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.
“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.
2 He doth not cry, nor lift up, Nor cause his voice to be heard, in the street.
He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets.
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 smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.
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 grow weak or discouraged before He has established justice on the earth. In His law the islands will put their 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.
This is what God the LORD says— He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life 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, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations,
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 eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from 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 the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.
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 happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”
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 the LORD a new song— His praise from the ends of the earth— you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who dwell in them.
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 desert and its cities raise their voices; let the villages of Kedar cry aloud. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them cry out from the mountaintops.
12 They ascribe to Jehovah honour, And His praise in the isles they declare.
Let them give glory to the LORD 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.
The LORD goes forth like a mighty one; He stirs up His zeal like a warrior. He shouts; yes, He roars in triumph over 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 kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant.
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 the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn the rivers into dry land and drain the marshes.
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.
I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, 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.'
But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.
18 Ye deaf, hear; and ye blind, look to see.
Listen, you deaf ones; look, you blind ones, that you 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 like the messenger I am sending? Who is blind like My covenant partner, or blind like the servant of the LORD?
20 Seeing many things, and thou observest not, Opening ears, and he heareth not.
Though seeing many things, you do not keep watch. Though your ears are open, you do not hear.”
21 Jehovah hath delight for the sake of His righteousness, He magnifieth law, and maketh honourable.
The LORD was pleased, for the sake of His righteousness, to magnify His law and make it glorious.
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 plundered and looted, all trapped in caves or imprisoned in dungeons. They have become plunder with no one to rescue them, and loot with no one to say, “Send them back!”
23 Who among you giveth ear [to] this? Attendeth, and heareth afterwards.
Who among you will pay attention to this? Who will listen and obey hereafter?
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 up for spoil, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? They were unwilling to walk in His ways, and they would not obey 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!
So He poured out on them His furious anger and the fierceness of battle. It enveloped them in flames, but they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.
