⁷ This is what the Lord says—
    the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel^(A)—
to him who was despised^(B) and abhorred by the nation,
    to the servant of rulers:
“Kings^(C) will see you and stand up,
    princes will see and bow down,^(D)
because of the Lord, who is faithful,^(E)
    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen^(F) you.”

“In the time of my favor^(G) I will answer you,
    and in the day of salvation I will help you;^(H)
I will keep^(I) you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people,^(J)
to restore the land^(K)
    and to reassign its desolate inheritances,^(L)
9 to say to the captives,^(M) ‘Come out,’
    and to those in darkness,^(N) ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads
    and find pasture on every barren hill.^(O)
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst,^(P)
    nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.^(Q)
He who has compassion^(R) on them will guide^(S) them
    and lead them beside springs^(T) of water.
¹¹ I will turn all my mountains into roads,
    and my highways^(U) will be raised up.^(V)
12 See, they will come from afar^(W)—
    some from the north, some from the west,^(X)
    some from the region of Aswan.^[a]”

¹³ Shout for joy,^(Y) you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;^(Z)
    burst into song, you mountains!^(AA)
For the Lord comforts^(AB) his people
    and will have compassion^(AC) on his afflicted ones.^(AD)

¹⁴ But Zion^(AE) said, “The Lord has forsaken^(AF) me,
    the Lord has forgotten me.”

¹⁵ “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child^(AG) she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!^(AH)
16 See, I have engraved^(AI) you on the palms of my hands;
    your walls^(AJ) are ever before me.
¹⁷ Your children hasten back,
    and those who laid you waste^(AK) depart from you.
¹⁸ Lift up your eyes and look around;
    all your children gather^(AL) and come to you.
As surely as I live,^(AM)” declares the Lord,
    “you will wear^(AN) them all as ornaments;
    you will put them on, like a bride.

¹⁹ “Though you were ruined and made desolate^(AO)
    and your land laid waste,^(AP)
now you will be too small for your people,^(AQ)
    and those who devoured^(AR) 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.’^(AS)

¹¹ so is my word^(A) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,^(B)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose^(C) for which I sent it.