Isaiah 53 – NIVUK & NIRV

New International Version – UK

Isaiah 53:1-12

1Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces

he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

5But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

6We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to our own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

7He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

8By oppression53:8 Or From arrest and judgment he was taken away.

Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was punished.53:8 Or generation considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living, / that he was punished for the transgression of my people?

9He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

and though the Lord makes53:10 Hebrew though you make his life an offering for sin,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

11After he has suffered,

he will see the light of life53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have the light of life. and be satisfied53:11 Or (with Masoretic Text) 11 He will see the fruit of his suffering / and will be satisfied;

by his knowledge53:11 Or by knowledge of him my righteous servant will justify many,

and he will bear their iniquities.

12Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,53:12 Or many

and he will divide the spoils with the strong,53:12 Or numerous

because he poured out his life unto death,

and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors.

New International Reader’s Version

Isaiah 53:1-12

1Who has believed what we’ve been saying?

Who has seen the Lord’s saving power?

2His servant grew up like a tender young plant.

He grew like a root coming up out of dry ground.

He didn’t have any beauty or majesty that made us notice him.

There wasn’t anything special about the way he looked that drew us to him.

3People looked down on him. They didn’t accept him.

He knew all about pain and suffering.

He was like someone people turn their faces away from.

We looked down on him. We didn’t have any respect for him.

4He suffered the things we should have suffered.

He took on himself the pain that should have been ours.

But we thought God was punishing him.

We thought God was wounding him and making him suffer.

5But the servant was pierced because we had sinned.

He was crushed because we had done what was evil.

He was punished to make us whole again.

His wounds have healed us.

6All of us are like sheep. We have wandered away from God.

All of us have turned to our own way.

And the Lord has placed on his servant

the sins of all of us.

7He was treated badly and made to suffer.

But he didn’t open his mouth.

He was led away like a lamb to be killed.

Sheep are silent while their wool is being cut off.

In the same way, he didn’t open his mouth.

8He was arrested and sentenced to death.

Then he was taken away.

He was cut off from this life.

He was punished for the sins of my people.

Who among those who were living at that time

tried to stop what was happening?

9He was given a grave with those who were evil.

But his body was buried in the tomb of a rich man.

He was killed even though he hadn’t harmed anyone.

And he had never lied to anyone.

10The Lord says, “It was my plan to crush him

and cause him to suffer.

I made his life an offering to pay for sin.

But he will see all his children after him.

In fact, he will continue to live.

My plan will be brought about through him.

11After he has suffered, he will see the light of life.

And he will be satisfied.

My godly servant will make many people godly

because of what he will accomplish.

He will be punished for their sins.

12So I will give him a place of honor among those who are great.

He will be rewarded just like others who win the battle.

That’s because he was willing to give his life as a sacrifice.

He was counted among those who had committed crimes.

He took the sins of many people on himself.

And he gave his life for those who had done what is wrong.”