Isaiah 42
1 Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect [in whom] my soul delighteth! I will put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the nations.
Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen one, in him I take delight. I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
He will not cry out nor shout, nor make his voice heard in the streets.
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment according to truth.
A crushed reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench: he will faithfully execute justice.
4 He shall not faint nor be in haste, till he have set justice in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
He will not grow faint nor be discouraged until he has established justice on the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
5 Thus saith God, Jehovah, he that created the heavens and stretched them out, he that spread forth the earth and its productions, he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
This is what God Yahweh says— the one who created the heavens and stretched them out, the one who made the earth and all that it produces, the one who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who live on it:
6 I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will take hold of thy hand; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations,
“I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness and will hold your hand. I will keep you and set you as a covenant for the people, as a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open the blind eyes, to bring forth the prisoner from the prison, them that sit in darkness out of the house of restraint.
to open the eyes of the blind, to release the prisoners from the dungeon, and from the house of confinement those who sit in darkness.
8 I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
I am Yahweh, that is my name; and my glory I will not share with another nor my praise with carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth will I cause you to hear them.
See, the previous things came to pass, now I am about to declare new events. Before they begin to occur I will tell you about them.”
10 Sing unto Jehovah a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles and their inhabitants.
Sing to Yahweh a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth; you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, the coastlands, and those who live there.
11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up [their voice], the villages that Kedar doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains:
Let the desert and the cities cry out, the villages where Kedar lives, shout for joy! Let the inhabitants of Sela sing; let them shout from the mountaintops.
12 let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.
Let them give glory to Yahweh and declare his praise in the coastlands.
13 Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man, he will stir up jealousy like a man of war: he will cry, yea, he will shout; he will shew himself mighty against his enemies.
Yahweh will go out as a warrior; as a man of war he will stir up his zeal. He will shout, yes, he will roar his battle cries; he will show his enemies his power.
14 Long time have I holden my peace; I have been still, I have restrained myself: I will cry like a woman that travaileth; I will blow and pant at once.
I have kept quiet for a long time; I have been still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will 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 I will dry up the pools.
I will lay waste mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; and I will turn the rivers into islands and will dry up the marshes.
16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not, in paths that they know not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
I will bring the blind by a way that they do not know; in paths that they do not know I will lead them. I will turn the darkness into light before them, and make the crooked places straight. These things I will do, and I will not abandon them.
17 They shall be turned back, they shall be covered with shame, that confide in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
They will be turned back, they will be completely put to shame, those who trust in carved figures, who say to cast metal figures, “You are our gods.”
18 — Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
Listen, you deaf; and look, you blind, that you may see.
19 Who is blind, but my servant? and deaf, as my messenger whom I sent? Who is blind as he in whom I have trusted, and blind as Jehovah's servant,
Who is blind but my servant? Or deaf like my messenger I send? Who is as blind as my covenant partner, or blind as Yahweh's servant?
20 — seeing many things, and thou observest not? With opened ears, he heareth not.
You see many things, but do not comprehend; ears are open, but no one hears.
21 Jehovah had delight [in him] for his righteousness' sake: he hath magnified the law, and made it honourable.
It pleased Yahweh to praise his justice and to make his law glorious.
22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and hidden in prison-houses; they are become a prey, and none delivereth, — a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
But this is a people robbed and plundered; they are all trapped in pits, held captive in prisons; they have become a plunder with no one to rescue them, and no one says, “Bring them back!”
23 Who among you will give ear to this, [who] will hearken and hear what is to come?
Who among you will listen to this? Who will listen and hear in the future?
24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not Jehovah, he against whom we have sinned? And they would not walk in his ways, neither did they hearken unto his law.
Who gave Jacob over to the robber, and Israel to the looters? Was it not Yahweh, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they refused to walk, and whose law they refused to obey?
25 And he hath poured upon him the fury 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 took it not to heart.
Therefore he poured out on them his fierce anger and the violence of war, Its flames encircled them, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.
