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He was hated and rejected;
his life was filled with sorrow
    and terrible suffering.
No one wanted to look at him.
We despised him and said,
    “He is a nobody!”

He suffered and endured
    great pain for us,
but we thought his suffering
    was punishment from God.
(A)(B) He was wounded and crushed
    because of our sins;
by taking our punishment,
    he made us completely well.
(C) All of us were like sheep
    that had wandered off.
We had each gone our own way,
but the Lord gave him
    the punishment we deserved.

(D)(E) (F) He was painfully abused,
    but he did not complain.
He was silent like a lamb
    being led to the butcher,
as quiet as a sheep
    having its wool cut off.

He was condemned to death
    without a fair trial.
Who could have imagined
    what would happen to him?
His life was taken away
because of the sinful things
    my people[a] had done.
(G) He wasn't dishonest or violent,
but he was buried in a tomb
    among cruel, rich people.[b]

10 The Lord decided his servant
    would suffer as a sacrifice
to take away the sin
    and guilt of others.
Now the servant will live
    to see his own descendants.[c]
He did everything
    the Lord had planned.

11 By suffering, the servant
will learn the true meaning
    of obeying the Lord.
Although he is innocent,
he will take the punishment
    for the sins of others,
so that many of them
    will no longer be guilty.
12 (H) The Lord will reward him
with honor and power
    for sacrificing his life.
Others thought he was a sinner,
but he suffered for our sins
    and asked God to forgive us.

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Footnotes

  1. 53.8 my people: Or “his people.”
  2. 53.9 but he … people: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  3. 53.10 The Lord … descendants: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering,(A) and familiar with pain.(B)
Like one from whom people hide(C) their faces
    he was despised,(D) and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,(E)
yet we considered him punished by God,(F)
    stricken by him, and afflicted.(G)
But he was pierced(H) for our transgressions,(I)
    he was crushed(J) for our iniquities;
the punishment(K) that brought us peace(L) was on him,
    and by his wounds(M) we are healed.(N)
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,(O)
    each of us has turned to our own way;(P)
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity(Q) of us all.

He was oppressed(R) and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;(S)
he was led like a lamb(T) to the slaughter,(U)
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression[a] and judgment(V) he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;(W)
    for the transgression(X) of my people he was punished.[b]
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,(Y)
    and with the rich(Z) in his death,
though he had done no violence,(AA)
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.(AB)

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will(AC) to crush(AD) him and cause him to suffer,(AE)
    and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,(AF)
he will see his offspring(AG) and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper(AH) in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,(AI)
    he will see the light(AJ) of life[d] and be satisfied[e];
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant(AK) will justify(AL) many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.(AM)
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g](AN)
    and he will divide the spoils(AO) with the strong,[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,(AP)
    and was numbered with the transgressors.(AQ)
For he bore(AR) the sin of many,(AS)
    and made intercession(AT) for the transgressors.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 53:8 Or From arrest
  2. Isaiah 53:8 Or generation considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living, / that he was punished for the transgression of my people?
  3. Isaiah 53:10 Hebrew though you make
  4. Isaiah 53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have the light of life.
  5. Isaiah 53:11 Or (with Masoretic Text) 11 He will see the fruit of his suffering / and will be satisfied
  6. Isaiah 53:11 Or by knowledge of him
  7. Isaiah 53:12 Or many
  8. Isaiah 53:12 Or numerous