Isaiah 42

1 Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My spirit upon him, he shall make the right to go forth to the nations.

See my servant, whom I am supporting, my loved one, in whom I take delight: I have put my spirit on him; he will give the knowledge of the true God to the nations.

2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

He will make no cry, his voice will not be loud: his words will not come to men's ears in the streets.

3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the dimly burning wick shall he not quench; he shall make the right to go forth according to the truth.

He will not let a crushed stem be quite broken, and he will not let a feebly burning light be put out: he will go on sending out the true word to the peoples.

4 He shall not fail nor be crushed, till he have set the right in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his teaching.

His light will not be put out, and he will not be crushed, till he has given the knowledge of the true God to the earth, and the sea-lands will be waiting for his teaching.

5 Thus saith God the LORD, He that created the heavens, and stretched them forth, He that spread forth the earth and that which cometh out of it, He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

God the Lord, even he who made the heavens, measuring them out on high; stretching out the earth, and giving its produce; he who gives breath to the people on it, and life to those who go about on it, says:

6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and have taken hold of thy hand, and kept thee, and set thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations;

I the Lord have made you the vessel of my purpose, I have taken you by the hand, and kept you safe, and I have given you to be an agreement to the people, and a light to the nations:

7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.

To give eyes to the blind, to make free the prisoners from the prison, to let out those who are shut up in the dark.

8 I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images.

I am the Lord; that is my name: I will not give my glory to another, or my praise to pictured images.

9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.

See, the things said before have come about, and now I give word of new things: before they come I give you news of them.

10 Sing unto the LORD a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth; ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

Make a new song to the Lord, and let his praise be sounded from the end of the earth; you who go down to the sea, and everything in it, the sea-lands and their people.

11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela exult, let them shout from the top of the mountains.

Let the waste land and its flocks be glad, the tent-circles of Kedar; let the people of the rock give a glad cry, from the top of the mountains let them make a sound of joy.

12 Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare His praise in the islands.

Let them give glory to the Lord, sounding his praise in the sea-lands.

13 The LORD will go forth as a mighty man, He will stir up jealousy like a man of war; He will cry, yea, He will shout aloud, He will prove Himself mighty against His enemies.

The Lord will go out as a man of war, he will be moved to wrath like a fighting-man: his voice will be strong, he will give a loud cry; he will go against his attackers like a man of war.

14 I have long time held My peace, I have been still, and refrained Myself; now will I cry like a travailing woman, gasping and panting at once.

I have long been quiet, I have kept myself in and done nothing: now I will make sounds of pain like a woman in childbirth, breathing hard and quickly.

15 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.

I will make waste mountains and hills, drying up all their plants; and I will make rivers dry, and pools dry land.

16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, in paths that they knew not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and rugged places plain. These things will I do, and I will not leave them undone.

And I will take the blind by a way of which they had no knowledge, guiding them by roads strange to them: I will make the dark places light before them, and the rough places level. These things will I do and will not give them up.

17 They shall be turned back, greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say unto molten images: 'Ye are our gods.'

They will be turned back and be greatly shamed who put their hope in pictured images, who say to metal images, You are our gods.

18 Hear, ye deaf, and look, ye blind, that ye may see.

Give ear, you whose ears are shut; and let your eyes be open, you blind, so that you may see.

19 Who is blind, but My servant? Or deaf, as My messenger that I send? Who is blind as he that is wholehearted, and blind as the LORD'S servant?

Who is blind, but my servant? who has his ears stopped, but he whom I send? who is blind as my true one, or who has his ears shut like the Lord's servant?

20 Seeing many things, thou observest not; opening the ears, he heareth not.

Seeing much, but keeping nothing in mind; his ears are open, but there is no hearing.

21 The LORD was pleased, for His righteousness' sake, to make the teaching great and glorious.

It was the Lord's pleasure, because of his righteousness, to make the teaching great and give it honour.

22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled, they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison-houses; they are for a prey, and none delivereth, for a spoil, and none saith: 'Restore.'

But this is a people whose property has been taken away from them by force; they are all taken in holes, and shut up in prisons: they are made prisoners, and no one makes them free; they are taken by force and no one says, Give them back.

23 Who among you will give ear to this? Who will hearken and hear for the time to come?

Who is there among you who will give ear to this? who will give attention to it for the time to come?

24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the LORD? He against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, neither were they obedient unto His law.

Who gave up Jacob to those who took away his goods, and Israel to his attackers? Did not the Lord? he against whom they did wrong, and in whose ways they would not go, turning away from his teaching.

25 Therefore He 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 laid it not to heart.

For this reason he let loose on him the heat of his wrath, and his strength was like a flame; and it put fire round about him, but he did not see it; he was burned, but did not take it to heart.