Isaiah 42

1 Lo! my Servant, I will uphold him, My chosen, well-pleased is my soul, —I have put my spirit upon him, Justice—to the nations, will he bring forth:

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

2 He will not cry out nor will he speak loud, —Nor cause to be heard, in the street, his voice:

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

3 Cane that is crushed, will he not break, And wick that is fading, will he not quench, —Faithfully, will he bring forth justice:

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

4 He will not fade, nor will he be crushed, Until he establish, in the earth, justice, And for his instruction, Coastlands, wait.

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 himself—Yahweh, —Creator of the heavens that stretched them forth, Out-spreader of earth, and the products thereof, —Giver of breath to the people thereon, And of spirit to them who walk therein,

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 to the people on it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

6 I—Yahweh, have called thee in righteousness, And will firmly grasp thy hand, —And will keep thee And give thee—As the covenant of a people, As the light of 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 eyes that are blind, —To bring forth Out of the dungeon the captive Out of the prison, the dwellers in darkness.

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 Yahweh, that, is my Name, And, my glory, to another, will I not give, Nor my praise to 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 Things told in advance, lo! they have come to pass, —And new things, am I telling, Ere yet they spring forth, I let, you, hear them.

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 Yahweh, a song that is new, His praise, from the end of the earth, —Ye that go down to the sea, and the fulness thereof, The Coastlands and ye who dwell therein.

Sing to the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

11 Let the wilderness shout, and the cities thereof, The villages wherein dwelleth Kedar, —Let the inhabitants of the crag, raise shouts of triumph, From the top of the mountains, let them cry aloud:

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 render unto Yahweh, glory, —And, his praise, in the Coastlands let them tell.

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

13 Yahweh, as a hero, goeth forth, As a man of war, he stirreth up jealousy, —He giveth a cry, yea he raiseth a war-cry, Over his foes, he showeth his strength.

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

14 I have held my peace from age-past times, I kept still, I restrained myself, —As a travailing woman, I pant, I breathe hard and gasp, all 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 all their vegetation, will I wither, —And I will make rivers to be shores, And lakes, will I dry up:

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 Thus will I lead the blind, by a way they know not, In paths they know not, will I guide them, —I will make the place that was dark before them to be, light. And crooked ways, to be, straight, These things, have I done unto them, And 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 to them, and not forsake them.

17 They have drawn back They turn very pale Who have been trusting in a graven image, —Who have been saying to a molten image, 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, You are our gods.

18 Ye deaf hear! And ye blind look around that ye may see,

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

19 Who is blind if not my Servant? Or deaf, like, my messenger whom I send? Who is, blind, like an intimate friend? Or blind like the Servant of Yahweh?

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, yet thou heedest not, Opening the ears yet he heareth not,

Seeing many things, but you observe not; opening the ears, but he hears not.

21 Yahweh, is well-pleased for his own righteousness’ sake, He magnifieth instruction and maketh it majestic.

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

22 But, that, is a people preyed upon and plundered, Snared in holes, all of them, And, in houses of restraint, concealed, —They have become a prey, and there is none to deliver, —A booty, and there is none to say—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 among you, will give ear to this, —Let him hearken and hear, for an aftertime?

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

24 Who gave, as a booty, Jacob. And, Israel, to them who were ready to take prey? Was it not, Yahweh? He against whom we have sinned, And they were not willing, in his ways, to walk, Neither hearkened they to his instruction?

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 So he hath poured out, upon him, the glow of his anger, and the strength of battle; And it hath set him aflame round about, yet he knoweth it not, And it hath kindled upon him yet he layeth it not to heart.

Therefore he has poured on 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.