Isaiah 42
42
The Servant, a Light to the Nations
1Here is 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.
2He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
3a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
5Thus 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 upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,#42.6 Meaning of Heb uncertain
a light to the nations,
7to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
9See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.
A Hymn of Praise
10Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the end of the earth!
Let the sea roar#42.10 Cn Compare Ps 96.11; 98.7: Heb Those who go down to the sea and all that fills it,
the coastlands and their inhabitants.
11Let the desert and its towns lift up their voice,
the villages that Kedar inhabits;
let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy,
let them shout from the tops of the mountains.
12Let them give glory to the Lord,
and declare his praise in the coastlands.
13The Lord goes forth like a soldier,
like a warrior he stirs up his fury;
he cries out, he shouts aloud,
he shows himself mighty against his foes.
14For 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.
15I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their herbage;
I will turn the rivers into islands,
and dry up the pools.
16I will lead the blind
by a road they do not know,
by paths 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 will do,
and I will not forsake them.
17They shall be turned back and utterly put to shame—
those who trust in carved images,
who say to cast images,
“You are our gods.”
18Listen, you that are deaf;
and you that are blind, look up and see!
19Who is blind but my servant,
or deaf like my messenger whom I send?
Who is blind like my dedicated one,
or blind like the servant of the Lord?
20He sees many things, but does#42.20 Heb You see many things but do not observe them;
his ears are open, but he does not hear.
Israel's Disobedience
21The Lord was pleased, for the sake of his righteousness,
to magnify his teaching and make it glorious.
22But this is a people robbed and plundered,
all of them are trapped in holes
and hidden in prisons;
they have become a prey with no one to rescue,
a spoil with no one to say, “Restore!”
23Who among you will give heed to this,
who will attend and listen for the time to come?
24Who gave up Jacob to the spoiler,
and Israel to the robbers?
Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,
in whose ways they would not walk,
and whose law they would not obey?
25So he poured upon him the heat of his anger
and the fury of war;
it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand;
it burned him, but he did not take it to heart.
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 42
42
XLII
1Behold my servant, whom I will uphold;
My chosen, in whom my soul delighteth:
I have put my Spirit upon him;
He shall publish judgment to the nations.
2He shall not cry, nor raise a clamour,
Nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets.
3A bruised reed shall he not break,
And the smoking flax shall he not quench:
According unto truth shall he publish judgment.
4He shall not despond, neither shall he be faint;
Until he hath firmly seated judgment in the earth:
And the isles shall earnestly wait for his law.
5Thus saith the God, Jehovah,
Who hath created the heavens, and stretched them out;
Who hath spread abroad the earth, and the produce thereof;
Who giveth breath to the people upon it,
And spirit to them that tread thereon:
6I Jehovah have called thee in righteousness,
And I will take hold of thy hand, and will preserve thee;
And I will give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations;
7To open the blind eyes,
To bring the captive out of confinement;
And them that sit in darkness, out of the prison house.
8I am Jehovah, that is my name;
And my glory will I not give to another,
Nor my praise to graven images.
9The former predictions, behold! they are come to pass;
And new events I now declare:
Before they spring forth, I make them known unto you.
10Sing unto Jehovah a new song,
His praise from the ends of the earth;
Ye that go down upon the sea, and the fulness thereof;
The isles, and their inhabitants.
11Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice,
The villages that Kedar doth inhabit:
Let them sing, who inhabit the rocks;
Let them shout aloud from the top of the mountains.
12Let them ascribe glory to Jehovah,
And declare his praise in the islands.
13 Jehovah shall march forth like a hero;
Like a mighty warrior shall he stir up his zeal:
He shall cry aloud; yea, he shall shout amain;
He shall prove himself mighty against his enemies.
14I have long time holden my peace,
I have been still and refrained myself;
But now will I cry out like a woman in travail;
I will stifle my breath and pour it forth at once.
15I will make waste mountains and hills,
And all their herbage will I dry up;
And I will change rivers into islands,
And the pools will I dry up.
16And I will lead the blind by a way that they knew not;
Through paths that they have not known will I conduct them:
I will turn darkness into light before them;
And rugged places into smooth ground.
These things will I do for them, and will not forsake them.
17They are turned backward, they are utterly confounded,
Who trust in graven images,
Who say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
18Hear, ye deaf!
And, ye blind! look attentively, that ye may see.
19Who is blind, if not my servant?
Or deaf as my messenger whom I sent?
Who is blind like him that is perfect,
And blind like the servant of Jehovah?
20Thou hast seen many things, but thou observest not;
Having the ears open, but did not hear.
21 Jehovah is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake;
He shall magnify the law, and render it glorious.
22But this is a people spoiled and plundered;
All their chosen youths are taken in the toils,
And in prison houses are they hid:
They are become a spoil, and none delivereth;
A plunder, and no one saith, Restore.
23Who is there among you that will give ear to this?
That will attend, and hearken, for the future?
24Who hath given Jacob for a spoil,
And Israel to the plunderers?
Was it not Jehovah? He against whom we have sinned?
For they would not walk in his ways,
Neither were they obedient unto his law.
25Therefore he hath poured upon them the heat of his anger, and the vehemence of war:
And it kindled a flame round about him, yet he regarded it not;
And it set him on fire, yet he laid it not to heart.
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Translated by Rev John Jones (Ioan Tegid).Published at Oxford in 1830, second edition 1842.