18 Look up, and look around.
They all gather together; they come to you.(A)
As I live”—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“you will wear all your children[a] as jewelry,
and put them on as a bride does.
19 For your waste and desolate places
and your land marked by ruins
will now be indeed too small for the inhabitants,(B)
and those who swallowed you up will be far away.
20 Yet as you listen, the children
that you have been deprived of will say,
‘This place is too small for me;
make room for me so that I may settle.’(C)
21 Then you will say within yourself,
‘Who fathered these for me?
I was deprived of my children and unable to conceive,
exiled and wandering—
but who brought them up?
See, I was left by myself—
but these, where did they come from?’” [b]

22 This is what the Lord God says:

Look, I will lift up my hand to the nations,
and raise my banner to the peoples.(D)
They will bring your sons in their arms,
and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 49:18 Lit all of them
  2. 49:21 Lit where are they

18 Lift up your eyes and look around;
    all your children gather(A) and come to you.
As surely as I live,(B)” declares the Lord,
    “you will wear(C) them all as ornaments;
    you will put them on, like a bride.

19 “Though you were ruined and made desolate(D)
    and your land laid waste,(E)
now you will be too small for your people,(F)
    and those who devoured(G) you will be far away.
20 The children born during your bereavement
    will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
    give us more space to live in.’(H)
21 Then you will say in your heart,
    ‘Who bore me these?(I)
I was bereaved(J) and barren;
    I was exiled and rejected.(K)
    Who brought these(L) up?
I was left(M) all alone,(N)
    but these—where have they come from?’”

22 This is what the Sovereign Lord(O) says:

“See, I will beckon to the nations,
    I will lift up my banner(P) to the peoples;
they will bring(Q) your sons in their arms
    and carry your daughters on their hips.(R)

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