 class="s1">The Lord Will Rescue His People</h3>7Israel, I am the holy Lord God,the one who rescues you.You are slaves of rulersand of a nationwho despises you.<a href="#fn" id="link_Isa.49.7!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> Now this is what I promise:Kings and rulers will honor youby kneeling at your feet.You can trust me! I am your Lord,the holy God of Israel,and you are my chosen ones.<h3 class="s1">The Lord Will Lead His People Home</h3>8<a href="#fn" id="link_Isa.49.8!x.1" class="notelink x-link"></a> This is what the Lord says:I will answer your prayersbecause I have set a timewhen I will helpby coming to save you.I have chosen youto take my promise of hopeto other nations.<a href="#fn" id="link_Isa.49.8!f.2" class="notelink f-link">+</a> You will rebuild the countryfrom its ruins,then people will comeand settle there.9You will set prisoners freefrom dark dungeonsto see the light of day.On their way home,they will find plenty to eat,even on barren hills.10<a href="#fn" id="link_Isa.49.10!x.1" class="notelink x-link"></a> They won't go hungryor get thirsty;they won't be botheredby the scorching sunor hot desert winds.I will be mercifulwhile leading them alongto streams of water.11I will level the mountainsand make roads.12Then my people will returnfrom distant landsin the north and the westand from the city of Syene.<a href="#fn" id="link_Isa.49.12!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> <h3 class="s1">The Lord's Mercy</h3>13Tell the heavens and the earthto celebrate and sing;command every mountainto join in the song.The Lord's people have suffered,but he has shown mercyand given them comfort.14The people of Zion said,“The Lord has turned awayand forgotten us.”15The Lord answered,“Could a mother forget a childwho nurses at her breast?Could she fail to love an infantwho came from her own body?Even if a mother could forget,I will never forget you.16A picture of your cityis drawn on my hand.You are always in my thoughts!17“Your city will be built fasterthan it was destroyed<a href="#fn" id="link_Isa.49.17!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> —those who attacked itwill retreat and leave.18Look around! You will seeyour people coming home.As surely as I live,I, the Lord, promisethat your city with its peoplewill be as lovely as a bridewearing her jewelry.”<h3 class="s1">Jerusalem's Bright Future</h3>19Jerusalem is now in ruins!Nothing is left of the city.But it will be rebuiltand soon overcrowded;its cruel enemieswill be gone far away.20Jerusalem is a womanwhose children were bornwhile she was in deep sorrow<a href="#fn" id="link_Isa.49.20!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> over the loss of her husband.Now those childrenwill come and seek roomin the crowded city,21and Jerusalem will ask,“Am I really their mother?How could I have given birthwhen I was still mourningin a foreign land?Who raised these children?Where have they come from?”22<a href="#fn" id="link_Isa.49.22!x.1" class="notelink x-link"></a> The Lord God says:“I will soon give a signalfor the nationsto return your sonsand your daughtersto the arms of Jerusalem.23The kings and queensof those nationswhere they were raisedwill come and bow down.They will take care of youjust like a slavetaking care of a child.Then you will knowthat I am the Lord.You won't be disappointedif you trust me.”<h3 class="s1">The Lord Is on Our Side</h3>24Is it possible to rescue victimsfrom someone strongand cruel?<a href="#fn" id="link_Isa.49.24!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> 25But the Lord has promisedto fight on our sideand to rescue our childrenfrom those strongand violent enemies.26He will make those cruel peopledine on their own fleshand get drunk from drinkingtheir own blood.Then everyone will knowthat the Lord is our Savior;the powerful God of Israelhas rescued his people.</div> </div> <a name="fn"></a> Footnotes: <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">49.7 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">You … you: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">49.8 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">my … nations: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">49.12 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Syene: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The Dead Sea Scrolls; the Standard Hebrew Text “Sinim.” This city was located at the first cataract of the Nile near the site of modern-day Aswan.</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">49.17 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Your city … destroyed: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">49.20 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">whose children … sorrow: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">These “children” are Jews who were born in foreign countries during the time that Jerusalem was in ruins. Jerusalem probably stands for all the cities in Judah that were destroyed by the Babylonians.</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">49.24 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">cruel: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The Dead Sea Scrolls and two ancient translations; the Standard Hebrew Text “good.”</char></note></div></div> <div align="center">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). Learn more at <a href="http://www.cev.bible">www.cev.bible</a>. 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