Isaiah 42

1 Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen one, in him I take delight. I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring justice to the nations.

Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My spirit upon him, he shall make the right to go forth to the nations.

2 He will not cry out nor shout, nor make his voice heard in the streets.

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

3 A crushed reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench: he will faithfully execute justice.

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the dimly burning wick shall he not quench; he shall make the right to go forth according to the truth.

4 He will not grow faint nor be discouraged until he has established justice on the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

He shall not fail nor be crushed, till he have set the right in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his teaching.

5 This is what God Yahweh says— the one who created the heavens and stretched them out, the one who made the earth and all that it produces, the one who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who live on it:

Thus saith God the LORD, He that created the heavens, and stretched them forth, He that spread forth 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:

6 “I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness and will hold your hand. I will keep you and set you as a covenant for the people, as a light for the Gentiles,

I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and have taken hold of thy hand, and kept thee, and set thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations;

7 to open the eyes of the blind, to release the prisoners from the dungeon, and from the house of confinement those who sit in darkness.

To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.

8 I am Yahweh, that is my name; and my glory I will not share with another nor my praise with carved idols.

I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images.

9 See, the previous things came to pass, now I am about to declare new events. Before they begin to occur I will tell you about them.”

Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.

10 Sing to Yahweh a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth; you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, the coastlands, and those who live there.

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.

11 Let the desert and the cities cry out, the villages where Kedar lives, shout for joy! Let the inhabitants of Sela sing; 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 Sela exult, let them shout from the top of the mountains.

12 Let them give glory to Yahweh and declare his praise in the coastlands.

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

13 Yahweh will go out as a warrior; as a man of war he will stir up his zeal. He will shout, yes, he will roar his battle cries; he will show his enemies his power.

The LORD will go forth as a mighty man, He will stir up jealousy like a man of war; He will cry, yea, He will shout aloud, He will prove Himself mighty against His enemies.

14 I have kept quiet for a long time; I have been still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant.

I have long time held My peace, I have been still, and refrained Myself; now will I cry like a travailing woman, gasping and panting at once.

15 I will lay waste mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; and I will turn the rivers into islands and will dry up the marshes.

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.

16 I will bring the blind by a way that they do not know; in paths that they do not know I will lead them. I will turn the darkness into light before them, and make the crooked places straight. These things I will do, and I will not abandon them.

And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, in paths that they knew not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and rugged places plain. These things will I do, and I will not leave them undone.

17 They will be turned back, they will be completely put to shame, those who trust in carved figures, who say to cast metal figures, “You are our gods.”

They shall be turned back, greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say unto molten images: 'Ye are our gods.'

18 Listen, you deaf; and look, you blind, that you may see.

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

19 Who is blind but my servant? Or deaf like my messenger I send? Who is as blind as my covenant partner, or blind as Yahweh's servant?

Who is blind, but My servant? Or deaf, as My messenger that I send? Who is blind as he that is wholehearted, and blind as the LORD'S servant?

20 You see many things, but do not comprehend; ears are open, but no one hears.

Seeing many things, thou observest not; opening the ears, he heareth not.

21 It pleased Yahweh to praise his justice and to make his law glorious.

The LORD was pleased, for His righteousness' sake, to make the teaching great and glorious.

22 But this is a people robbed and plundered; they are all trapped in pits, held captive in prisons; they have become a plunder with no one to rescue them, and no one says, “Bring them back!”

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.'

23 Who among you will listen to this? Who will listen and hear in the future?

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

24 Who gave Jacob over to the robber, and Israel to the looters? Was it not Yahweh, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they refused to walk, and whose law they refused to obey?

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.

25 Therefore he poured out on them his fierce anger and the violence of war, Its flames encircled them, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

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.