< Esias 42 >

1 Jacob is my servant, I will help him: Israel is my chosen, my soul has accepted him; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
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 shall not cry, nor lift up [his voice], nor shall his voice be heard without.
He shall not cry, nor call out aloud, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench; but he shall bring forth judgment to truth.
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 shall shine out, and shall not be discouraged, until he have set judgment on the earth: and in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
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 Thus saith the Lord God, who made the heaven, and established it; who settled the earth, and the things in it, and gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to them that tread on 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 God have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will strengthen thee: and I have given thee for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles:
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 the bound and them that sit in darkness out of bonds and 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 God: that is my name: I will not give my glory to another, nor my praises to graven images.
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 ancient things have come to pass, and [so will] the new things which I tell you: yea, before I tell [them] they are made known 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 a new hymn to the Lord: ye [who are] his dominion, glorify his name from the end of the earth: ye that go down to the sea, and sail upon it; the islands, and they that 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 Rejoice, thou wilderness, and the villages thereof, the hamlets, and the dwellers in Kedar: the inhabitants of the rock shall rejoice, they shall shout from the top of the mountains.
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 They shall give glory to God, [and] shall proclaim his praises in the islands.
Let them give glory unto the Lord, and in the islands declare his praise.
13 The Lord God of hosts shall go forth, and crush the war: he shall stir up jealousy, and shall shout mightily against 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 been silent: shall I also always be silent and forbear: I have endured like a travailing [woman]: I will [now] amaze and wither at once.
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 make desolate mountains and hills, and will dry up all their grass; and I will make the rivers islands, and dry up the pools.
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 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, and I will cause them to tread paths which they have not known: I will turn darkness into light for them, and crooked things into straight. These things will I do, and 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 they are turned back: be ye utterly ashamed that trust in graven [images], who say to the molten [images], Ye are our gods.
They shall be turned back, they shall be ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to molten idols, Ye are our gods.
18 Hear, ye deaf, and look up, ye blind, to see.
Ye deaf, hear; and ye blind, look up, that ye may see.
19 And who is blind, but my servants? and deaf, but they that rule over them? yea, the servants of God have been made blind.
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 Ye have often seen, and have not taken heed; [your] ears have been opened, and ye have not heard.
Thou seest many things, but observest not; the ears are open, but he heareth not.
21 The Lord God has taken counsel that he might be justified, and might magnify [his] praise.
The Lord willed [to do this] for the sake of his righteousness; [therefore] he magnifieth the law, and maketh it honorable.
22 And I beheld, and the people were spoiled and plundered: for [there is] a snare in the secret chambers everywhere, and in the houses also, where they have hidden them: they became a spoil, and there was no one that delivered the prey, and there was none who said, Restore.
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 [is there] among you that will give ear to these things? hearken ye to the things which are coming to pass.
Who among you will give ear to this? will hearken and listen, for the time to come?
24 For what did he give to Jacob up to spoil, and Israel to them that plundered him? Did not God [do it] against whom they sinned? [and] they would not walk in his ways, nor hearken to 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 brought upon them the fury of his wrath; and the war, and those that burnt round about them, prevailed against them; yet no one of them knew [it], neither did they lay [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.

< Esias 42 >