The Servant of the Lord
1People who live on the islands, listen to me.
Pay attention, you nations far away.
Before I was born the Lord chose me to serve him.
Before I was born the Lord spoke my name.
2He made my words like a sharp sword.
He hid me in the palm of his hand.
He made me into a sharpened arrow.
He took good care of me and kept me safe.
3He said to me, “You are my true servant Israel.
I will show my glory through you.”
4But I said, “In spite of my hard work,
I feel as if I haven’t accomplished anything.
I’ve used up all my strength.
It seems as if everything I’ve done is worthless.
But the Lord will give me what I should receive.
My God will reward me.”
5The Lord formed me in my mother’s body to be his servant.
He wanted me to bring the family of Jacob back to him.
He wanted me to gather the people of Israel to himself.
The Lord will honor me.
My God will give me strength.
6Here is what the Lord says to me.
“It is not enough for you as my servant
to bring the tribes of Jacob back to their land.
It is not enough for you to bring back
the people of Israel I have kept alive.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles.
Then you will make it possible for the whole world to be saved.”
7The Lord sets his people free.
He is the Holy One of Israel.
He speaks to his servant, who is looked down on and hated by the nations.
He speaks to the servant of rulers. He says to him,
“Kings will see you and stand up to honor you.
Princes will see you and bow down to show you their respect.
I am the Lord. I am faithful.
I am the Holy One of Israel.
I have chosen you.”
Israel Is Brought Back to Their Land
8The Lord says to his servant,
“When it is time to have mercy on you, I will answer your prayers.
When it is time to save you, I will help you.
I will keep you safe.
You will put into effect my covenant with the people of Israel.
Then their land will be made like new again.
Each tribe will be sent back to its territory that was left empty.
9I want you to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out.’
Tell those who are in their dark cells, ‘You are free!’
“On their way home they will eat beside the roads.
They will find plenty to eat on every bare hill.
10They will not get hungry or thirsty.
The heat from the desert sun will not beat down on them.
The God who has tender love for them will guide them.
Like a shepherd, he will lead them beside springs of water.
11I will make roads across the mountains.
I will build wide roads for my people.
12They will come from far away.
Some of them will come from the north.
Others will come from the west.
Still others will come from Aswan in the south.”
13Shout for joy, you heavens!
Be glad, you earth!
Burst into song, you mountains!
The Lord will comfort his people.
He will show his tender love to those who are suffering.
14But the city of Zion said, “The Lord has deserted me.
The Lord has forgotten me.”
15The Lord answers, “Can a mother forget the baby
who is nursing at her breast?
Can she stop having tender love
for the child who was born to her?
She might forget her child.
But I will not forget you.
16I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
Your walls are never out of my sight.
17Your people will hurry back.
Those who destroyed you so completely will leave you.
18Look up. Look all around you.
All your people are getting together
to come back to you.
You can be sure that I live,”
announces the Lord.
“And you can be just as sure that your people
will be like decorations you will wear.
Like a bride, you will wear them proudly.
19“Zion, you were destroyed. Your land was left empty.
It was turned into a dry and empty desert.
But now you will be too small to hold all your people.
And those who destroyed you will be far away.
20The children born during your time of sorrow
will speak to you. They will say,
‘This city is too small for us.
Give us more space to live in.’
21Then you will say to yourself,
‘Whose children are these?
I lost my children.
And I couldn’t have any more.
My children were taken far away from me.
And no one wanted them.
Who brought these children up?
I was left all alone.
So where have these children come from?’ ”
22The Lord and King continues,
“I will call out to the nations.
I will give a signal to them.
They will bring back your sons in their arms.
They will carry your daughters on their hips.
23Their kings will become like fathers to you.
Their queens will be like mothers who nurse you.
They will bow down to you with their faces toward the ground.
They will kiss the dust at your feet to show you their respect.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
Those who put their hope in me will not be ashamed.”
24Can goods that were stolen by soldiers be taken away from them?
Can prisoners be set free from the powerful Babylonians?
25“Yes, they can,” the Lord answers.
“Prisoners will be taken away from soldiers.
Stolen goods will be taken back from the powerful Babylonians.
Zion, I will fight against those who fight against you.
And I will save your people.
26I will make those who treat you badly eat the flesh of others.
They will drink blood and get drunk on it as if it were wine.
Then everyone on earth will know
that I am the one who saves you.
I am the Lord. I set you free.
I am the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Mtumishi Wa Bwana
149:1 Isa 44:24; Yer 1:5; Lk 1:15; Isa 33:13; 11:11; Mt 1:20; Isa 7:14; 9:6; Kut 33:12Nisikilizeni, enyi visiwa, sikieni hili,
ninyi mataifa mlio mbali:
Kabla sijazaliwa, Bwana aliniita,
tangu kuzaliwa kwangu, amelitaja jina langu.
249:2 Za 64:3; Hos 6:5; Efe 6:17; Ay 40:18; Ufu 1:16; Kut 33:22; Zek 9:13Akafanya kinywa changu kuwa kama upanga ulionolewa,
katika uvuli wa mkono wake akanificha;
akanifanya kuwa mshale uliosuguliwa,
na kunificha katika podo lake.
349:3 Isa 20:3; Zek 3:8; Law 10:3; Isa 44:23Akaniambia, “Wewe u mtumishi wangu,
Israeli, ambaye katika yeye
nitaonyesha utukufu wangu.”
449:4 Eze 3:19; Law 26:20; Isa 35:4; Ay 27:2; Isa 55:2; 65:23; 45:25; 54:17Lakini nilisema, “Nimetumika bure,
nimetumia nguvu zangu bure bila faida.
Hata hivyo linalonistahili liko mkononi mwa Bwana,
nao ujira wangu uko kwa Mungu wangu.”
549:5 Kum 30:4; Isa 11:12; 43:4; Za 139:13; Gal 1:15; Za 18:1Sasa Bwana asema:
yeye aliyeniumba tumboni kuwa mtumishi wake,
kumrudisha tena Yakobo kwake
na kumkusanyia Israeli,
kwa maana nimepata heshima machoni pa Bwana,
naye Mungu wangu amekuwa nguvu yangu;
649:6 Zek 8:22; Lk 2:32; Yn 11:52; Isa 9:2; Yon 1:9; Isa 26:18; Kum 30:4; Mdo 13:47yeye asema:
“Je, ni jambo dogo sana wewe kuwa mtumishi wangu
ili kurejeza makabila ya Yakobo,
na kuwarudisha wale Waisraeli niliowahifadhi?
Pia nitakufanya uwe nuru kwa ajili ya watu wa Mataifa,
ili upate kuleta wokovu wangu hata miisho ya dunia.”
749:7 Isa 48:17; Za 69:7-9; Isa 52:15; Mwa 27:29; Za 22:6, 29; 86:9; Kum 7:9Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana,
yeye Mkombozi na Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli,
kwake yeye aliyedharauliwa na kuchukiwa na taifa,
kwa mtumishi wa watawala:
“Wafalme watakuona na kusimama,
wakuu wataona na kuanguka kifudifudi,
kwa sababu ya Bwana, aliye mwaminifu,
yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli, aliyekuchagua wewe.”
Kurejezwa Kwa Israeli
849:8 Za 69:13; 2Kor 6:2; Law 25:10; Za 37:9; Isa 60:10; 41:10; 26:3; 5:249:8 Isa 44:28; Neh 2:17Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana:
“Wakati wangu uliokubalika nitakujibu,
nami katika siku ya wokovu nitakusaidia;
nitakuhifadhi, nami nitakufanya
kuwa agano kwa ajili ya watu,
ili kurudisha nchi
na kugawanyia urithi tena wale waliokuwa ukiwa,
949:9 Lk 4:19; Isa 41:18; Zek 9:12; Isa 42:7; Za 107:10kuwaambia mateka, ‘Tokeni nje,’
nao wale walio gizani, ‘Kuweni huru!’
“Watajilisha kando ya barabara
na kupata malisho yao juu ya kila kilima kilicho kitupu.
1049:10 Isa 33:16; Ufu 7:16; Isa 35:7; Za 21:6; Isa 42:16; 33:21Hawataona njaa wala kuona kiu,
wala hari ya jangwani au jua halitawapiga.
Yeye mwenye huruma juu yao atawaonyesha njia,
na kuwaongoza kando ya chemchemi za maji.
1149:11 Isa 11:6; Yer 31:9; Isa 40:4Nitaifanya milima yangu yote kuwa barabara,
na njia kuu zangu zitainuliwa.
1249:12 Isa 2:3; 43:5-6; 59:19; Mt 8:11Tazama, watakuja kutoka mbali:
wengine kutoka kaskazini, wengine kutoka magharibi,
wengine kutoka nchi ya Sinimu.”49:12 Sinimu hapa ina maana ya Aswani.
1349:13 Za 98:4; 71:21; 2Kor 1:4; Isa 48:20; Za 96:11; 65:12-13; 9:12Pigeni kelele kwa furaha, enyi mbingu;
furahi, ee dunia;
pazeni sauti kwa kuimba, enyi milima!
Kwa maana Bwana anawafariji watu wake,
naye atakuwa na huruma kwa watu wake walioumizwa.
1449:14 Isa 40:9; Za 9:10; Isa 27:8; Za 71:11Lakini Sayuni alisema, “Bwana ameniacha,
Bwana amenisahau.”
1549:15 Mt 7:11; Isa 44:21; 1Fal 3:26; Isa 66:13“Je, mama aweza kumsahau mtoto
aliyeko matitini mwake akinyonya,
wala asiwe na huruma
juu ya mtoto aliyemzaa?
Ingawa anaweza kusahau,
mimi sitakusahau wewe!
1649:16 Wim 8:6; Kut 28:9; Za 48:12-13; Isa 62:6; Mwa 38:18Tazama, nimekuchora kama muhuri
katika vitanga vya mikono yangu,
kuta zako zi mbele yangu daima.
1749:17 Isa 49:19Wana wako wanaharakisha kurudi,
nao wale waliokuteka wanaondoka kwako.
1849:18 Mit 17:6; Rum 14:11; Hes 14:21; Yer 2:32; Isa 11:12; 43:5; 54:9; 45:23Inua macho yako ukatazame pande zote:
wana wako wote wanakusanyika na kukujia.
Kwa hakika kama vile niishivyo,
utawavaa wote kama mapambo,
na kujifunga nao kama bibi arusi,”
asema Bwana.
1949:19 Law 26:33; Isa 62:4; Zek 10:10; Eze 36:10-11; Zek 2:4; Isa 60:18; 1:20“Ingawa uliangamizwa na kufanywa ukiwa,
na nchi yako ikaharibiwa,
sasa nafasi itakuwa finyu kwa ajili ya watu wako,
nao wale waliokuangamiza watakuwa mbali sana.
2049:20 Mt 3:9; Rum 11:11, 12Watoto waliozaliwa wakati wa msiba wako
bado watakuambia,
‘Mahali hapa ni finyu sana kwetu,
tupe eneo kubwa zaidi la kuishi.’
2149:21 Isa 5:13; Lk 15:5; Isa 60:4; 29:23; 66:7-8; 47:8; Yer 10:20; Mwa 15:2Ndipo utasema moyoni mwako,
‘Ni nani aliyenizalia hawa?
Nilikuwa nimefiwa, tena tasa;
nilikuwa nimehamishwa na kukataliwa.
Ni nani aliyewalea hawa?
Niliachwa peke yangu,
lakini hawa wametoka wapi?’ ”
2249:22 Isa 60:10-11; Hes 11:12; Mwa 3:14; Za 72:9; Kut 6:2; Mik 7:17; Mwa 3:14Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenyezi:
“Tazama, nitawaashiria watu wa Mataifa,
nitainua bendera yangu kwa mataifa;
watawaleta wana wako mikononi yao,
na kuwabeba binti zenu juu ya mabega yao.
23Wafalme watakuwa baba zenu wa kuwalea,
na malkia wao watakuwa mama zenu wa kuwalea.
Watasujudu mbele yako nyuso zao zikigusa ardhi;
wataramba mavumbi yaliyo miguuni mwako.
Ndipo utajua ya kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana;
wale wanaonitumaini mimi hawataaibika.”
2449:24 Mt 12:29; Mk 3:27; Lk 11:21Je, nyara zaweza kuchukuliwa kutoka kwa mashujaa wa vita,
au mateka kuokolewa kutoka kwa watu wakali?
2549:25 Yer 50:33-34; Isa 14:2; 25:9; Mk 3:27; Isa 13:11; 25:4-9; 1Sam 24:15Lakini hili ndilo asemalo Bwana:
“Naam, mateka watachukuliwa kutoka kwa mashujaa,
na nyara zitapokonywa kutoka kwa watu wakali.
Nitashindana na wale wanaoshindana nawe,
nami nitawaokoa watoto wako.
2649:26 Isa 9:4, 20; Nah 1:10; Ufu 16:6; Eze 39:7; Hes 23:24; Yer 25:27; Isa 11:9; Ay 19:25; Isa 48:17; Mwa 49:24; Za 132:2Nitawafanya wale wanaokuonea kula nyama yao wenyewe,
watalewa kwa damu yao wenyewe,
kama vile kwa mvinyo.
Ndipo wanadamu wote watajua
ya kuwa Mimi, Bwana, ni Mwokozi wako,
Mkombozi wako, niliye Mwenye Nguvu wa Yakobo.”
