Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed what they heard from us, and to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?

Who would have had faith in the word which has come to our ears, and to whom had the arm of the Lord been unveiled?

2 For he grew up before Yahweh like a sapling, and like a sprout out of parched earth; he had no remarkable appearance or splendor; when we saw him, there was no beauty to attract us.

For his growth was like that of a delicate plant before him, and like a root out of a dry place: he had no grace of form, to give us pleasure;

3 He was despised and rejected by people; a man of sorrows, and one familiar with pain. Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised; and we considered him insignificant.

Men made sport of him, turning away from him; he was a man of sorrows, marked by disease; and like one from whom men's faces are turned away, he was looked down on, and we put no value on him.

4 But surely he has borne our sicknesses and carried our sorrows; yet we thought he was being punished by God, struck by God, and afflicted.

But it was our pain he took, and our diseases were put on him: while to us he seemed as one diseased, on whom God's punishment had come.

5 But he was pierced because of our rebellious deeds; he was crushed because of our sins. The punishment for our peace was on him, and with his wounds we are healed.

But it was for our sins he was wounded, and for our evil doings he was crushed: he took the punishment by which we have peace, and by his wounds we are made well.

6 We all like sheep have gone astray; we have each turned to his own way, and Yahweh has placed on him the iniquity of us all.

We all went wandering like sheep; going every one of us after his desire; and the Lord put on him the punishment of us all.

7 He was oppressed; yet when he humbled himself, he did not open his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Men were cruel to him, but he was gentle and quiet; as a lamb taken to its death, and as a sheep before those who take her wool makes no sound, so he said not a word.

8 By coercion and judgment he was condemned; who from that generation thought anymore about him? But he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the offenses of my people the penalty was put on him.

They took away from him help and right, and who gave a thought to his fate? for he was cut off from the land of the living: he came to his death for the sin of my people.

9 They placed his grave with the criminals, with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, nor had there been any deceit in his mouth.

And they put his body into the earth with sinners, and his last resting-place was with the evil-doers, though he had done no wrong, and no deceit was in his mouth.

10 Yet it was Yahweh's will to crush him and make him ill. When he makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring, he will prolong his days, and Yahweh's purpose will be accomplished through him.

And the Lord was pleased ... see a seed, long life, ... will do well in his hand. ...

11 After the suffering of his life, he will see light and be satisfied by his knowledge. My righteous servant will justify many; he will bear their iniquities.

... made clear his righteousness before men ... had taken their sins on himself.

12 Therefore will I give him his portion among the multitudes, and he will divide the spoils with the many, because he exposed himself to death and was numbered with the transgressors. He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

For this cause he will have a heritage with the great, and he will have a part in the goods of war with the strong, because he gave up his life, and was numbered with the evil-doers; taking on himself the sins of the people, and making prayer for the wrongdoers.