Isaiah 42
42
1Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth! I will put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the nations. 2He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment according to truth. 4He shall not faint nor be in haste, till he have set justice in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
5Thus saith ·God#GodHebrew: El Jehovah, he that created the heavens and stretched them out, he that spread forth the earth and its productions, he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will take hold of thy hand; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations, 7to open the blind eyes, to bring forth the prisoner from the prison, them that sit in darkness out of the house of restraint. 8I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. 9Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth will I cause you to hear them. 10Sing unto Jehovah a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles and their inhabitants. 11Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains: 12let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.
13Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man, he will stir up jealousy like a man of war: he will cry, yea, he will shout; he will shew himself mighty against his enemies. 14Long time have I holden my peace; I have been still, I have restrained myself: I will cry like a woman that travaileth; I will blow and pant at once. 15I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. 16And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not, in paths that they know not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. 17They shall be turned back, they shall be covered with shame, that confide in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
18— Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. 19Who is blind, but my servant? and deaf, as my messenger whom I sent? Who is blind as he in whom I have trusted, and blind as Jehovah's servant, 20— seeing many things, and thou observest not? With opened ears, he heareth not. 21Jehovah had delight in him for his righteousness' sake: he hath magnified the law, and made it honourable. 22But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and hidden in prison-houses; they are become a prey, and none delivereth, — a spoil, and none saith, Restore. 23Who among you will give ear to this, who will hearken and hear what is to come? 24Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not Jehovah, he against whom we have sinned? And they would not walk in his ways, neither did they hearken unto his law. 25And he hath poured upon him the fury 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 took it not to heart.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Isaiah 42
42
The Lord’s Special Servant
1“Here is my servant,
the one I support.
He is the one I have chosen,
and I am very pleased with him.
I have filled him with my Spirit,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
2He will not cry out or shout
or try to make himself heard in the streets.
3He will not break even a crushed reed.#42:3 reed A plant that grows near water.
He will not put out even the weakest flame.
He will bring true justice.
4He will not grow weak or give up
until he has brought justice to the world.
And people in faraway places will hope to receive his teachings.”
The Lord Is Ruler and Maker of the World
5The Lord, the true God, said these things. (He created the sky and spread it out over the earth. He formed the earth and everything it produced. He breathes life into all the people on earth. He gives a spirit to everyone who walks on the earth.)
6“I, the Lord, was right to call you.
I will hold your hand and protect you.
You will be the sign of my agreement with the people.
You will be a light for the other nations.
7You will make the blind able to see.
You will free those who are held as captives.
You will lead those who live in darkness out of their prison.
8“I am YAHWEH.
That is my name.
I will not give my glory to another.
I will not let statues take the praise that should be mine.
9In the past, I told you what would happen,
and it happened!
Now I am telling you something new,
and I am telling you now, before it happens.”
A Song of Praise to the Lord
10Sing a new song#42:10 new song Whenever God did a new and wonderful thing for his people, they would write a new song about it. to the Lord;
praise him everywhere on earth—
all you who sail on the seas,
everything in the sea,
and all you people in faraway places!
11Deserts and cities, villages of Kedar,
praise the Lord!
People living in Sela, sing for joy!
Sing from the top of your mountain.
12Give glory to the Lord.
Praise him, all you people in faraway lands!
13The Lord will go out like a strong soldier.
Like a man going into battle, he will be full of excitement.
He will shout with a loud cry,
and he will defeat his enemies.
God Is Very Patient
14“For a long time I have said nothing.
I have controlled myself and kept quiet.
But now I will cry out like a woman giving birth.
My breathing is getting faster and louder.
15I will destroy the hills and mountains.
I will dry up all the plants that grow there.
I will change rivers to dry land
and dry up pools of water.
16Then I will lead the blind along a path they never knew
to places where they have never been before.
I will change darkness into light for them.
I will make the rough ground smooth.
I will do these things for them;
I will not abandon my people.
17But some of them have left me.
They say to their gold statues, ‘You are my gods.’
They trust their false gods,
but they will be disappointed and shamed.
Israel Refused to Listen to God
18“Deaf people, listen to me!
Blind people, look and see!
19In all the world, no one is more blind than my servant.#42:19 my servant Here, this probably means the people of Israel.
No one is more deaf than my messenger.
No one is more blind than my chosen people,
the servant of the Lord.
20My people see what they should do,
but they do not obey me.
They can hear with their ears,
but they refuse to listen to me.”
21The Lord wants them to do what is right.
He wants them to honor his wonderful teachings.#42:21 Or “The Lord will make his teachings very wonderful. He will do this because he is good.”
22But look at his people.
Others have defeated them and have stolen from them.
The young men are afraid.
They are locked in prisons.
People have taken advantage of them,
and there is no one to protect them.
Others take their money,
and there is no one to say, “Give it back!”
23Will any of you pay attention to this warning? Will you ever learn to listen? 24Who let Jacob be defeated? Who let others take what belonged to Israel? The Lord allowed them to do this. We sinned against him, so he let people take away our wealth. The people did not want to live the way he wanted. They refused to listen to his teaching. 25So he poured out his anger on them and brought wars against them. It was as if there were fires all around them, but they didn’t know what was happening. It was as if they were burning, but they didn’t try to understand.
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