Isaiah 42

1 "Look, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, My chosen, in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him; He shall cause law to go forth to the nations.

2 He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.

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

3 He won't break a bruised reed. And he won't extinguish a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice.

The bruised reed shall he not break, And the glimmering flax shall he not quench; He shall send forth law according to truth.

4 He will not grow dim or be crushed, until he has established justice on the earth, and in his name the coastlands will hope."

He shall not fail, nor become weary, Until he shall have established justice in the earth. And distant nations shall wait for his law.

5 Thus says God, YHWH, he who created the heavens and stretched them out, he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it.

Thus saith God Jehovah, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth, and that which springeth forth from it, Who gave breath to the people upon it, And spirit to them that walk thereon:

6 "I, YHWH, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations;

I, Jehovah, have called thee for salvation; I will hold thee by the hand; I will defend thee, and make thee a covenant to the people, A light to the nations;

7 to open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.

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. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images.

I am Jehovah, that is my name; And my glory will I not give to another, Nor my praise to graven images.

9 Look, the former things have happened, and I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up."

The former things, behold! they are come to pass, And new things do I now declare; Before they spring forth, I make them known to you.

10 Sing to YHWH a new song, and his praise from the remotest parts of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, the islands and their inhabitants.

Sing to Jehovah a new song; His praise to the ends of the earth; Ye that go down upon the sea, and all that fill it; Ye distant coasts, and ye that dwell therein!

11 Let the desert and its cities cry out, with the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains.

Let the desert cry aloud, and the cities thereof; The villages, that Kedar inhabiteth; Let the inhabitants of the rock sing; Let them shout from the top of the mountains!

12 Let them give glory to YHWH, and declare his praise in the islands.

Let them give glory to Jehovah, And proclaim his praise in distant lands!

13 YHWH will go out like a mighty man. He will stir up zeal like a man of war. He will raise a war cry. Yes, he will shout aloud. He will triumph over his enemies.

Jehovah shall march forth like a hero; Like a mighty warrior shall he rouse his indignation, He shall cry aloud; he shall shout the war-cry, And show himself mighty against his enemies.

14 "I have been silent a long time. I have been quiet and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant.

“I have long held my peace; I have been still and refrained myself; But now will I cry like a woman in travail; I will destroy and swallow up at once.

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

I will lay waste mountains and hills, And dry up all their herbs. I will make the river solid land, And dry up the pools of water.

16 I will bring the blind by a way that they do not know. I will lead them in paths that they do not know. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. I will do these things, and I will not forsake them.

Then will I lead the blind in a way which they know not, And in unknown paths will I guide them; I will make darkness light before them, And crooked paths straight; These things will I do for them, and not forsake them.”

17 "Those who trust in engraved images, who tell molten images, 'You are our gods' will be turned back. They will be utterly disappointed.

Then shall they be turned back, and be put to shame, Who trust in graven images; Who say to molten images, “Ye are our gods!”

18 "Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see.

Hear, O ye deaf! And look, ye blind, and see!

19 Who is blind, but my servant? Or who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is as blind as he who is at peace, and as blind as YHWH's servant?

Who is blind, if not my servant? And who so deaf as my messenger, whom I send? Who so blind as the friend of God, So blind as the servant of Jehovah?

20 You see many things, but do not observe. His ears are open, but he doesn't listen.

Thou seest many things, but regardest them not; Thou hast thine ears open, but hearest not!

21 It pleased YHWH, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify the law, and make it honorable.

It pleased Jehovah for his goodness' sake To give him a law, great and glorious;

22 But this is a robbed and plundered people. All of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prisons. They have become a prey, and no one delivers; and a spoil, and no one says, 'Restore them.'

And yet it is a robbed and plundered people; They are all of them bound in prisons, And hid in dungeons; They have become a spoil, and none delivereth; A prey, and none saith, “Restore!”

23 Who is there among you who will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear for the time to come?

Who is there among you that will give ear to this, That will listen and attend for the time to come?

24 Who gave Jacob as plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Did not YHWH, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, and they disobeyed his law.

Who gave Jacob to be a spoil, And Israel to plunderers? Was it not Jehovah, against whom we sinned, In whose ways we would not walk, And whose laws we would not obey?

25 Therefore he poured the fierceness of his anger on him, and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire all around, but he did not know; and it burned him, but he did not take it to heart."

Therefore hath he poured out upon Israel the fury of his wrath, and the violence of war; It kindled a flame around about him, yet he did not regard it; It set him on fire, yet he laid it not to heart.