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 delights; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

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 smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto 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 discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

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 says God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which comes out of it; he that gives 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 you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and give you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

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 prison, 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, all of you 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 does inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, 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 shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail 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; I will destroy and devour 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 I 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; 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 unto them, and not forsake them.

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, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, All of you are our gods.

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

Hear, all of you deaf; and look, all of you blind, that all of you 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 sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, 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, but you observe not; opening the ears, but he hears not.

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

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

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 delivers; for a spoil, and none says, 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? for they would not walk in his ways, 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 has poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it has set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.