Isaiah 42

1 Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect [in whom] my soul delighteth! I will put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the nations.

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, My chosen, in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him; He shall cause law to go forth to the nations.

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

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

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

The bruised reed shall he not break, And the glimmering flax shall he not quench; He shall send forth law according to truth.

4 He shall not faint nor be in haste, till he have set justice in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

He shall not fail, nor become weary, Until he shall have established justice in the earth. And distant nations shall wait for his law.

5 Thus saith God, Jehovah, he that created the heavens and stretched them out, he that spread forth the earth and its productions, he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

Thus saith God Jehovah, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth, and that which springeth forth from it, Who gave breath to the people upon it, And spirit to them that walk thereon:

6 I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will take hold of thy hand; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations,

I, Jehovah, have called thee for salvation; I will hold thee by the hand; I will defend thee, and make thee a covenant to the people, A light to the nations;

7 to open the blind eyes, to bring forth the prisoner from the prison, them that sit in darkness out of the house of restraint.

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 Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

I am Jehovah, that is my name; And my glory will I not give to another, Nor my praise to graven images.

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

The former things, behold! they are come to pass, And new things do I now declare; Before they spring forth, I make them known to you.

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

Sing to Jehovah a new song; His praise to the ends of the earth; Ye that go down upon the sea, and all that fill it; Ye distant coasts, and ye that dwell therein!

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:

Let the desert cry aloud, and the cities thereof; The villages, that Kedar inhabiteth; Let the inhabitants of the rock sing; Let them shout from the top of the mountains!

12 let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.

Let them give glory to Jehovah, And proclaim his praise in distant lands!

13 Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man, he will stir up jealousy like a man of war: he will cry, yea, he will shout; he will shew himself mighty against his enemies.

Jehovah shall march forth like a hero; Like a mighty warrior shall he rouse his indignation, He shall cry aloud; he shall shout the war-cry, And show himself mighty against his enemies.

14 Long time have I holden my peace; I have been still, I have restrained myself: I will cry like a woman that travaileth; I will blow and pant at once.

“I have long held my peace; I have been still and refrained myself; But now will I cry like a woman in travail; I will destroy and swallow up at once.

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

I will lay waste mountains and hills, And dry up all their herbs. I will make the river solid land, And dry up the pools of water.

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 things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

Then will I lead the blind in a way which they know not, And in unknown paths will I guide them; I will make darkness light before them, And crooked paths straight; These things will I do for them, and not forsake them.”

17 They shall be turned back, they shall be covered with shame, that confide in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

Then shall they be turned back, and be put to shame, Who trust in graven images; Who say to molten images, “Ye are our gods!”

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

Hear, O ye deaf! And look, ye blind, and see!

19 Who is blind, but my servant? and deaf, as my messenger whom I sent? Who is blind as he in whom I have trusted, and blind as Jehovah's servant,

Who is blind, if not my servant? And who so deaf as my messenger, whom I send? Who so blind as the friend of God, So blind as the servant of Jehovah?

20 — seeing many things, and thou observest not? With opened ears, he heareth not.

Thou seest many things, but regardest them not; Thou hast thine ears open, but hearest not!

21 Jehovah had delight [in him] for his righteousness' sake: he hath magnified the law, and made it honourable.

It pleased Jehovah for his goodness' sake To give him a law, great and glorious;

22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and hidden in prison-houses; they are become a prey, and none delivereth, — a spoil, and none saith, Restore.

And yet it is a robbed and plundered people; They are all of them bound in prisons, And hid in dungeons; They have become a spoil, and none delivereth; A prey, and none saith, “Restore!”

23 Who among you will give ear to this, [who] will hearken and hear what is to come?

Who is there among you that will give ear to this, That will listen and attend for the time to come?

24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not Jehovah, he against whom we have sinned? And they would not walk in his ways, neither did they hearken unto his law.

Who gave Jacob to be a spoil, And Israel to plunderers? Was it not Jehovah, against whom we sinned, In whose ways we would not walk, And whose laws we would not obey?

25 And he hath 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 took it not to heart.

Therefore hath he poured out upon Israel the fury of his wrath, and the violence of war; It kindled a flame around about him, yet he did not regard it; It set him on fire, yet he laid it not to heart.