< Isaiah 42 >

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Jacob is my servant, I will help him: Israel is my chosen, my soul has accepted him; 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.
He shall not cry, nor lift up [his voice], nor shall his voice be heard without.
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment in truth.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench; but he shall bring forth judgment to 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.
He shall shine out, and shall not be discouraged, until he have set judgment on the earth: and in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad 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:
Thus saith the Lord God, who made the heaven, and established it; who settled the earth, and the things in it, and gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to them that tread on it:
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;
I the Lord God have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will strengthen thee: and I have given thee for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles:
7 to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring the bound and them that sit in darkness out of bonds and the prison-house.
8 I am the LORD; that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.
I am the Lord God: that is my name: I will not give my glory to another, nor my praises 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.
Behold, the ancient things have come to pass, and [so will] the new things which I tell you: yea, before I tell [them] they are made known to you.
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.
Sing a new hymn to the Lord: ye [who are] his dominion, glorify his name from the end of the earth: ye that go down to the sea, and sail upon it; the islands, and they that dwell in them.
11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up [their voice], the villages that Kedar doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Rejoice, thou wilderness, and the villages thereof, the hamlets, and the dwellers in Kedar: the inhabitants of the rock shall rejoice, they shall shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.
They shall give glory to God, [and] shall proclaim his praises 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, he shall shout aloud; he shall do mightily against his enemies.
The Lord God of hosts shall go forth, and crush the war: he shall stir up jealousy, and shall shout mightily against his enemies.
14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: [now] will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will gasp and pant together.
I have been silent: shall I also always be silent and forbear: I have endured like a travailing [woman]: I will [now] amaze and wither at once.
15 I will make 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 make desolate mountains and hills, and will dry up all their grass; and I will make the rivers islands, and dry up the pools.
16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; in paths that they know not will I lead them: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things will I do, and I will not forsake them.
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, and I will cause them to tread paths which they have not known: I will turn darkness into light for them, and crooked things into straight. These things will I do, and will not forsake them.
17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say unto molten images, Ye are our gods.
But they are turned back: be ye utterly ashamed that trust in graven [images], who say to the molten [images], Ye are our gods.
18 Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
Hear, ye deaf, and look up, ye blind, to see.
19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I send? who is blind as he that is at peace [with me], and blind as the LORD’S servant?
And who is blind, but my servants? and deaf, but they that rule over them? yea, the servants of God have been made blind.
20 Thou seest many things, but thou observest not; his ears are open, but he heareth not.
Ye have often seen, and have not taken heed; [your] ears have been opened, and ye have not heard.
21 It pleased the LORD, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law, and make it honourable.
The Lord God has taken counsel that he might be justified, and might magnify [his] praise.
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.
And I beheld, and the people were spoiled and plundered: for [there is] a snare in the secret chambers everywhere, and in the houses also, where they have hidden them: they became a spoil, and there was no one that delivered the prey, and there was none who said, 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 that will give ear to these things? hearken ye to the things which are coming to pass.
24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD? he against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, neither were they obedient unto his law.
For what did he give to Jacob up to spoil, and Israel to them that plundered him? Did not God [do it] against whom they sinned? [and] they would not walk in his ways, nor hearken to his law.
25 Therefore he poured upon him the fury 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.
So he brought upon them the fury of his wrath; and the war, and those that burnt round about them, prevailed against them; yet no one of them knew [it], neither did they lay [it] to heart.

< Isaiah 42 >