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.
主的仆人
1“看啊，我所扶持、所拣选、所喜悦的仆人，
我已将我的灵赐给祂，
祂必将正义带给万邦。
2祂不喧嚷，不呼喊，
不在街上高声说话。
3压伤的芦苇，祂不折断；
将残的灯火，祂不吹灭。
祂必信实地带来正义。
4祂不灰心也不沮丧，
直到祂在地上设立正义。
四海都渴望祂的训诲。”
5创造诸天、铺展穹苍、
设立大地和地上的一切、
赐给世人生命气息和灵性的耶和华上帝说：
6“我耶和华凭公义呼召你，
我必扶持你，保护你，
使你做我与众民立约的中保、
成为列国的光，
7使你开瞎子的眼睛、
从监牢中释放囚犯、
领出陷在黑暗中的人。
8我是耶和华，这就是我的名字。
我不会把我的荣耀给假神，
也不会把我当受的赞美给雕刻的偶像。
9看啊，以前的预言都已应验，
我现在要宣告新的预言，
把还未发生的事告诉你们。”
赞美主的歌
10航海的和海中的一切、
众海岛和岛上的居民啊，
你们要向耶和华高唱新歌，
从地极赞美祂。
11旷野和其中的城邑以及基达人居住的村庄，
要一同扬声颂赞。
西拉的居民要歌唱，
在山顶欢呼。
12愿他们把荣耀归给耶和华，
在众海岛上颂赞祂。
13耶和华像出征的勇士，
像斗志激昂的战士。
祂必高呼吶喊，战胜仇敌。
上帝应许帮助以色列人
14“我已沉默多时，我克制不语，
现在我要发出急促的呐喊，
像分娩的妇人。
15我要使大山小丘一片荒凉，
上面的草木都枯萎。
我要使河川变成岛屿，
池塘干涸。
16我要带领瞎子走他们不认识的路，
引导他们走陌生的道。
我要把他们面前的黑暗变为光明，
坎坷之地变得平坦。
我必行这些事，我必不离弃他们。
17但那些信靠雕刻的偶像、
供奉金属铸像的必遭唾弃，
羞愧难当。
以色列眼瞎耳聋
18“耳聋的人啊，听吧！
眼瞎的人啊，看吧！
19有谁比我的仆人更瞎，
比我差遣的使者更聋呢？
有谁像那些与我立约的人那样瞎呢？
有谁像耶和华的仆人那样瞎呢？
20你们看见许多事却不领会，
耳朵开着却听不见。”
21耶和华乐意使祂的律法尊大而荣耀，
因为祂行事公义。
22但这些百姓饱受劫掠，
都被困在坑中，囚在监内。
他们沦为俘虏，无人搭救；
被当作战利品掳走，无人追回。
23你们当中谁肯专心听呢？
以后谁肯留心倾听呢？
24谁把雅各交给了掳掠者，
使以色列任人劫掠？
难道不是被我们得罪的耶和华吗？
他们不肯遵行祂的道，
也不听从祂的训诲。
25所以，祂把烈怒和战火倾倒在他们身上。
他们被火包围，却不明白；
被烈火焚身，却不在乎。
