Isaiah 42
1 “Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.
Behold my servant, whom I will uphold; my elect, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my spirit upon him, that he may bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets.
He shall not cry, nor call out aloud, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.
A cracked reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: unto truth shall he bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow weak or discouraged before He has established justice on the earth. In His law the islands will put their hope.”
He shall not become fatigued and not be faint, till he have established justice on earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.
5 This is what God the LORD says— He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk in it:
Thus hath said God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and the things which come out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to those that walk thereon:
6 “I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations,
I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will lay hold on thy hand, and will keep thee, and appoint thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations;
7 to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.
To open blind eyes, to bring out from the dungeon the prisoner, and out of the prison-house those that dwell in darkness.
8 I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.
I am the Everlasting One, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to any other, nor my praise to graven images.
9 Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”
The former things, behold, are come to pass; and new things do I announce; before they spring forth I let you hear of them.
10 Sing to the LORD a new song— His praise from the ends of the earth— you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who dwell in them.
Sing unto the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth; ye that go down to the sea, and all that filleth it; the isles, and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its cities raise their voices; let the villages of Kedar cry aloud. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them cry out from the mountaintops.
Let resound with song the wilderness and its cities, the villages which Kedar inhabiteth: let the inhabitants of the rocks sing, let them shout forth from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the LORD and declare His praise in the islands.
Let them give glory unto the Lord, and in the islands declare his praise.
13 The LORD goes forth like a mighty one; He stirs up His zeal like a warrior. He shouts; yes, He roars in triumph over His enemies:
The Lord—as a mighty one will he go forth, like a man of war will he arouse his vengeance: he will shout, yea, raise the war-cry; against his enemies will he show his strength.
14 “I have kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant.
I have a long time held my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: [now] like a travailing woman will I cry; I will destroy and devour [all] together.
15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn the rivers into dry land and drain the marshes.
I will lay waste mountains and hills, and all their herbs will I dry up; and I will change the rivers into islands, and pools will I dry up.
16 I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.
And I will cause the blind to walk on a way that they have not known; on paths that they have not known will I lead them: I will change darkness before them into light, and crooked places into plains. These are the things which I will do, and not leave them [unfulfilled].
17 But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.
They shall be turned back, they shall be ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to molten idols, Ye are our gods.
18 Listen, you deaf ones; look, you blind ones, that you may see!
Ye deaf, hear; and ye blind, look up, that ye may see.
19 Who is blind but My servant, or deaf like the messenger I am sending? Who is blind like My covenant partner, or blind like the servant of the LORD?
Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger whom I send? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 Though seeing many things, you do not keep watch. Though your ears are open, you do not hear.”
Thou seest many things, but observest not; the ears are open, but he heareth not.
21 The LORD was pleased, for the sake of His righteousness, to magnify His law and make it glorious.
The Lord willed [to do this] for the sake of his righteousness; [therefore] he magnifieth the law, and maketh it honorable.
22 But this is a people plundered and looted, all trapped in caves or imprisoned in dungeons. They have become plunder with no one to rescue them, and loot with no one to say, “Send them back!”
But it is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them ensnared in holes, and in prison-houses are they hidden: they are become for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
23 Who among you will pay attention to this? Who will listen and obey hereafter?
Who among you will give ear to this? will hearken and listen, for the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? They were unwilling to walk in His ways, and they would not obey His law.
Who gave up Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to plunderers? was it not the Lord? he it is against whom we have sinned; for they would not walk in his ways, neither did they hearken unto his law.
25 So He poured out on them His furious anger and the fierceness of battle. It enveloped them in flames, but they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.
Therefore hath he poured out over him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it blazed all round about him, yet he regarded it not; and it burnt on him, yet he laid it not to heart.
