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 chosen, in whom my soul delights: I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.

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

He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it 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:

He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice.

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

He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands 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,

God the LORD, 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, says:

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. I will hold your hand. I will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations,

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 the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.

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. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved 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 have happened and I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up.”

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 who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants.

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 its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela 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 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.

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 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.

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

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

“Those who trust in engraved images, who tell molten images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back. They will be utterly disappointed.

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 who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is as blind as he who is at peace, and as blind as the LORD’s servant?

20 Seeing many things, yet thou heedest not, Opening the ears yet he heareth not,

You see many things, but don’t observe. His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.

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

It pleased the LORD, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law and make it honourable.

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 robbed and plundered people. All of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prisons. They have become captives, and no one delivers, and a plunder, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’

23 Who among you, will give ear to this, —Let him hearken and hear, for an aftertime?

Who is there amongst you who 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 as plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Didn’t the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, and they disobeyed 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 poured the fierceness of his anger on him, and the strength of battle. It set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know. It burnt him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”