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1. All of you people in faraway places, listen to me. Listen, all you nations far away. Before I was born, the Lord called me to serve him. The Lord named me while I was still in my mother's body.
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1. Listen H8085 , O isles H339 , unto H413 me ; and hearken H7181 , ye people H3816 , from far H4480 H7350 ; The LORD H3068 hath called H7121 me from the womb H4480 H990 ; from the bowels H4480 H4578 of my mother H517 hath he made mention H2142 of my name H8034 .
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2. He made my tongue like a sharp sword. He hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me like a sharp arrow. He hid me in the holder for his arrows.
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2. And he hath made H7760 my mouth H6310 like a sharp H2299 sword H2719 ; in the shadow H6738 of his hand H3027 hath he hid H2244 me , and made H7760 me a polished H1305 shaft H2671 ; in his quiver H827 hath he hid H5641 me;
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3. He told me, "Israel, you are my servant. I will show my glory through you."
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3. And said H559 unto me, Thou H859 art my servant H5650 , O Israel H3478 , in whom H834 I will be glorified H6286 .
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4. But I said, "I have worked hard for nothing; I have used all my power, but I did nothing useful. But the Lord will decide what my work is worth; God will decide my reward."
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4. Then I H589 said H559 , I have labored H3021 in vain H7385 , I have spent H3615 my strength H3581 for naught H8414 , and in vain H1892 : yet surely H403 my judgment H4941 is with H854 the LORD H3068 , and my work H6468 with H854 my God H430 .
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5. The Lord made me in the body of my mother to be his servant, to lead the people of Jacob back to him so that Israel might be gathered to him. The Lord will honor me, and I will get my strength from my God.
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5. And now H6258 , saith H559 the LORD H3068 that formed H3335 me from the womb H4480 H990 to be his servant H5650 , to bring Jacob again H7725 H3290 to H413 him , Though Israel H3478 be not gathered H622 , yet shall I be glorious H3513 in the eyes H5869 of the LORD H3068 , and my God H430 shall be H1961 my strength H5797 .
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6. Now he told me, "You are an important servant to me to bring back the tribes of Jacob, to bring back the people of Israel who are left alive. But, more importantly, I will make you a light for all nations to show people all over the world the way to be saved."
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6. And he said H559 , It is a light thing H7043 that thou shouldest be H4480 H1961 my servant H5650 to raise up H6965 H853 the tribes H7626 of Jacob H3290 , and to restore H7725 the preserved H5341 of Israel H3478 : I will also give H5414 thee for a light H216 to the Gentiles H1471 , that thou mayest be H1961 my salvation H3444 unto H5704 the end H7097 of the earth H776 .
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7. The Lord who saves you is the Holy One of Israel. He speaks to the one who is hated by the people, to the servant of rulers. This is what he says: "Kings will see you and stand to honor you; great leaders will bow down before you, because the Lord can be trusted. He is the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."
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7. Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 , the Redeemer H1350 of Israel H3478 , and his Holy One H6918 , to him whom man H5315 despiseth H960 , to him whom the nation H1471 abhorreth H8581 , to a servant H5650 of rulers H4910 , Kings H4428 shall see H7200 and arise H6965 , princes H8269 also shall worship H7812 , because of H4616 the LORD H3068 that H834 is faithful H539 , and the Holy One H6918 of Israel H3478 , and he shall choose H977 thee.
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8. This is what the Lord says: "At the right time I will hear your prayers. On the day of salvation I will help you. I will protect you, and you will be the sign of my agreement with the people. You will bring back the people to the land and give the land that is now ruined back to its owners.
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8. Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 , In an acceptable H7522 time H6256 have I heard H6030 thee , and in a day H3117 of salvation H3444 have I helped H5826 thee : and I will preserve H5341 thee , and give H5414 thee for a covenant H1285 of the people H5971 , to establish H6965 the earth H776 , to cause to inherit H5157 the desolate H8074 heritages H5159 ;
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9. You will tell the prisoners, 'Come out of your prison.' You will tell those in darkness, 'Come into the light.' The people will eat beside the roads, and they will find food even on bare hills.
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9. That thou mayest say H559 to the prisoners H631 , Go forth H3318 ; to them that H834 are in darkness H2822 , Show yourselves H1540 . They shall feed H7462 in H5921 the ways H1870 , and their pastures H4830 shall be in all H3605 high places H8205 .
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10. They will not be hungry or thirsty. Neither the hot sun nor the desert wind will hurt them. and guide them by springs of water.
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10. They shall not H3808 hunger H7456 nor H3808 thirst H6770 ; neither H3808 shall the heat H8273 nor sun H8121 smite H5221 them: for H3588 he that hath mercy H7355 on them shall lead H5090 them , even by H5921 the springs H4002 of water H4325 shall he guide H5095 them.
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11. I will make my mountains into roads, and the roads will be raised up.
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11. And I will make H7760 all H3605 my mountains H2022 a way H1870 , and my highways H4546 shall be exalted H7311 .
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12. Look, people are coming to me from far away, from the north and from the west, from Aswan in southern Egypt."
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12. Behold H2009 , these H428 shall come H935 from far H4480 H7350 : and, lo H2009 , these H428 from the north H4480 H6828 and from the west H4480 H3220 ; and these H428 from the land H4480 H776 of Sinim H5515 .
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13. Heavens and earth, be happy. Mountains, shout with joy, because the Lord comforts his people and will have pity on those who suffer.
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13. Sing H7442 , O heavens H8064 ; and be joyful H1523 , O earth H776 ; and break forth H6476 into singing H7440 , O mountains H2022 : for H3588 the LORD H3068 hath comforted H5162 his people H5971 , and will have mercy H7355 upon his afflicted H6041 .
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14. But Jerusalem said, "The Lord has left me; the Lord has forgotten me."
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14. But Zion H6726 said H559 , The LORD H3068 hath forsaken H5800 me , and my Lord H136 hath forgotten H7911 me.
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15. The Lord answers, "Can a woman forget the baby she nurses? Can she feel no kindness for the child to which she gave birth? Even if she could forget her children, I will not forget you.
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15. Can a woman H802 forget H7911 her sucking child H5764 , that she should not have compassion H4480 H7355 on the son H1121 of her womb H990 ? yea H1571 , they H428 may forget H7911 , yet will I H595 not H3808 forget H7911 thee.
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16. See, I have written your name on my hand. Jerusalem, I always think about your walls.
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16. Behold H2005 , I have graven H2710 thee upon H5921 the palms of my hands H3709 ; thy walls H2346 are continually H8548 before H5048 me.
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17. Your children will soon return to you, and the people who defeated you and destroyed you will leave.
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17. Thy children H1121 shall make haste H4116 ; thy destroyers H2040 and they that made thee waste H2717 shall go forth H3318 of H4480 thee.
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18. Look up and look around you. All your children are gathering to return to you." The Lord says, "As surely as I live, your children will be like jewels that a bride wears proudly.
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18. Lift up H5375 thine eyes H5869 round about H5439 , and behold H7200 : all H3605 these gather themselves together H6908 , and come H935 to thee. As I H589 live H2416 , saith H5002 the LORD H3068 , thou shalt surely H3588 clothe H3847 thee with them all H3605 , as with an ornament H5716 , and bind H7194 them on thee , as a bride H3618 doeth .
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19. "You were destroyed and defeated, and your land was made useless. But now you will have more people than the land can hold, and those people who destroyed you will be far away.
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19. For H3588 thy waste H2723 and thy desolate places H8074 , and the land H776 of thy destruction H2035 , shall even H3588 now H6258 be too narrow H3334 by reason of the inhabitants H4480 H3427 , and they that swallowed thee up H1104 shall be far away H7368 .
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20. Children were born to you while you were sad, but they will say to you, 'This place is too small for us. Give us a bigger place to live.'
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20. The children H1121 which thou shalt have , after thou hast lost the other H7923 , shall say H559 again H5750 in thine ears H241 , The place H4725 is too strait H6862 for me : give place H5066 to me that I may dwell H3427 .
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21. Then you will say to yourself, 'Who gave me all these children? I was sad and lonely, defeated and separated from my people. So who reared these children? I was left all alone. Where did all these children come from?'"
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21. Then shalt thou say H559 in thine heart H3824 , Who H4310 hath begotten H3205 me H853 these H428 , seeing I H589 have lost my children H7909 , and am desolate H1565 , a captive H1540 , and removing to and fro H5493 ? and who H4310 hath brought up H1431 these H428 ? Behold H2005 , I H589 was left H7604 alone H905 ; these H428 , where H375 had they H1992 been ?
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22. This is what the Lord God says: "See, I will lift my hand to signal the nations; I will raise my banner for all the people to see. Then they will bring your sons back to you in their arms, and they will carry your daughters on their shoulders.
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22. Thus H3541 saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 , Behold H2009 , I will lift up H5375 mine hand H3027 to H413 the Gentiles H1471 , and set up H7311 my standard H5251 to H413 the people H5971 : and they shall bring H935 thy sons H1121 in their arms H2684 , and thy daughters H1323 shall be carried H5375 upon H5921 their shoulders H3802 .
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23. Kings will teach your children, and daughters of kings will take care of them. They will bow down before you and kiss the dirt at your feet. Then you will know I am the Lord. Anyone who trusts in me will not be disappointed."
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23. And kings H4428 shall be H1961 thy nursing fathers H539 , and their queens H8282 thy nursing mothers H3243 : they shall bow down H7812 to thee with their face H639 toward the earth H776 , and lick up H3897 the dust H6083 of thy feet H7272 ; and thou shalt know H3045 that H3588 I H589 am the LORD H3068 : for they H834 shall not H3808 be ashamed H954 that wait H6960 for me.
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24. Can the wealth a soldier wins in war be taken away from him? Can a prisoner be freed from a powerful soldier?
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24. Shall the prey H4455 be taken H3947 from the mighty H4480 H1368 , or H518 the lawful H6662 captive H7628 delivered H4422 ?
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25. This is what the Lord says: "The prisoners will be taken from the strong soldiers. What the soldiers have taken will be saved. I will fight your enemies, and I will save your children.
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25. But H3588 thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 , Even H1571 the captives H7628 of the mighty H1368 shall be taken away H3947 , and the prey H4455 of the terrible H6184 shall be delivered H4422 : for I H595 will contend with H7378 him that contendeth with H3401 thee , and I H595 will save H3467 thy children H1121 .
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26. I will force those who trouble you to eat their own flesh. Their own blood will be the wine that makes them drunk. Then everyone will know I, the Lord, am the One who saves you; I am the Powerful One of Jacob who saves you."
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26. And I will feed H398 H853 them that oppress H3238 thee with H853 their own flesh H1320 ; and they shall be drunken H7937 with their own blood H1818 , as with sweet wine H6071 : and all H3605 flesh H1320 shall know H3045 that H3588 I H589 the LORD H3068 am thy Savior H3467 and thy Redeemer H1350 , the mighty One H46 of Jacob H3290 .
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