Isaiah 42
1 Behold my servant, I will uphold him: my elect, my soul delighteth in him: I have given my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment 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 shall not cry, nor have respect to person, neither shall his voice be heard abroad.
He won't shout or cry out; he won't raise his voice in the street.
3 The bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto 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 shall not be sad, nor troublesome, till he set judgment in the earth: and the islands shall wait for his law.
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 saith the Lord God that created the heavens, and stretched them out: that established the earth, and the things that spring out of it: that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that tread thereon.
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 the Lord have called thee in justice, and taken thee by the hand, and preserved thee. And I have given 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 That thou mightest open the eyes of the blind, and bring forth the prisoner out of prison, and them that 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 the Lord, this is my name: I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven things.
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 The things that were first, behold they are come: and new things do I declare: before they spring forth, I will make you head 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 ye to the Lora a new song, his praise is from the ends of the earth: you that go down to the sea, and all that are therein: ye islands, and ye inhabitants of them.
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 desert and the cities thereof be exalted: Cedar shall dwell in houses: ye inhabitants of Petra, give praise, they shall cry 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 They shall give glory to the Lord, and shall declare his praise in the islands.
Let them glorify the Lord and praise him in the islands.
13 The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, as a man of war shall he stir up zeal: he shall shout and cry: he shall prevail 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 always held my peace, I have I kept silence, I have been patient, I will speak now as a woman in labour: I will destroy, and swallow up at once.
“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 the mountains and hills, and will make all their grass to wither: and I will turn rivers into islands, and will dry up the standing 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 lead the blind into the way which they know not: and in the paths which they were ignorant of I will make them walk: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight: these things have I done to them, and have not forsaken 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 are turned back: let them be greatly confounded, that trust in a graven thing, that say to a molten thing: You are our god.
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, ye blind, behold that you may see.
Listen, you deaf people! Look and see, you blind people!
19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, but he to whom I have sent my messengers? Who is blind, but he that is sold? or who is blind, but the servant of the Lord?
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 that seest many things, wilt thou not observe them? thou that hast ears open, wilt thou not hear?
You've looked at many things but have not really seen; you've heard but never really listened.”
21 And the Lord was willing to sanctify him, and to magnify the law, and exalt it.
Because the Lord does what is right he wanted to show how important and wonderful his instructions were.
22 But this is a people that is robbed and wasted: they are all the snare of young men, and they are hid in the houses of prisons: they are made a prey, and there is none to deliver them: a spoil, and there is none that saith: 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 attend and hearken for times to come?
Who of you is going to listen to this, or pay attention later on?
24 Who hath given Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to robbers? hath not the Lord himself, against whom we have sinned? And they would not walk in his ways, and they have not hearkened 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 And he hath poured out upon him the indignation of his fury, and a strong battle, and hath burnt him round about, and he knew not: and set him on fire, and he understood not.
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.
