Isaiah 42

1 Behold, 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 Gentiles.

Behold my servant, I will uphold him, my elect, with him my soul is well-pleased. I have sent my Spirit upon him. He will offer judgment to the nations.

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

He will not cry out, and he will not show favoritism to anyone; neither will his voice be heard abroad.

3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench, but he will bring forth justice in truth.

The bruised reed he will not break, and the smoldering wick he will not extinguish. He will lead forth judgment unto truth.

4 He will not fail nor be discouraged till he has set justice in the earth. And in his name Gentiles will hope.

He will not be saddened or troubled, until he establishes judgment on earth. And the islands will await his law.

5 Thus says God, Jehovah, he who created the heavens, and stretched them forth, he who spread abroad the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to the people upon it, and spirit to those who walk in it,

Thus says the Lord God, who created the heavens and expanded it, who formed the earth and all that springs from it, who gives breath to the people in it, and spirit to those walking on it.

6 I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles,

I, the Lord, have called you in justice, and I have taken your hand and preserved you. And I have presented you as a covenant of the people, as a light to the Gentiles,

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

so that you may open the eyes of the blind, and lead out the prisoner from confinement and those sitting in darkness from the house of incarceration.

8 I am Jehovah. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven images.

I am the Lord; this is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven things.

9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and I declare new things. Before they spring forth I tell you of them.

The things that were first, behold, they have arrived. And I also announce what is new. Before these things arise, I will cause you to hear about them.

10 Sing to Jehovah a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

Sing to the Lord a new canticle, sing his praise from the ends of the earth, you who descend into the sea and all its fullness, the islands and their inhabitants.

11 Let the wilderness and the cities of it lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains.

Let the desert and its cities be lifted up. Kedar will dwell in houses. O inhabitants of the rock, give praise! They will cry out from the top of the mountains.

12 Let them give glory to Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.

They will give glory to the Lord, and they will announce his praise to the islands.

13 Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man. He will stir up his zeal like a man of war. He will cry, yea, he will shout aloud. He will do mightily against his enemies.

The Lord will go forth like a strong man; like a man of battle, he will stir up zeal. He will shout and cry out. He will prevail against his enemies.

14 I have for a long time held my peace. I have been still, and refrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will gasp and pant together.

I have always been quiet; I have been silent; I have been patient. I will speak like a woman giving birth. I will destroy and consume, all at once.

15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs. And I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.

I will desolate the mountains and the hills, and I will wither all their grass. And I will turn rivers into islands, and I will dry up the pools of water.

16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not. I will lead them in paths that they know not. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do, and I will not forsake them.

And I will lead the blind along a way which they do not know. And I will cause them to walk along paths with which they were unfamiliar. I will turn darkness into light before them, and crooked into straight. These things I have done for them. For I have not abandoned them.

17 They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly put to shame, who trust in graven images, who say to molten images, Ye are our gods.

They have been converted again. Let those who trust in graven idols be greatly confounded, for they say to a molten thing, “You are our god.”

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

You who are deaf, hear! You who are blind, turn your gaze and see!

19 Who is blind, but my servant, or deaf, as my messenger that I send? Who is blind as he who is at peace with me, and blind as Jehovah's servant?

Who is blind, except my servant? Who is deaf, except the one to whom I have sent my messengers? Who is blind, except the one who has been sold? And who is blind, except the servant of the Lord?

20 Thou see many things, but thou do not observe. His ears are open, but he does not hear.

You who see many things, will you not keep them? You who have open ears, will you not listen?

21 It pleased Jehovah, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify the law, and make it honorable.

And the Lord was willing to sanctify him, and to magnify the law, and to exalt him.

22 But this is a people robbed and plundered. They are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison-houses. They are for a prey, and none delivers, for a spoil, and none says, Restore.

But this same people has robbed and laid waste. All their youth are a snare, and they have been hidden in houses of confinement. They have become victims; there is no one who may rescue them. They have been plundered; there is no one who may say, “Restore.”

23 Who is there among you that will give ear to this, that will hearken and hear for the time to come?

Who is there among you who will hear this, who will listen closely and heed this in the future?

24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not Jehovah? He against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, nor were they obedient to his law.

Who has handed over Jacob into plunder, and Israel into devastation? Is it not the Lord himself, against whom we have sinned? And they were not willing to walk in his ways, and they have not listened to his law.

25 Therefore he poured upon him the fierceness of his anger, and the strength of battle. And it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not. And it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.

And so, he poured out over him the indignation of his fury and a strong battle. And he burned him all around, and he did not realize it. And he set him on fire, and he did not understand it.