Isaiah 42

1 [Yahweh says, “I want you people to know about] my servant, whom I encourage. I have chosen him, and I am pleased with him. I have given him my Spirit, and he will make certain that all the people-groups do what is right/just.

Behold my servant, whom I will uphold; my elect, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my spirit upon him, that he may bring forth justice to the nations.

2 He will not [show his power by] shouting [DOU] or by talking very loudly.

He shall not cry, nor call out aloud, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

3 He will not get rid of [anyone who is weak like] [MET] a smashed reed, and he will not [end the life of anyone who is helpless like] [MET] someone would extinguish a dimly burning wick [of an oil lamp]. He will faithfully/continually make sure that judges decide cases justly.

A cracked reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: unto truth shall he bring forth justice.

4 He will not become exhausted or discouraged all during the time that he is causing things to be done justly throughout the earth. Even [people living on the islands in] [MTY] the oceans will confidently wait for [him to teach them] his laws.”

He shall not become fatigued and not be faint, till he have established justice on earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.

5 Yahweh our God created the sky and spread it out. He also created the earth and everything on it. He gives breath to all the people on the earth; he causes them to live [DOU]. [And he is the one who says to his special servant],

Thus hath said God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and the things which come out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to those that walk thereon:

6 “I, Yahweh, have chosen you to show people that I always act righteously/fairly. I will grasp your hand and protect you, and I will present you to [my Israeli] people to be the one who will put into effect my agreement with them. [You will be like] a light to the [other] nations.

I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will lay hold on thy hand, and will keep thee, and appoint thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations;

7 You will enable blind [IDM] people to see, you will free those who are in prison (OR, who are bound [by the guilt of their sins]) [MET] and release those who are in dark dungeons.

To open blind eyes, to bring out from the dungeon the prisoner, and out of the prison-house those that dwell in darkness.

8 I am Yahweh; that is my name. I will not allow anyone else to receive the honor that only I deserve. And I will not allow idols to be praised like only I should be praised.

I am the Everlasting One, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to any other, nor my praise to graven images.

9 Everything that I have prophesied has happened, and now I will tell about other things that will happen. I will tell you things that will happen before they happen.”

The former things, behold, are come to pass; and new things do I announce; before they spring forth I let you hear of them.

10 Sing a new song to Yahweh! Sing to praise him throughout the world! All you people who sail across the oceans, and all you creatures that live in the oceans, and all you people who live on islands far away, sing!

Sing unto the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth; ye that go down to the sea, and all that filleth it; the isles, and their inhabitants.

11 You people who live in towns in the desert, sing loudly! You people who live in the Kedar [area in the north of Arabia], you rejoice also! You people in Sela [city in Edom], you also should sing joyfully; shout [to praise him] from the tops of your mountains!

Let resound with song the wilderness and its cities, the villages which Kedar inhabiteth: let the inhabitants of the rocks sing, let them shout forth from the top of the mountains.

12 Even people who live on distant islands should honor Yahweh and sing to praise him.

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

13 [It will be as though] Yahweh will march out like [SIM] a mighty soldier; he will show that he is very angry. He will shout a battle-cry, and [then] he will defeat all his enemies.

The Lord—as a mighty one will he go forth, like a man of war will he arouse his vengeance: he will shout, yea, raise the war-cry; against his enemies will he show his strength.

14 [He will say], “I have remained silent [DOU] for a long time; I have restrained myself [from doing what I need to do]. But now, like [SIM] a woman who is giving birth to a baby, I will cry out and gasp and pant.

I have a long time held my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: [now] like a travailing woman will I cry; I will destroy and devour [all] together.

15 I will level off the hills and mountains, and I will cause all the plants and trees to dry up. I will cause the rivers to become small streams, and little islands will appear in them, and I will cause all the pools to become dry.

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

16 [My people who have been taken to Babylonia are like] [MET] blind people, [but] I will lead them along a road on which they have not walked before, on a road that they have not seen before. They have felt [very helpless, as though] they were walking in the darkness, but I will take away that darkness and I will make smooth the road that is in front of them. Those are the things that I will do for them; I will not abandon them.

And I will cause the blind to walk on a way that they have not known; on paths that they have not known will I lead them: I will change darkness before them into light, and crooked places into plains. These are the things which I will do, and not leave them [unfulfilled].

17 But those who trust in carved idols, and say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be completely humiliated/disgraced.”

They shall be turned back, they shall be ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to molten idols, Ye are our gods.

18 You [Israeli people who have acted toward God like] deaf [people], listen [to what Yahweh says]! “You [who have been like] [MET] blind [people], look!

Ye deaf, hear; and ye blind, look up, that ye may see.

19 No people are [RHQ] as blind as my people, who [should have been] serving me. No people are [RHQ] as much like [MET] deaf people as [the Israelis, who should have been] my messengers. No people are [RHQ] as much like [MET] blind people as those whom I chose to serve me.

Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger whom I send? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the servant of the Lord?

20 You see and know what are the right things to do, but you do not do them. You hear [what I say to you], but you do not pay attention.”

Thou seest many things, but observest not; the ears are open, but he heareth not.

21 Because Yahweh is righteous, he has honored his glorious laws.

The Lord willed [to do this] for the sake of his righteousness; [therefore] he magnifieth the law, and maketh it honorable.

22 But [the armies of Babylon have destroyed Jerusalem] and have completely (plundered/taken away) [DOU] all the valuable things, and they have captured Yahweh’s people and taken them away and put them in prison. They have been captured easily, because there was no one to protect them; there was no one to say that they should be allowed to return home.

But it is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them ensnared in holes, and in prison-houses are they hidden: they are become for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.

23 Who among you will listen carefully to these things? Who will pay attention from now on?

Who among you will give ear to this? will hearken and listen, for the time to come?

24 Who allowed the valuable possessions of the people of Israel to be stolen [RHQ, DOU]? It was Yahweh, because he is he one against whom we had sinned; we did not conduct our lives like he wanted us to, and we did not obey his laws.

Who gave up Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to plunderers? was it not the Lord? he it is against whom we have sinned; for they would not walk in his ways, neither did they hearken unto his law.

25 Therefore, he was extremely angry with us, and he caused our soldiers to be destroyed in battles. [It was as though] [MET] he lit a fire around us, but we did not understand [what he was trying to tell us]. [His being angry with us was like] a fire that would burn us up, but we did not pay attention [IDM].

Therefore hath he poured out over him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it blazed all round about him, yet he regarded it not; and it burnt on him, yet he laid it not to heart.