Isaiah 42
1 Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights. I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
Look! Here is my servant, the one I support; my chosen one who pleases me. I have placed my Spirit on him, and he will show the nations what is right.
2 He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
He won't shout or cry out; he won't raise his voice in the street.
3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench, but he will bring forth justice in truth.
He won't break a damaged reed; he won't snuff out a smoldering wick. He will faithfully make sure everyone is treated fairly.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged till he has set justice in the earth. And in his name Gentiles will hope.
He won't give up or become discouraged until he has made sure that justice is upheld throughout the world. Even lands overseas will look forward to his teachings.
5 Thus says God, Jehovah, he who created the heavens, and stretched them forth, he who spread abroad the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to the people upon it, and spirit to those who walk in it,
This is what God the Lord says, the one who created the heavens and stretched them out, who made the earth and everything in it, who gives breath to the people on it, and life to those who live there:
6 I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles,
“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate what's right, and I will hold your hand. I will take care of you, and give you as a sign of my agreement with the people and as a light to the nations.
7 to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
You will make the blind see, set free those who are locked up, and lead those who sit in darkness out from prison.
8 I am Jehovah. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven images.
I am the Lord—that is my name! I do not give my honor to anyone else; I do not give my praise to idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and I declare new things. Before they spring forth I tell you of them.
Notice that what I foretold has come true, as will the new things I'm saying to you now. I tell you what will happen before it does.”
10 Sing to Jehovah a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing praise from everywhere on earth, you who sail on the sea and everything in it, you islands and everyone who lives in them.
11 Let the wilderness and the cities of it lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Let the people in the desert and its towns shout; let the people of the villages of Kedar cry out loud. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops.
12 Let them give glory to Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.
Let them glorify the Lord and praise him in the islands.
13 Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man. He will stir up his zeal like a man of war. He will cry, yea, he will shout aloud. He will do mightily against his enemies.
Like a mighty warrior the Lord will march out, like a seasoned soldier he goes out with courage. He gives his war-cry, shouting as he battles and defeats his enemies.
14 I have for a long time held my peace. I have been still, and refrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will gasp and pant together.
“I didn't say anything for a long time, I kept quiet and restrained myself. But now like a woman giving birth, I will moan and gasp and pant.
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs. And I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.
I will dry up the mountains and the hills, and make all their greenery wither. I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools.
16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not. I will lead them in paths that they know not. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do, and I will not forsake them.
I will lead the blind along a road they don't know; I will guide them along paths they don't know. I will turn darkness into light before them, and smooth out the rough places. This is what I'm going to do for them; I won't let them down.
17 They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly put to shame, who trust in graven images, who say to molten images, Ye are our gods.
But those who trust in idols and say to images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be rejected in humiliation and shame.
18 Hear, ye deaf, and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
Listen, you deaf people! Look and see, you blind people!
19 Who is blind, but my servant, or deaf, as my messenger that I send? Who is blind as he who is at peace with me, and blind as Jehovah's servant?
Who is blind like my servant? Who is deaf like my messenger that I send? Who is as blind as the people of the agreement? Who is as blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 Thou see many things, but thou do not observe. His ears are open, but he does not hear.
You've looked at many things but have not really seen; you've heard but never really listened.”
21 It pleased Jehovah, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify the law, and make it honorable.
Because the Lord does what is right he wanted to show how important and wonderful his instructions were.
22 But this is a people robbed and plundered. They are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison-houses. They are for a prey, and none delivers, for a spoil, and none says, Restore.
But this people ended up robbed and raided, all of them trapped in holes or hidden in prisons. They have been stolen like loot, with no one to save them from being someone's prize, no one to say “Give them back!”
23 Who is there among you that will give ear to this, that will hearken and hear for the time to come?
Who of you is going to listen to this, or pay attention later on?
24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not Jehovah? He against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, nor were they obedient to his law.
Who let Jacob be taken as loot; who let Israel be taken by robbers? Wasn't it the Lord who we sinned against? The people weren't willing to follow his ways, and they refused to obey his law.
25 Therefore he poured upon him the fierceness of his anger, and the strength of battle. And it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not. And it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
So he poured out his furious anger on them, and the violence of war. Even though they were surrounded by flames, but they still didn't understand. The fire burned them up, but they still did not take the situation seriously.
