Isaiah 42
1 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.
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 won't shout or cry out; he won't raise his voice in the street.
He will not cry out nor shout, nor make his voice heard in the streets.
3 He won't break a damaged reed; he won't snuff out a smoldering wick. He will faithfully make sure everyone is treated fairly.
A crushed reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench: he will faithfully execute justice.
4 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.
He will not grow faint nor be discouraged until he has established justice on the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
5 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:
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, 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.
“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 You will make the blind see, set free those who are locked up, and lead those who sit in darkness out from prison.
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 the Lord—that is my name! I do not give my honor to anyone else; I do not give my praise to idols.
I am Yahweh, that is my name; and my glory I will not share with another nor my praise with carved idols.
9 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.”
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 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.
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 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.
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 glorify the Lord and praise him in the islands.
Let them give glory to Yahweh and declare his praise in the coastlands.
13 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.
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 “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.
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 dry up the mountains and the hills, and make all their greenery wither. I will turn rivers into islands and 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 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.
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 But those who trust in idols and say to images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be rejected in humiliation and shame.
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 Listen, you deaf people! Look and see, you blind people!
Listen, you deaf; and look, you blind, that you may see.
19 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?
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 You've looked at many things but have not really seen; you've heard but never really listened.”
You see many things, but do not comprehend; ears are open, but no one hears.
21 Because the Lord does what is right he wanted to show how important and wonderful his instructions were.
It pleased Yahweh to praise his justice and to make his law glorious.
22 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!”
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 of you is going to listen to this, or pay attention later on?
Who among you will listen to this? Who will listen and hear in the future?
24 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.
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 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.
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.
