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The Lord’s Special Servant

42 “Here is my servant [41:8; 43:10; 52:13; 53:11], the one I ·support [strengthen; uphold; C the first of four “servant songs” in Isaiah, concerning Israel, and applied to the mission and suffering of the Messiah; 42:1–7; 49:1–13; 50:4–11; 52:13—53:12].
    He is ·the one I chose [my chosen], and ·I am pleased with [my soul delights in] him [Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Luke 9:35].
I have put my Spirit upon him [11:1–9],
    and he will bring justice to the nations [Matt. 12:18–20].
He will not cry out or yell
    or speak loudly in the streets.
He will not break a ·crushed blade of grass [bruised reed]
    or ·put out [extinguish] even a ·weak flame [dim/smoldering wick; C symbols of care for the weak and oppressed].
He will ·truly [faithfully] bring justice;
    he will not ·lose hope [falter; or grow dim] or ·give up [be discouraged; or be bruised/crushed]
until he brings justice to the world.
And ·people far away [or the islands; or the coastlands] will ·trust [wait/put hope in] his ·teachings [instruction; law; L Torah].”

God, the Lord, said these things.
He created the ·skies [heavens] and stretched them out.
    He spread out the earth and ·everything on it [L its offspring].
He gives breath to all people on earth,
    and life to everyone who walks on the earth.
The Lord says, “I, the Lord, called you ·to do right [or to demonstrate my righteousness/justice; or by my righteous decree; L in righteousness],
    and I will hold your hand
and ·protect [keep; guard] you.
    ·You will be the sign of my agreement with [L I will give/establish you as a covenant/treaty for] the people,
    a light to shine for ·all people [the nations/Gentiles; 49:6; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47].
You will ·help the blind to see [L open blind eyes].
    You will free those who are in prison,
and you will lead those who live in darkness out of their prison [35:5; 49:9; 61:1; Luke 4:18].

“I am the Lord. That is my name.
    I will not ·give [share; yield] my glory to another;
    I will not let idols take ·the praise that should be mine [L my praise].
[L Look; T Behold] The ·things I said would happen [L former things] have happened,
    and now I ·tell you about [declare/announce] new things.
Before those things ·happen [spring forth; sprout],
    I tell you about them.”

A Song of Praise to the Lord

10 Sing a ·new song [C celebrating victory; Ps. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Rev. 5:9; 14:3] to the Lord;
    sing his praise ·everywhere on [L from the end of] the earth.
Praise him, you people who ·sail on [go down to] the seas and ·you animals who live in them [L its fullness].
    Praise him, you people living in ·faraway places [or islands; or coastlands].
11 The ·deserts [wilderness] and their ·cities [towns] should ·praise him [shout; raise their voices].
    The settlements of Kedar [C desert nomads, descended from Ishmael; Gen. 25:13] should praise him.
The people living in Sela [C an Edomite city; 16:1] should sing for joy;
    they should shout from the mountaintops.
12 They should give glory to the Lord.
    People in ·faraway lands [or the islands; or the coastlands] should praise him.
13 The Lord will march out like a ·strong soldier [mighty man/hero];
    he will ·be excited [arouse/stir up zeal] like a man ready to fight a war.
He ·will shout out the battle cry [L shouts, indeed he cries out]
    and ·defeat [prevails/triumphs over] his enemies.

14 The Lord says, “For a long time I have ·said nothing [kept silent/still];
    I have been ·quiet [still] and held myself back.
But now I will cry out
    and ·strain [pant and gasp] like a woman giving birth to a child.
15 I will ·destroy [level; lay waste] the hills and mountains
    and dry up all their plants.
I will make the rivers become ·dry land [L islands; or coastlands]
    and dry up the pools of water.
16 Then I will lead the blind along a way they never knew;
    I will guide them along paths they have not known.
I will make the darkness become light for them,
    and the rough ground smooth.
These are the things I will do;
    I will not ·leave [abandon; forsake] my people.
17 But those who trust in idols,
    who say to their ·statues [idols; carved images],
‘You are our gods’
    will be ·rejected [turned away/back] in ·disgrace [shame; humiliations].

Israel Refused to Listen to the Lord

18 “You who are deaf, hear me.
    You who are blind, look and see.
19 ·No one [L Who…?] is more blind than my servant Israel
    or more deaf than the messenger I send.
·No one [L Who…?] is more blind than ·the person I own [or my covenant people]
    or more blind than the servant of the Lord.
20 Israel, you have seen much, but you have not ·obeyed [kept/guarded them].
    ·You hear [Your ears are open], but you refuse to listen.”
21 The Lord ·made his teachings wonderful [L magnified and made glorious his instruction/law/Torah],
    because ·he is good [or of his righteousness].
22 These people have been ·defeated and robbed [plundered and looted].
    They are trapped in pits
    or ·locked up [hidden] in prison.
·Like robbers, enemies have taken them away [L They have become plunder],
    and there is no one to ·save [rescue] them.
·Enemies carried them off [L They have become loot],
    and no one said, “Bring them back.”

23 Will any of you listen to this?
    Will you ·listen carefully [pay attention] in the future?
24 Who ·let [gave up; handed over] ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob] ·be carried off [to the looter; for plunder]?
    Who let ·robbers [plunderers] take Israel away?
·The Lord [L Was it not the Lord who…?] allowed this to happen,
    because we sinned against him.
We did not ·live the way he wanted us to live [L walk in his ways]
    and did not obey his ·teaching [law; instruction; L Torah].
25 So he ·became very angry with us [L poured out on him his burning anger; C on Jacob/Israel]
    and brought ·terrible wars [the violence/L power of war] against ·us [L him].
It ·was as if the people of Israel had fire all around them [L enveloped him in flame],
    but they didn’t ·know what was happening [understand].
It ·was as if they were burning [L burned him up],
    but they didn’t ·pay any attention [lay/take it to heart].

42 “Behold, my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights:
    I have put my Spirit on him.
    He will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout,
    nor raise his voice,
    nor cause it to be heard in the street.
He won’t break a bruised reed.
    He won’t quench a dimly burning wick.
    He will faithfully bring justice.
He will not fail nor be discouraged,
    until he has set justice in the earth,
    and the islands wait for his law.”

God Yahweh,
    he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it,
    he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it, says:
“I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness.
    I will hold your hand.
    I will keep you,
    and make you a covenant for the people,
    as a light for the nations,
    to open the blind eyes,
    to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon,
    and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.

“I am Yahweh.
    That is my name.
    I will not give my glory to another,
    nor my praise to engraved images.
Behold, the former things have happened
    and I declare new things.
    I tell you about them before they come up.”

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 therein,
    the islands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices,
    with the villages that Kedar inhabits.
    Let the inhabitants of Sela sing.
    Let them shout from the top of the mountains!
12 Let them give glory to Yahweh,
    and declare his praise in the islands.
13 Yahweh will go out like a mighty man.
    He will stir up zeal like a man of war.
    He will raise a war cry.
    Yes, he will shout aloud.
    He will triumph over his enemies.

14 “I have been silent a long time.
    I have been quiet and restrained myself.
    Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant.
15 I will destroy mountains and hills,
    and dry up all their herbs.
    I will make the rivers islands,
    and will dry up the pools.
16 I will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know.
    I will lead them in paths that they don’t know.
    I will make darkness light before them,
    and crooked places straight.
    I will do these things,
    and I will not forsake them.

17 “Those who trust in engraved images,
    who tell molten images,
    ‘You are our gods,’
    will be turned back.
    They will be utterly disappointed.

18 “Hear, you deaf,
    and look, you blind,
    that you may see.
19 Who is blind, but my servant?
    Or who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send?
Who is as blind as he who is at peace,
    and as blind as Yahweh’s servant?
20 You see many things, but don’t observe.
    His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.
21 It pleased Yahweh, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law
    and make it honorable.
22 But this is a robbed and plundered people.
    All of them are snared in holes,
    and they are hidden in prisons.
They have become captives, and no one delivers,
    and a plunder, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’

23 Who is there among you who will give ear to this?
    Who will listen and hear for the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob as plunder,
    and Israel to the robbers?
    Didn’t Yahweh, he against whom we have sinned?
    For they would not walk in his ways,
    and they disobeyed his law.
25 Therefore he poured the fierceness of his anger on him,
    and the strength of battle.
It set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know.
    It burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”