< Isaiah 42 >

1 Behold my servant, I will uphold him: my elect, my soul delighteth in him: I have given my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my 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 have respect to person, neither shall his voice be heard abroad.
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
3 The bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment to truth.
4 He shall not be sad, nor troublesome, till he set judgment in the earth: and the islands shall wait for his law.
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he hath set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
5 Thus saith the Lord God that created the heavens, and stretched them out: that established the earth, and the things that spring out of it: that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that tread thereon.
Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and expanded them; he that spread forth the earth, and that which it produceth; he that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.
6 I the Lord have called thee in justice, and taken thee by the hand, and preserved thee. And I have given thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles:
I the LORD 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;
7 That thou mightest open the eyes of the blind, and bring forth the prisoner out of prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
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 the Lord, this is my name: I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven things.
I [am] the LORD: that [is] my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
9 The things that were first, behold they are come: and new things do I declare: before they spring forth, I will make you head them.
Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
10 Sing ye to the Lora a new song, his praise is from the ends of the earth: you that go down to the sea, and all that are therein: ye islands, and ye inhabitants of them.
Sing to 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 in it; the isles, and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and the cities thereof be exalted: Cedar shall dwell in houses: ye inhabitants of Petra, give praise, they shall cry from the top of the mountains.
Let the wilderness and its cities 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 They shall give glory to the Lord, and shall declare his praise in the islands.
Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare his praise in the isles.
13 The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, as a man of war shall he stir up zeal: he shall shout and cry: he shall prevail against his enemies.
The LORD will go forth as a mighty man, he will stir up jealousy like a man of war: he will cry, yes, roar; he will prevail against his enemies.
14 I have always held my peace, I have I kept silence, I have been patient, I will speak now as a woman in labour: I will destroy, and swallow up at once.
I have long time held my peace; I have been still, [and] restrained myself: [now] will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.
15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills, and will make all their grass to wither: and I will turn rivers into islands, and will dry up the standing pools.
I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers [to be] islands, and I will dry up the pools.
16 And I will lead the blind into the way which they know not: and in the paths which they were ignorant of I will make them walk: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight: these things have I done to them, and have not forsaken them.
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 for them, and not forsake them.
17 They are turned back: let them be greatly confounded, that trust in a graven thing, that say to a molten thing: You are our god.
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, ye blind, behold that you may see.
Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, but he to whom I have sent my messengers? Who is blind, but he that is sold? or who is blind, but the servant of the Lord?
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 Thou that seest many things, wilt thou not observe them? thou that hast ears open, wilt thou not hear?
Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.
21 And the Lord was willing to sanctify him, and to magnify the law, and exalt it.
The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make [it] honorable.
22 But this is a people that is robbed and wasted: they are all the snare of young men, and they are hid in the houses of prisons: they are made a prey, and there is none to deliver them: a spoil, and there is none that saith: Restore.
But this [is] a people robbed and pillaged; [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 is there among you that will give ear to this, that will attend and hearken for times to come?
Who among you will give ear to this? [who] will hearken, and hear for the time to come?
24 Who hath given Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to robbers? hath not the Lord himself, against whom we have sinned? And they would not walk in his ways, and they have not hearkened to his law.
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 to his law.
25 And he hath poured out upon him the indignation of his fury, and a strong battle, and hath burnt him round about, and he knew not: and set him on fire, and he understood not.
Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire around, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid [it] not to heart.

< Isaiah 42 >