Isaiah 50
1 Thus says the Lord: What is this bill of divorce for your mother, by which I have dismissed her? Or who is my creditor, to whom I have sold you? Behold, you were sold by your iniquities, and I have dismissed your mother for your wickedness.
This is what Yahweh says, “Where is the certificate of divorce with which I divorced your mother? To which of my creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold because of your sins, and because of your rebellion, your mother was sent away.
2 For I arrived, and there was no man. I called out, and there was no one who would hear. Has my hand been shortened and become small, so that I am unable to redeem? Or is there no power in me to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke, I will make the sea into a desert. I will turn rivers into dry land. The fish will rot for lack of water and will die of thirst.
Why did I come but there was no one there? Why did I call but no one answered? Was my hand too short to ransom you? Was there no power in me to rescue you? Look, at my rebuke I dry up the sea; I make the rivers a desert; their fish die for lack of water and rot.
3 I will clothe the heavens in darkness, and I will make sackcloth their covering.
I clothe the sky with darkness; I cover it with sackcloth.”
4 The Lord has given me a learned tongue, so that I would know how to uphold with a word, one who has weakened. He rises in the morning, he rises to my ear in the morning, so that I may heed him like a teacher.
The Lord Yahweh has given me a tongue as one of those who are taught, so that I speak a sustaining word to the weary one; he wakes me morning by morning; he awakens my ear to hear like those who are taught.
5 The Lord God has opened my ear. And I do not contradict him. I have not turned back.
The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away backward.
6 I have given my body to those who strike me, and my cheeks to those who plucked them. I have not averted my face from those who rebuked me and who spit on me.
I gave my back to those who beat me, and my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard; I did not hide my face from acts of shame and spitting.
7 The Lord God is my helper. Therefore, I have not been confounded. Therefore, I have set my face like a very hard rock, and I know that I will not be confounded.
For the Lord Yahweh will help me; therefore I am not disgraced; so I have made my face like flint, for I know that I will not be put to shame.
8 He who justifies me is near. Who will speak against me? Let us stand together. Who is my adversary? Let him approach me.
He who will justify me is close by. Who will oppose me? Let us stand and confront one another. Who is my accuser? Let him come near to me.
9 Behold, the Lord God is my helper. Who is the one who would condemn me? Behold, they will all be worn away like a garment; the moth will devour them.
See, the Lord Yahweh will help me. Who will declare me guilty? See, they will all wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up.
10 Who is there among you who fears the Lord? Who hears the voice of his servant? Who has walked in darkness, and there is no light in him? Let him hope in the name of the Lord, and let him lean upon his God.
Who among you fears Yahweh? Who obeys the voice of his servant? Who walks in deep darkness without light? He should trust in the name of Yahweh and lean on his God.
11 Behold, all you who kindle a fire, wrapped in flames: walk in the light of your fire and in the flames that you have kindled. This has been done to you by my hand. You will sleep in anguish.
Look, all you who light fires, who equip yourselves with torches: walk in the light of your fire and in the flames that you have ignited. This is what you have received from me: You will lie down in a place of pain.
