Isaiah 42

1 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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

5 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:

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:

6 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;

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;

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

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

8 I am Jehovah, that is my name; And my glory will I not give to another, Nor my praise to graven 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! they are come to pass, And new things do I now declare; Before they spring forth, I make them known to you.

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

10 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!

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.

11 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!

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.

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

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

13 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.

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.

14 “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.

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.

15 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.

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.

16 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.”

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.

17 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!”

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

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

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

19 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?

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?

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

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

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

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

22 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!”

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.'

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

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

24 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?

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.

25 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.

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.