Isaiah 49:18

The whole situation is changing very fast. The evidence is all round the city for people to see for themselves. The *Lord has carried out the things that he promised to do.

• In the original language, ‘As I live, says the *Lord’ is a special form of words. It emphasises that the promise afterwards is definite. Even as certainly as God always lives, so as certainly his promise is always true. (See Numbers 14:21 and Zephaniah 2:9. Also see Ezekiel 14:16, among very many other examples in that *Old Testament Book.)

*Jerusalem’s wonderful future

v19 Cruel enemies ruined *Jerusalem and they made the land a desert. But now you will not have enough space for its inhabitants. Those who destroyed your country will have gone. v20 The children who were born during your time of despair will complain: ‘This place is too small for us. We need more space in *Jerusalem for all of us to live here.’

v21 You will tell yourself, ‘Someone must have *borne these children for me. I had lost my own children. I could have no more. I was in a foreign country. I was without a home. Someone must have brought up these children. I was completely alone. I cannot understand where these children came from.’

v22 (These are the words of the *Lord God.) ‘See, I will lift up my hand to the nations to attract their attention. I will signal to many people. They will carry your sons in their arms. They will lift your daughters onto their shoulders. v23 Kings will act as your fathers. Princesses will act as your mothers. They will humbly fall on the ground to give you honour. They will taste the dust at your feet. Then you will have clear evidence that I am the *Lord. I will never disappoint those who trust me.’