Isaiah 42

1 Behold, My servant, I take hold on Him, My Chosen One—My soul has accepted, I have put My Spirit on Him, He brings forth judgment to nations.

Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my elect, [in whom] my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

2 He does not cry, nor lift up, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.

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

3 A bruised reed He does not break, And faded flax He does not quench, He brings forth judgment to truth.

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment to truth.

4 He does not become weak nor bruised, Until He sets judgment in the earth, And islands wait with hope for His law.

He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he hath set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

5 Thus said God, YHWH, Creating the heavens, and stretching them out, Spreading out the earth and its productions, Giving breath to the people on it, And spirit to those walking in it.

Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and expanded them; he that spread forth the earth, and that which it produceth; he that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.

6 I, YHWH, called you in righteousness, And I lay hold on your hand, and keep you, And I give you for a covenant of a people, And a light of nations.

I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

7 To open the eyes of the blind, To bring forth the bound one from prison, Those sitting in darkness from the house of restraint.

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

8 I [am] YHWH, this [is] My Name, And I do not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to carved images.

I [am] the LORD: that [is] my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

9 The former things, behold, have come, And I am declaring new things, Before they spring up I cause you to hear.

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

10 Sing a new song to YHWH, His praise from the end of the earth, You who are going down to the sea, and its fullness, Islands, and their inhabitants.

Sing to 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 in it; the isles, and their inhabitants.

11 The wilderness and its cities lift up [their voice], Kedar inhabits the villages, The inhabitants of Sela sing, They cry from the top of mountains.

Let the wilderness and its cities 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.

12 They ascribe to YHWH glory, And they declare His praise in the islands.

Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare his praise in the isles.

13 YHWH goes forth as a mighty one. He stirs up zeal as a man of war, He cries, indeed, He shrieks, He shows Himself mighty against His enemies.

The LORD will go forth as a mighty man, he will stir up jealousy like a man of war: he will cry, yes, roar; he will prevail against his enemies.

14 I have kept silent from of old, I keep silent, I refrain Myself, I cry out as a travailing woman, I desolate and swallow up together.

I have long time held my peace; I have been still, [and] restrained myself: [now] will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.

15 I make desolate mountains and hills, And I dry up all their herbs, And I have made rivers become islands, And I dry up ponds.

I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers [to be] islands, and I will dry up the pools.

16 And I have caused the blind to go, In a way they have not known, I cause them to tread in paths they have not known, I make a dark place become light before them, And unleveled places become a plain, These [are] the things I have done to them, And I have not forsaken them.

And I will bring the blind by a way [that] they knew not; I will lead them in paths [that] they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do for them, and not forsake them.

17 Removed backward—utterly ashamed, Are those trusting in a carved image, Those saying to a molten image, “You [are] our gods.”

They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye [are] our gods.

18 You deaf, hear; and you blind, look to see.

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

19 Who [is] blind but My servant? And deaf as My messenger I send? Who [is] blind as he who is at peace, Indeed, blind, as the servant of YHWH?

Who [is] blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger [that] I sent? who [is] blind as [he that is] perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant?

20 Seeing many things, and you do not observe, Opening ears, and he does not hear.

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

21 YHWH has delight for the sake of His righteousness, He magnifies law, and makes honorable.

The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make [it] honorable.

22 And this [is] a people seized and spoiled, Snared in holes—all of them, And they were hidden in houses of restraint, They have been for a prey, And there is no deliverer, A spoil, and none is saying, “Restore.”

But this [is] a people robbed and pillaged; [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.

23 Who among you gives ear [to] this? Attends, and hears afterward?

Who among you will give ear to this? [who] will hearken, and hear for the time to come?

24 Who has given Jacob for a spoil, And Israel to the spoilers? Is it not YHWH—He against whom we sinned? Indeed, they have not been willing to walk in His ways, Nor have they listened to His law.

Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient to his law.

25 And He pours fury on him, His anger, and the strength of battle, And it sets him on fire all around, And he has not known, And it burns against him, and he does not lay it to heart!

Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire around, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid [it] not to heart.