< Isaiah 42 >

1 Lo, My servant, I take hold on him, My chosen one — My soul hath accepted, I have put My Spirit upon him, Judgment to nations he bringeth forth.
Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights. I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
2 He doth not cry, nor lift up, Nor cause his voice to be heard, in the street.
He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed he breaketh not, And dim flax he quencheth not, To truth he bringeth forth judgment.
A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench, but he will bring forth justice in truth.
4 He doth not become weak nor bruised, Till he setteth judgment in the earth, And for his law isles wait with hope.
He will not fail nor be discouraged till he has set justice in the earth. And in his name Gentiles will hope.
5 Thus said God, Jehovah, preparing The heavens, and stretching them out, Spreading out the earth and its productions, Giving breath to the people on it, And spirit to those walking in it.
Thus says God, Jehovah, he who created the heavens, and stretched them forth, he who spread abroad the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to the people upon it, and spirit to those who walk in it,
6 I, Jehovah, did call thee in righteousness, And I lay hold on thy hand, and keep thee, And I give thee for a covenant of a people, And a light of nations.
I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles,
7 To open the eyes of the blind, To bring forth from prison the bound one, From the house of restraint those sitting in darkness.
to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
8 I [am] Jehovah, this [is] My name, And Mine honour to another I give not, Nor My praise to graven images.
I am Jehovah. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven images.
9 The former things, lo, have come, And new things I am declaring, Before they spring up I cause you to hear.
Behold, the former things have come to pass, and I declare new things. Before they spring forth I tell you of them.
10 Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise from the end of the earth, Ye who are going down to the sea, and its fulness, Isles, and their inhabitants.
Sing to Jehovah a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
11 The wilderness and its cities do lift up [the voice], The villages Kedar doth inhabit, Sing do the inhabitants of Sela, From the top of mountains they cry.
Let the wilderness and the cities of it lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 They ascribe to Jehovah honour, And His praise in the isles they declare.
Let them give glory to Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.
13 Jehovah as a mighty one goeth forth. As a man of war He stirreth up zeal, He crieth, yea, He shrieketh, Against His enemies He showeth Himself mighty.
Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man. He will stir up his zeal like a man of war. He will cry, yea, he will shout aloud. He will do mightily against his enemies.
14 I have kept silent from of old, I keep silent, I refrain myself, As a travailing woman I cry out, I desolate and swallow up together.
I have for a long time held my peace. I have been still, and refrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will gasp and pant together.
15 I make waste mountains and hills, And all their herbs I dry up, And I have made rivers become isles, And ponds I dry up.
I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs. And I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.
16 And I have caused the blind to go, In a way they have not known, In paths they have not known I cause them to tread, I make a dark place before them become light, And unlevelled places become a plain, These [are] the things I have done to them, And I have not forsaken them.
And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not. I will lead them in paths that they know not. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do, and I will not forsake them.
17 Removed backward — utterly ashamed, Are those trusting in a graven image, Those saying to a molten image, 'Ye [are] our gods.'
They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly put to shame, who trust in graven images, who say to molten images, Ye are our gods.
18 Ye deaf, hear; and ye blind, look to see.
Hear, ye deaf, and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
19 Who [is] blind but My servant? And deaf as My messenger I send? Who [is] blind as he who is at peace, Yea, 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 who is at peace with me, and blind as Jehovah's servant?
20 Seeing many things, and thou observest not, Opening ears, and he heareth not.
Thou see many things, but thou do not observe. His ears are open, but he does not hear.
21 Jehovah hath delight for the sake of His righteousness, He magnifieth law, and maketh honourable.
It pleased Jehovah, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify the law, and make it honorable.
22 And this [is] a people seized and spoiled, Snared in holes — all of them, And in houses of restraint they were hidden, They have been for a prey, And there is no deliverer, A spoil, and none is saying, 'Restore.'
But this is a people robbed and plundered. 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 giveth ear [to] this? Attendeth, and heareth afterwards.
Who is there among you that will give ear to this, that will hearken and hear for the time to come?
24 Who hath given Jacob for a spoil, And Israel to the spoilers? Is it not Jehovah — He against whom we sinned? Yea, they have not been willing in His ways to walk, Nor have they hearkened to His law.
Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not Jehovah? He against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, nor were they obedient to his law.
25 And He poureth on him fury, His anger, and the strength of battle, And it setteth him on fire round about, And he hath not known, And it burneth against him, and he layeth it not to heart!
Therefore he poured upon him the fierceness 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.

< Isaiah 42 >