Isaiah 42
1 Behold, my seruaunt: I will stay vpon him: mine elect, in whom my soule deliteth: I haue put my Spirit vpon him: he shall bring forth iudgement to the Gentiles.
“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.
2 He shall not crie, nor lift vp, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streete.
He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets.
3 A bruised reede shall hee not breake, and the smoking flaxe shall he not quench: he shall bring foorth iudgement in trueth.
A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He shall not faile nor be discouraged till he haue set iudgement in the earth: and the yles shall waite for his lawe.
He will not grow weak or discouraged before He has established justice on the earth. In His law the islands will put their hope.”
5 Thus sayeth God the Lord (he that created the heauens and spred them abroad: he that stretched foorth the earth, and the buddes thereof: he that giueth breath vnto the people vpon it, and spirit to them that walke therein)
This is what God the LORD says— He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk in it:
6 I the Lord haue called thee in righteousnesse, and will hold thine hand, and I will keepe thee, and giue thee for a couenant of the people, and for a light of the Gentiles,
“I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations,
7 That thou maist open the eyes of the blind, and bring out the prisoners from the prison: and them that sitte in darkenesse, out of the prison house.
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.
8 I am the Lord, this is my Name, and my glory wil I not giue to another, neither my praise to grauen images.
I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.
9 Beholde, the former thinges are come to passe, and newe things doe I declare: before they come foorth, I tell you of them.
Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”
10 Sing vnto the Lord a newe song, and his praise from the ende of the earth: yee that goe downe to the sea, and all that is therein: the yles and the inhabitants thereof.
Sing to the LORD a new song— His praise from the ends of the earth— you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who dwell in them.
11 Let the wildernesse and the cities thereof lift vp their voyce, the townes that Kedar doeth inhabite: let the inhabitants of the rocks sing: let them shoute from the toppe of the mountaines.
Let the desert and its cities raise their voices; let the villages of Kedar cry aloud. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them cry out from the mountaintops.
12 Let them giue glorie vnto the Lord, and declare his praise in the ylands.
Let them give glory to the LORD and declare His praise in the islands.
13 The Lord shall go forth as a gyant: he shall stirre vp his courage like a man of warre: he shall shout and crie, and shall preuaile against his enemies.
The LORD goes forth like a mighty one; He stirs up His zeal like a warrior. He shouts; yes, He roars in triumph over His enemies:
14 I haue a long time holden my peace: I haue beene still and refrained my selfe: nowe will I crie like a trauailing woman: I will destroy and deuoure at once.
“I have kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant.
15 I will make waste mountaines, and hilles, and drie vp all their herbes, and I will make the floods ylands, and I will drie vp the pooles.
I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn the rivers into dry land and drain the marshes.
16 And I will bring the blinde by a way, that they knewe not, and lead them by paths that they haue not knowen: I will make darkenesse light before them, and crooked thinges straight. These thinges will I doe vnto them, and not forsake them.
I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.
17 They shall be turned backe: they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in grauen images, and say to the molten images, Yee are our gods.
But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.
18 Heare, ye deafe: and ye blinde, regarde, that ye may see.
Listen, you deaf ones; look, you blind ones, that you may see!
19 Who is blinde but my seruaunt? or deafe as my messenger, that I sent? who is blind as the perfit, and blinde as the Lordes seruant?
Who is blind but My servant, or deaf like the messenger I am sending? Who is blind like My covenant partner, or blind like the servant of the LORD?
20 Seeing many things, but thou keepest them not? opening the eares, but he heareth not?
Though seeing many things, you do not keep watch. Though your ears are open, you do not hear.”
21 The Lord is willing for his righteousnesse sake that he may magnifie the Lawe, and exalt it.
The LORD was pleased, for the sake of His righteousness, to magnify His law and make it glorious.
22 But this people is robbed and spoiled, and shalbe all snared in dungeons, and they shalbe hid in prison houses: they shall be for a pray, and none shall deliuer: a spoile, and none shall say, Restore.
But this is a people plundered and looted, all trapped in caves or imprisoned in dungeons. They have become plunder with no one to rescue them, and loot with no one to say, “Send them back!”
23 Who among you shall hearken to this, and take heede, and heare for afterwardes?
Who among you will pay attention to this? Who will listen and obey hereafter?
24 Who gaue Iaakob for a spoyle, and Israel to the robbers? Did not ye Lord, because we haue sinned against him? for they woulde not walke in his waies, neither be obedient vnto his Lawe.
Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? They were unwilling to walk in His ways, and they would not obey His law.
25 Therefore hee hath powred vpon him his fierce wrath, and the strength of battell: and it set him on fire round about, and he knewe not, and it burned him vp, yet he considered not.
So He poured out on them His furious anger and the fierceness of battle. It enveloped them in flames, but they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.
