<p class="poetry">O descendants<n id="1" /> of Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">come, let us walk in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s guiding light.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> will certainly have compassion on Jacob;<n id="1" /> he will again choose Israel as his special people<n id="2" /> and restore<n id="3" /> them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family<n id="4" /> of Jacob.

<p class="poetry">I will wait patiently for the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">who has rejected the family of Jacob;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will wait for him.p>

A remnant will come back, a remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;But you did not call for me, O Jacob;p> <p class="poetry">you did not long<n id="1" /> for me, O Israel.p>

<p class="poetry">So I defiled your holy princes,p> <p class="poetry">and handed Jacob over to destruction,p> <p class="poetry">and subjected<n id="1" /> Israel to humiliating abuse.&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Now, listen, Jacob my servant,p> <p class="poetry">Israel whom I have chosen!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;At that time<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Jacob&#8217;s splendor will be greatly diminished,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and he will become skin and bones.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The time is coming when Jacob will take root;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Israel will blossom and grow branches.p> <p class="poetry">The produce<n id="2" /> will fill the surface of the world.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Why do you say, Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">Why do you say, Israel,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> is not aware of what is happening to me,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">My God is not concerned with my vindication&#8221;?<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;You, my servant Israel,p> <p class="poetry">Jacob whom I have chosen,p> <p class="poetry">offspring of Abraham my friend,<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Present your argument,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Produce your evidence,&#8221;<n id="1" /> says Jacob&#8217;s king.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For the sake of my servant Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">Israel, my chosen one,p> <p class="poetry">I call you by namep> <p class="poetry">and give you a title of respect, even though you do not recognize<n id="1" /> me.p>

<p class="poetry">Listen to me, O Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">Israel, whom I summoned!p> <p class="poetry">I am the one;p> <p class="poetry">I am present at the very beginningp> <p class="poetry">and at the very end.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">So this is what the <sc>Lordsc>, the one who delivered Abraham, says to the family of Jacob:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Jacob will no longer be ashamed;p> <p class="poetry">their faces will no longer show their embarrassment.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Indeed, O <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="1" /> you have abandoned your people,p> <p class="poetry">the descendants of Jacob.p> <p class="poetry">For diviners from the east are everywhere;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they consult omen readers like the Philistines do.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Plenty of foreigners are around.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">For when they see their children,p> <p class="poetry">whom I will produce among them,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">they will honor<n id="2" /> my name.p> <p class="poetry">They will honor the Holy One of Jacob;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">they will respect<n id="4" /> the God of Israel.p>

<p class="poetry">Don&#8217;t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">men of<n id="2" /> Israel.p> <p class="poetry">I am helping you,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">your protector,<n id="3" /> the Holy One of Israel.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Who handed Jacob over to the robber?p> <p class="poetry">Who handed Israel over to the looters?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Was it not the <sc>Lordsc>, against whom we sinned?p> <p class="poetry">They refused to follow his commands;p> <p class="poetry">they disobeyed his law.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Now, this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">the one who created you, O Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">and formed you, O Israel:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid, for I will protect<n id="1" /> you.p> <p class="poetry">I call you by name, you are mine.p>