1 Hear me, O coastlands; listen closely, you peoples from afar. The LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Caller} called me from the womb {beten: source of origin}; from within my mother He made mention of my name.
2 He {YHWH, Empowering Sender} made my mouth a sword with a sharp edge; He sheltered me in the shadow of His hand. He made me a polished arrow {chets: chosen instrument}; in His quiver He concealed me.
3 And He {YHWH, Sovereign Redeemer} said to me, “You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified {etpa’ar: display My majesty}.”
4 But I said, “I have toiled for nothing; I have spent my strength on emptiness and vanity {hebel: fleeting worthlessness}; yet my judgment is with the LORD {YHWH, Trustworthy Judge} and my recompense is with my God {Elohai, Faithful Rewarder}.”
5 And now, says the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Restorer}, who formed me from the womb to be His servant, to restore Jacob to Him—though Israel is not gathered to Him—yet I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God {Elohai, Personal Deity} has become my strength.
6 And He {YHWH, Mission Sender} said, “It is too small a thing for you to be My servant {eved: one who fulfills a commission} to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will also set you as a light to the nations to the end of the earth.”
7 Thus says the LORD {YHWH, Faithful Redeemer}, the Redeemer of Israel and His Holy One, to the one despised in soul {nefesh: personal life}, to the one abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: kings will see and rise, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.
8 Thus says the LORD {YHWH, Gracious Responder}, “In a time of favor {ratzon: acceptance and goodwill} I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. I will guard you and give you as a covenant for the people, to establish the land and cause the desolate inheritances to be inherited.”
9 Say to the prisoners {asurim: bound ones}, “Go forth!” and to those in darkness, “Show yourselves!” They will feed along the roads, and their pasture {mar’it: feeding place} will be on all the heights.
10 They shall neither hunger nor thirst, nor shall the scorching wind or the sun afflict them, for He {YHWH, Compassionate Leader} who shows compassion {merachamam: shows deep mercy} on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.
11 And I {YHWH, Possessive Sovereign} will transform all my mountains into a thoroughfare, and my highways will be elevated {yerumun: raised for passage}.
12 Behold, these will come from afar {merachoq: great distance}; and behold, these from the north and from the sea, and these from the land of Sinim {sinnim: remote region}.
13 Shout for joy, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth; and let the mountains break out in song! For the LORD {YHWH, Divine Comforter} has comforted His people, and He will have compassion on His afflicted ones {aniyav: oppressed, distressed}.
14 But Zion said, “The LORD {YHWH, Faithful Redeemer} has forsaken me, and my Lord {Adonai, Sovereign Ruler} has forgotten me.”
15 Can a woman forget her nursing child {ulahh: nurturing bond}, or fail to show compassion for the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I {anokhi: Remembrance Keeper} will not forget you.
16 Behold, upon the palms of My hands I {YHWH, Ever-Remembering} have inscribed {chaqaq: permanently etched} you; your walls stand ever before Me.
17 Your children {banayikh: descendants and spiritual heirs} shall make haste; your destroyers {meharsayikh: violent oppressors} and those who lay you waste shall go out from you.
18 Lift up your eyes in every direction and behold how they have all assembled and come to you. As I live, declares the LORD {YHWH, Oath Giver}, you shall surely clothe yourself with them all as an ornament {adi: decorative array} and bind them on you as a bride does.
19 For your ruins and desolate places and the land of your destruction will now be too narrow for inhabitants, and your swallowers will be far away. {desolate places shomemotayikh: deserted sites} {swallowers mevalle’ayikh: those who consumed you}
20 Still your children {bnei: offspring after loss} of bereavement will say in your ears, “The place is too narrow for me; make room for me {gashah-li: make space} so that I may dwell.”
21 And you will say in your heart, “Who has borne these for me, since I have been bereaved {shekhulah: lost children} and barren {galmudah: fruitless state}, exiled and removed? And these—who has raised them? Behold, I was left alone; these—where were they?”
22 Thus says the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH, Supreme Sovereign}, “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations and raise My banner to the peoples. And they will bring your sons in their bosom {hotzen: close embrace}, and your daughters will be carried upon their shoulder.”
23 And kings shall be your foster fathers, and their princesses your nursing mothers. Pressing their faces to the earth, they will bow before you, and they will lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD {YHWH, Ultimate Redeemer}; those who wait for Me {qovai: confident in hope} shall not be ashamed.
24 Shall the prey {malqoach: war spoil} be taken from the mighty, or can the lawful captive {tsaddiq: lawfully held prisoner} be delivered?
25 For thus declares the LORD {YHWH, Divine Advocate}: even the captives of the mighty shall be removed, and the spoil of the ruthless {arits: fierce oppressor} shall be returned; for I Myself will bring suit against your adversary, and I will save your children.
26 I will have your oppressors feed on their own flesh, and like fresh wine they will reel at the taste of their own blood. Then all flesh will acknowledge that I, the LORD {YHWH, Supreme Defender}, am your Savior {moshi’ekh: deliverer} and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.