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.

Lo! my Servant, I will uphold him, My chosen, well-pleased is my soul, —I have put my spirit upon him, Justice—to the nations, will he bring forth:

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

He will not cry out nor will he speak loud, —Nor cause to be heard, in the street, his voice:

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

Cane that is crushed, will he not break, And wick that is fading, will he not quench, —Faithfully, will he bring forth justice:

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 will not fade, nor will he be crushed, Until he establish, in the earth, justice, And for his instruction, Coastlands, wait.

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 GOD himself—Yahweh, —Creator of the heavens that stretched them forth, Out-spreader of earth, and the products thereof, —Giver of breath to the people thereon, And of spirit to them who walk therein,

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—Yahweh, have called thee in righteousness, And will firmly grasp thy hand, —And will keep thee And give thee—As the covenant of a people, As the light of nations:

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 eyes that are blind, —To bring forth Out of the dungeon the captive Out of the prison, the dwellers in darkness.

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 Yahweh, that, is my Name, And, my glory, to another, will I not give, Nor my praise to 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.

Things told in advance, lo! they have come to pass, —And new things, am I telling, Ere yet they spring forth, I let, you, hear them.

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 to Yahweh, a song that is new, His praise, from the end of the earth, —Ye that go down to the sea, and the fulness thereof, The Coastlands and ye who dwell therein.

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.

Let the wilderness shout, and the cities thereof, The villages wherein dwelleth Kedar, —Let the inhabitants of the crag, raise shouts of triumph, From the top of the mountains, let them cry aloud:

12 Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.

Let them render unto Yahweh, glory, —And, his praise, in the Coastlands let them tell.

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.

Yahweh, as a hero, goeth forth, As a man of war, he stirreth up jealousy, —He giveth a cry, yea he raiseth a war-cry, Over his foes, he showeth his strength.

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 held my peace from age-past times, I kept still, I restrained myself, —As a travailing woman, I pant, I breathe hard and gasp, all 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 lay waste mountains, and hills, And all their vegetation, will I wither, —And I will make rivers to be shores, And lakes, will I dry up:

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.

Thus will I lead the blind, by a way they know not, In paths they know not, will I guide them, —I will make the place that was dark before them to be, light. And crooked ways, to be, straight, These things, have I done unto them, And have not forsaken 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.

They have drawn back They turn very pale Who have been trusting in a graven image, —Who have been saying to a molten image, Ye, are our gods!

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

Ye deaf hear! And ye blind look around that ye may 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?

Who is blind if not my Servant? Or deaf, like, my messenger whom I send? Who is, blind, like an intimate friend? Or blind like the Servant of Yahweh?

20 Thou seest many things, but thou observest not; his ears are open, but he heareth not.

Seeing many things, yet thou heedest not, Opening the ears yet he heareth not,

21 It pleased the LORD, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law, and make it honourable.

Yahweh, is well-pleased for his own righteousness’ sake, He magnifieth instruction and maketh it majestic.

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.

But, that, is a people preyed upon and plundered, Snared in holes, all of them, And, in houses of restraint, concealed, —They have become a prey, and there is none to deliver, —A booty, and there is none to 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 among you, will give ear to this, —Let him hearken and hear, for an aftertime?

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.

Who gave, as a booty, Jacob. And, Israel, to them who were ready to take prey? Was it not, Yahweh? He against whom we have sinned, And they were not willing, in his ways, to walk, Neither hearkened they to his instruction?

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 hath poured out, upon him, the glow of his anger, and the strength of battle; And it hath set him aflame round about, yet he knoweth it not, And it hath kindled upon him yet he layeth it not to heart.