Isaiah 42

Chapter 42

The LORD’s Chosen Servant

1 “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.
He is my chosen one, who pleases me.
I have put my Spirit upon him.
He will bring justice to the nations.2 He will not shout
or raise his voice in public.3 He will not crush the weakest reed
or put out a flickering candle.
He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.4 He will not falter or lose heart
until justice prevails throughout the earth.
Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.t”5 God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out.
He created the earth and everything in it.
He gives breath to everyone,
life to everyone who walks the earth.
And it is he who says,6 “I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.
I will take you by the hand and guard you,
and I will give you to my people, Israel,
as a symbol of my covenant with them.
And you will be a light to guide the nations.7 You will open the eyes of the blind.
You will free the captives from prison,
releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.8 “I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to anyone else,
nor share my praise with carved idols.9 Everything I prophesied has come true,
and now I will prophesy again.
I will tell you the future before it happens.”

A Song of Praise to the LORD

10 Sing a new song to the LORD!
Sing his praises from the ends of the earth!
Sing, all you who sail the seas,
all you who live in distant coastlands.11 Join in the chorus, you desert towns;
let the villages of Kedar rejoice!
Let the people of Sela sing for joy;
shout praises from the mountaintops!12 Let the whole world glorify the LORD;
let it sing his praise.13 The LORD will march forth like a mighty hero;
he will come out like a warrior, full of fury.
He will shout his battle cry
and crush all his enemies.14 He will say, “I have long been silent;
yes, I have restrained myself.
But now, like a woman in labor,
I will cry and groan and pant.15 I will level the mountains and hills
and blight all their greenery.
I will turn the rivers into dry land
and will dry up all the pools.16 I will lead blind Israel down a new path,
guiding them along an unfamiliar way.
I will brighten the darkness before them
and smooth out the road ahead of them.
Yes, I will indeed do these things;
I will not forsake them.17 But those who trust in idols,
who say, ‘You are our gods,’
will be turned away in shame.

Israel’s Failure to Listen and See

18 “Listen, you who are deaf!
Look and see, you blind!19 Who is as blind as my own people, my servant?
Who is as deaf as my messenger?
Who is as blind as my chosen people,
the servant of the LORD?20 You see and recognize what is right
but refuse to act on it.
You hear with your ears,
but you don’t really listen.”21 Because he is righteous,
the LORD has exalted his glorious law.22 But his own people have been robbed and plundered,
enslaved, imprisoned, and trapped.
They are fair game for anyone
and have no one to protect them,
no one to take them back home.23 Who will hear these lessons from the past
and see the ruin that awaits you in the future?24 Who allowed Israel to be robbed and hurt?
It was the LORD, against whom we sinned,
for the people would not walk in his path,
nor would they obey his law.25 Therefore, he poured out his fury on them
and destroyed them in battle.
They were enveloped in flames,
but they still refused to understand.
They were consumed by fire,
but they did not learn their lesson.

ISAIAH 42

The [Lord]'s Servant

1  t t Here is my servant!
I have made him strong.
He is my chosen one;
I am pleased with him.
I have given him my Spirit,
and he will bring justice
to the nations.

2 He won't shout or yell
or call out in the streets.

3 He won't break off a bent reed
or put out a dying flame,
but he will make sure
that justice is done.

4 He won't quit or give up
until he brings justice
everywhere on earth,
and people in foreign nations
long for his teaching.

5  t I am the [Lord] God.
I created the heavens
like an open tent above.
I made the earth and everything
that grows on it.
I am the source of life
for all who live on this earth,
so listen to what I say.

6  t I chose you to bring justice,
and I am here at your side.
I selected you and sent yout
to bring light
and my promise of hope
to the nations.

7 You will give sight
to the blind;
you will set prisoners free
from dark dungeons.

8 My name is the [Lord]!
I won't let idols or humans
share my glory and praise.

9 Everything has happened
just as I said it would;
now I will announce
what will happen next.

Sing Praises to the [Lord]

10 Tell the whole world to sing
a new song to the [Lord]!
Tell those who sail the ocean
and those who live far away
to join in the praise.

11 Tell the tribes of the desert
and everyone in the mountainst
to celebrate and sing.

12 Let them announce
his praises everywhere.

13 The [Lord] is marching out
like an angry soldier,
shouting with all his might
while attacking his enemies.

The [Lord] Will Help //His People

14 For a long time, I, the [Lord],
have held my temper;
now I will cry out and groan
like a woman giving birth.

15 I will destroy the mountains
and what grows on them;
I will dry up rivers and ponds.

16 I will lead the blind on roads
they have never known;
I will guide them on paths
they have never traveled.
Their road is dark and rough,
but I will give light
to keep them from stumbling.
This is my solemn promise.

17 Everyone who worships idols
as though they were gods
will be terribly ashamed.

God's People Won't Obey

18 You people are deaf and blind,
but the [Lord] commands you
to listen and to see.

19 No one is as blind or deaf
as his messenger,
his chosen servant,

20 who sees and hears so much,
but pays no attention.

21 The [Lord] always does right,
and so he wanted his Law
to be greatly praised.t

22 But his people were trapped
and imprisoned in holes
with no one to rescue them.
All they owned had been taken,
and no one was willing
to give it back.

23 Why won't his people
ever learn to listen?

24 Israel sinned and refused
to obey the [Lord]
or follow his instructions.
So the [Lord] let us be robbed
of everything we owned.

25 He was furious with us
and punished our nation
with the fires of war.
Still we paid no attention.
We didn't even care
when we were surrounded
and scorched by flames.