Isaiah 42

The Lord's Chosen Servant

1  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 nations.
2  He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
3  a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4  He will not grow faint or be discouragedt
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.

5  Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6  "I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
7  to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8  I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
9  Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them."

Sing to the Lord a New Song

10  Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the end of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it,
the coastlands and their inhabitants.
11  Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice,
the villages that Kedar inhabits;
let the habitants of Sela sing for joy,
let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12  Let them give glory to the Lord,
and declare his praise in the coastlands.
13  The Lord goes out like a mighty man,
like a man of war he stirs up his zeal;
he cries out, he shouts aloud,
he shows himself mighty against his foes.

14  For a long time I have held my peace;
I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in labor;
I will gasp and pant.
15  I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into islands,t
and dry up the pools.
16  And I will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
and I do not forsake them.
17  They are turned back and utterly put to shame,
who trust in carved idols,
who say to metal images,
"You are our gods."

Israel's Failure to Hear and See

18  Hear, you deaf,
and look, you blind, that you may see!
19  Who is blind but my servant,
or deaf as my messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as my dedicated one,t
or blind as the servant of the Lord?
20  He sees many things, but does not observe them;
his ears are open, but he does not hear.
21  The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness' sake,
to magnify his law and make it glorious.
22  But this is a people plundered and looted;
they are all of them trapped in holes
and hidden in prisons;
they have become plunder with none to rescue,
spoil with none to say, "Restore!"
23  Who among you will give ear to this,
will attend and listen for the time to come?
24  Who gave up Jacob to the looter,
and Israel to the plunderers?
Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,
in whose ways they would not walk,
and whose law they would not obey?
25  So he poured on him the heat of his anger
and the might of battle;
it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand;
it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.

Isaiah 42

1 Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.2 He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.3 A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: he will bring forth justice in truth.4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set justice in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.5 Thus saith God Jehovah, he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad the earth and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:6 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 blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.8 I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.9 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 unto Jehovah a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth; ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.12 Let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.13 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 long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will gasp and pant together.15 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 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 places straight. These things will I do, and I will not forsake them.17 They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly put to shame, that trust in graven images, that say unto molten images, Ye are our gods.18 Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I send? who is blind as he that is at peace with me, and blind as Jehovah’s servant?20 Thou seest many things, but thou observest not; his ears are open, but he heareth not.21 It pleased Jehovah, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law, and make it honorable.22 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 delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.23 Who is there among you that will give ear to this? that will hearken and hear for the time to come?24 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, neither were they obedient unto his law.25 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.