Isaiah 42

1 Look! Here is my servant, the one I support; my chosen one who pleases me. I have placed my Spirit on him, and he will show the nations what is right.

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.

2 He won't shout or cry out; he won't raise his voice in the street.

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

3 He won't break a damaged reed; he won't snuff out a smoldering wick. He will faithfully make sure everyone is treated fairly.

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

4 He won't give up or become discouraged until he has made sure that justice is upheld throughout the world. Even lands overseas will look forward to his teachings.

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

5 This is what God the Lord says, the one who created the heavens and stretched them out, who made the earth and everything in it, who gives breath to the people on it, and life to those who live there:

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:

6 “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate what's right, and I will hold your hand. I will take care of you, and give you as a sign of my agreement with the people and as a light to the nations.

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,

7 You will make the blind see, set free those who are locked up, and lead those who sit in darkness out from prison.

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

8 I am the Lord—that is my name! I do not give my honor to anyone else; I do not give my praise to idols.

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

9 Notice that what I foretold has come true, as will the new things I'm saying to you now. I tell you what will happen before it does.”

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.

10 Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing praise from everywhere on earth, you who sail on the sea and everything in it, you islands and everyone who lives in them.

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.

11 Let the people in the desert and its towns shout; let the people of the villages of Kedar cry out loud. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops.

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 glorify the Lord and praise him in the islands.

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

13 Like a mighty warrior the Lord will march out, like a seasoned soldier he goes out with courage. He gives his war-cry, shouting as he battles and defeats his enemies.

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.

14 “I didn't say anything for a long time, I kept quiet and restrained myself. But now like a woman giving birth, I will moan and gasp and pant.

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.

15 I will dry up the mountains and the hills, and make all their greenery wither. I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools.

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.

16 I will lead the blind along a road they don't know; I will guide them along paths they don't know. I will turn darkness into light before them, and smooth out the rough places. This is what I'm going to do for them; I won't let them down.

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.

17 But those who trust in idols and say to images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be rejected in humiliation and shame.

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.

18 Listen, you deaf people! Look and see, you blind people!

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

19 Who is blind like my servant? Who is deaf like my messenger that I send? Who is as blind as the people of the agreement? Who is as blind as the servant of the Lord?

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,

20 You've looked at many things but have not really seen; you've heard but never really listened.”

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

21 Because the Lord does what is right he wanted to show how important and wonderful his instructions were.

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

22 But this people ended up robbed and raided, all of them trapped in holes or hidden in prisons. They have been stolen like loot, with no one to save them from being someone's prize, no one to say “Give them back!”

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.

23 Who of you is going to listen to this, or pay attention later on?

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

24 Who let Jacob be taken as loot; who let Israel be taken by robbers? Wasn't it the Lord who we sinned against? The people weren't willing to follow his ways, and they refused to obey his law.

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.

25 So he poured out his furious anger on them, and the violence of war. Even though they were surrounded by flames, but they still didn't understand. The fire burned them up, but they still did not take the situation seriously.

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.