1Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 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 the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.42.3 smoking: or, dimly burning42.3 quench: Heb. quench it 4He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.42.4 discouraged: Heb. broken
5¶ Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth 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: 6I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. 8I am the LORD: 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 I tell you of them. 10Sing unto the LORD 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.42.10 all…: Heb. the fulness thereof 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 the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.
13The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.42.13 prevail: or, behave himself mightily 14I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.42.14 devour: Heb. swallow, or, sup up 15I will make 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 knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.42.16 straight: Heb. into straightness
17¶ They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
18Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. 19Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’s servant? 20Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not. 21The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.42.21 it: or, him 22But this is a people robbed and spoiled; 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.42.22 they are all…: or, in snaring all the young men of them42.22 for a spoil: Heb. a treading 23Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?42.23 for…: Heb. for the after time? 24Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, 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 him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
The Lord’s Chosen Servant
1“Here is my servant. I take good care of him.
I have chosen him. I am very pleased with him.
I will put my Spirit on him.
He will bring justice to the nations.
2He will not shout or cry out.
He will not raise his voice in the streets.
3He will not break a bent twig.
He will not put out a dimly burning flame.
He will be faithful and make everything right.
4He will not grow weak or lose hope.
He will not give up until he brings justice to the earth.
The islands will put their hope in his teaching.”
5God created the heavens and stretches them out.
The Lord spreads out the earth with everything that grows on it.
He gives breath to its people.
He gives life to those who walk on it.
He says to his servant,
6“I, the Lord, have chosen you to do what is right.
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you safe.
You will put into effect my covenant with the people of Israel.
And you will be a light for the Gentiles.
7You will open eyes that can’t see.
You will set prisoners free.
Those who sit in darkness will come out of their cells.
8“I am the Lord. That is my name!
I will not let any other god share my glory.
I will not let statues of gods share my praise.
9What I said would happen has taken place.
Now I announce new things to you.
Before they even begin to happen,
I announce them to you.”
A Song of Praise to the Lord
10Sing a new song to the Lord.
Sing praise to him from one end of the earth to the other.
Sing, you who sail out on the ocean.
Sing, all you creatures in it.
Sing, you islands.
Sing, all you who live there.
11Let the desert and its towns raise their voices.
Let those who live in the settlements of Kedar be glad.
Let the people of Sela sing for joy.
Let them shout from the tops of the mountains.
12Let them give glory to the Lord.
Let them praise him in the islands.
13The Lord will march out like a mighty warrior.
He will stir up his anger like a soldier getting ready to fight.
He will shout the battle cry.
And he will win the battle over his enemies.
14The Lord says, “For a long time I have kept silent.
I have been calm and quiet.
But now, like a woman having a baby,
I cry out. I gasp and pant.
15I will completely destroy the mountains and hills.
I will dry up everything that grows there.
I will turn rivers into dry land.
I will dry up the pools.
16Israel is blind.
So I will lead them along paths
they had not known before.
I will guide them on roads they are not familiar with.
I will turn the darkness into light as they travel.
I will make the rough places smooth.
Those are the things I will do.
I will not desert my people.
17Some people trust in statues of gods.
They say to them, ‘You are our gods.’
But they will be dishonored.
They will be put to shame.
Israel Can’t See or Hear
18“Israel, listen to me! You can hear,
but you do not understand.
Look to me! You can see,
but you do not know what you are seeing.
19The people of Israel serve me. But who is more blind than they are?
Who is more deaf than the messengers I send?
Who is more blind than the one who has promised to be faithful to me?
Who is more blind than the servant of the Lord?
20Israel, you have seen many things.
But you do not pay any attention to me.
Your ears are open.
But you do not listen to anything I say.”
21The Lord wanted his people to see
how great and glorious his law is.
He wanted to show them
that he always does what is right.
22Enemies have carried off everything they own.
All my people are trapped in pits
or hidden away in prisons.
They themselves have become like stolen goods.
No one can save them.
They have been carried off.
And there is no one who will say, “Send them back.”
23Family of Jacob, who among you will listen to what I’m saying?
People of Israel, which one of you will pay close attention in days to come?
24Who allowed you to be carried off like stolen goods?
Who handed you over to robbers?
The Lord did it!
We have sinned against him.
Israel, you wouldn’t follow his ways.
You didn’t obey his law.
25So he poured out his great anger on you.
He had many of you killed in battle.
You were surrounded by flames.
But you didn’t realize what was happening.
Many of you were destroyed.
But you didn’t learn anything from it.
