Isaiah 42

1 “Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.

2 He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets.

3 A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.

4 He will not grow weak or discouraged before He has established justice on the earth. In His law the islands will put their hope.”

5 This is what God the LORD says—He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk in it:

6 “I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations,

7 to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.

8 I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.

9 Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

10 Sing to the LORD a new song—His praise from the ends of the earth—you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who dwell in them.

11 Let the desert and its cities raise their voices; let the villages of Kedar cry aloud. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them cry out from the mountaintops.

12 Let them give glory to the LORD and declare His praise in the islands.

13 The LORD goes forth like a mighty one; He stirs up His zeal like a warrior. He shouts; yes, He roars in triumph over His enemies:

14 “I have kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant.

15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn the rivers into dry land and drain the marshes.

16 I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.

17 But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.

18 Listen, you deaf ones; look, you blind ones, that you may see!

19 Who is blind but My servant, or deaf like the messenger I am sending? Who is blind like My covenant partner, or blind like the servant of the LORD?

20 Though seeing many things, you do not keep watch. Though your ears are open, you do not hear.”

21 The LORD was pleased, for the sake of His righteousness, to magnify His law and make it glorious.

22 But this is a people plundered and looted, all trapped in caves or imprisoned in dungeons. They have become plunder with no one to rescue them, and loot with no one to say, “Send them back!”

23 Who among you will pay attention to this? Who will listen and obey hereafter?

24 Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? They were unwilling to walk in His ways, and they would not obey His law.

25 So He poured out on them His furious anger and the fierceness of battle. It enveloped them in flames, but they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

1 ¶ Behold 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.

2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

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:

6 I 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;

7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, [and] them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

8 I [am] the LORD: that [is] my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

10 Sing 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.

11 Let 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.

12 Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.

13 ¶ The 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.

14 I 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.

15 I 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.

16 And 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.

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.

18 ¶ Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.

19 Who [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?

20 Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.

21 The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make [it] honourable.

22 But 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.

23 Who among you will give ear to this? [who] will hearken and hear for the time to come?

24 Who 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.

25 Therefore 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.

1 Behold, this is my servant, I sustain him: and my chosen, in whom my soul is well pleased, I have given him my spirit; he shall bring judgment among the heathen.

2 He shall not cry, neither shall he shout; neither shall his voice be heard in the streets.

3 He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoldering wick. He will teach to keep the law truly.

4 He shall not be sullen nor grievous, that he may establish judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

5 Thus saith the Lord GOD, which maketh the heavens, and stretcheth them out, and maketh the earth, and the increase thereof; which giveth breath unto the people that are therein, and breath unto them that walk therein:

6 I the LORD have called thee with righteousness, and have taken thee by the hand, and have kept thee, and have given thee for a covenant among the people, for a light to the Gentiles,

7 That thou shouldest open the eyes of the blind, and bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness from the dungeon.

8 I the LORD, that is my name, and will not give my glory to another, nor my honour to idols.

9 Behold, the things which are to come I declare beforehand, and proclaim new things: before they arise I will let you hear them.

10 Sing unto the LORD a new song. His glory is at the end of the earth; they that sail in the sea, and that are in it, the isles, and they that dwell in them!

11 Shout aloud, ye deserts, and the cities thereof, and the villages where Kedar dwelleth. They that dwell in the rocks shall shout, And call from the high places of the mountains.

12 Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare his fame in the isles.

13 The LORD shall go forth as a giant; he shall stir up zeal as a man of war; he shall shout and shout; he shall give way to his enemies.

14 I will hold my peace for a season, and be silent, and hold my peace. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I will cry out; I will lay them waste and devour them all.

15 I will lay waste the mountains and the hills, and wither all their grass; and I will make the rivers islands, and dry up the seas.

16 But the blind will I lead in the way which they know not; I will lead them in the paths which they know not: I will make the darkness light before them, and the cave a plain. These things will I do unto them, and will not forsake them.

17 But they that trust in idols, and say unto the molten image, Ye are our gods, shall return and be put to shame.

18 Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.

19 Who is so blind as my servant, and who is so deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as the perfect, and so blind as the servant of the LORD?

20 They preach much, but they keep it not: they tell them enough, but they will not hear.

21 Nor is the LORD pleased with them for his righteousness' sake, to make the law glorious and great,

22 They are a spoiled and plundered people; they are all entangled in dens, and hid in dungeons; they are become a spoil, and there is no deliverer, plundered, and there is none that saith, Restore them.

23 Who is there among you that heareth these things, and hearkeneth, and heareth that which cometh after?

24 Who delivered Jacob to plunder, and Israel to robbers? Hath not the LORD done it, against whom we have sinned? And they would not walk in his ways, neither obeyed they his law.

25 Therefore hath he poured out upon them the fury of his wrath, and a power of war; and hath set them on fire round about, but they know it not; and hath set them on fire, but they take it not to heart.