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The Servant’s Humiliation and Vindication

The Lord God has given me
    a trained tongue,[a]
that I may know how to sustain
    the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens,
    wakens my ear
    to listen as those who are taught.(A)
The Lord God has opened my ear,
    and I was not rebellious;
    I did not turn backward.(B)
I gave my back to those who struck me
    and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
    from insult and spitting.(C)

The Lord God helps me;
    therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
    and I know that I shall not be put to shame;(D)
    he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
    Let us stand in court together.
Who are my adversaries?
    Let them confront me.(E)
It is the Lord God who helps me;
    who will declare me guilty?
All of them will wear out like a garment;
    the moth will eat them up.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 50.4 Cn: Heb of those who are taught

The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.

Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

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The Obedience of the Lord's Servant

The Sovereign Lord has taught me what to say,
    so that I can strengthen the weary.
Every morning he makes me eager
    to hear what he is going to teach me.
The Lord has given me understanding,
    and I have not rebelled
    or turned away from him.
(A)I bared my back to those who beat me.
    I did not stop them when they insulted me,
    when they pulled out the hairs of my beard
    and spit in my face.

But their insults cannot hurt me
    because the Sovereign Lord gives me help.
I brace myself to endure them.
    I know that I will not be disgraced,
    (B)for God is near,
    and he will prove me innocent.
Does anyone dare bring charges against me?
    Let us go to court together!
    Let him bring his accusation!
The Sovereign Lord himself defends me—
    who, then, can prove me guilty?
All my accusers will disappear;
    they will vanish like moth-eaten cloth.

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