Isaiah 53

1 LORD, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

Has anyone believed our news? Who has the Lord shown his power to?

2 For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nor special appearance that we should desire him.

Like a young shoot he grew up before him, like a root growing up from dry ground. He had no beauty or glory to make us look at him; nothing about his appearance attracted us to him.

3 He was despised, and rejected by people; a man of sorrows, and familiar with illness; and as one from whom people hide their face. He was despised, and we did not value him.

People despised him and rejected him. He was a man who really suffered and who experienced the deepest pain. We treated him like someone you turn away from in disgust—we despised him and had no respect for him.

4 Surely he bore our diseases, and took our pains; yet we considered him stricken, and struck down by God, and afflicted.

However, he was the one who carried our weaknesses, he was loaded down with our pain—but we assumed he was being hit, beaten, and humiliated by God.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, and he was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.

But he was wounded because of our rebellious acts, he was crushed because of our guilt. He experienced the discipline that brings us peace, and his wounds heal us.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

All of us have wandered off, just like sheep. Each of us has gone our own way, and the Lord allowed all our guilt to fall on him.

7 He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he did not open his mouth. He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he does not open his mouth.

He was persecuted and mistreated, but he didn't say anything. He was led like a lamb to be killed, and in the same way that a sheep about to be sheared is silent, he didn't say a word.

8 In his oppression his justice was taken away. Who will consider his generation? For his life was cut off from the earth. For the transgression of my people he was led to death.

Through force and a death sentence he was killed—who cared what happened to him? He was executed, removed from the land of the living; he was killed because of my people's wickedness.

9 And they assigned his grave with the wicked, yet with the rich at his death, though he had committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth.

They buried him as if he was someone evil, giving him a grave among the rich, even though he hadn't done anything wrong, and he hadn't told any lies.

10 Yet the LORD was pleased to crush him and make him ill. Although his soul is made a reparation offering, he will see his offspring, he will prolong his days, and the desire of the LORD will succeed by his hand.

However, it was the Lord's will for him to be crushed and to suffer, for when he gives his life as a guilt offering he will see his descendants, he will have a long life, and what the Lord wants will be achieved through him.

11 After the suffering of his soul he will see light and be satisfied by his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, will make many righteous, and he will bear their iniquities.

After his suffering, he will see the results and be satisfied. Through his knowledge my servant who does what is right will set many right, and he will bear their sins.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he will divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and he was numbered with transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for their transgressions.

That's why I'm going to grant him a place among the great, and give him the prize of the victorious, because he poured out his life in death and was counted as one of the rebels. He took on himself the sins of many and asked forgiveness for the rebels.