42 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

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

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

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The Servant of the Lord

42 “Behold! (A)My Servant whom I uphold,
My [a]Elect One in whom My soul (B)delights!
(C)I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed He will not break,
And [b]smoking flax He will not [c]quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
(D)And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 42:1 Chosen
  2. Isaiah 42:3 dimly burning
  3. Isaiah 42:3 extinguish

49 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.

And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.

And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

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The Servant, the Light to the Gentiles

49 “Listen, (A)O coastlands, to Me,
And take heed, you peoples from afar!
(B)The Lord has called Me from the womb;
From the [a]matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.
And He has made (C)My mouth like a sharp sword;
(D)In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me,
And made Me (E)a polished shaft;
In His quiver He has hidden Me.”

“And He said to me,
(F)‘You are My servant, O Israel,
(G)In whom I will be glorified.’
(H)Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain;
Yet surely my [b]just reward is with the Lord,
And my [c]work with my God.’ ”

“And now the Lord says,
Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back to Him,
So that Israel (I)is [d]gathered to Him
(For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,
And My God shall be My strength),
Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a (J)light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:1 Lit. inward parts
  2. Isaiah 49:4 justice
  3. Isaiah 49:4 recompense
  4. Isaiah 49:5 Qr., DSS, LXX gathered to Him; Kt. not gathered

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(A) Lord God has given Me
The tongue of the learned,
That I should know how to speak
A word in season to him who is (B)weary.
He awakens Me morning by morning,
He awakens My ear
To hear as the learned.
The Lord God (C)has opened My ear;
And I was not (D)rebellious,
Nor did I turn away.
(E)I gave My back to those who struck Me,
And (F)My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard;
I did not hide My face from shame and (G)spitting.

“For the Lord God will help Me;
Therefore I will not be disgraced;
Therefore (H)I have set My face like a flint,
And I know that I will not be ashamed.
(I)He is near who justifies Me;
Who will contend with Me?
Let us stand together.
Who is [a]My adversary?
Let him come near Me.
Surely the Lord God will help Me;
Who is he who will condemn Me?
(J)Indeed they will all grow old like a garment;
(K)The moth will eat them up.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 50:8 Lit. master of My judgment

13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

The Sin-Bearing Servant

13 Behold, (A)My Servant shall [a]deal prudently;
(B)He shall be exalted and [b]extolled and be very high.
14 Just as many were astonished at you,
So His (C)visage[c] was marred more than any man,
And His form more than the sons of men;
15 (D)So shall He [d]sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths at Him;
For (E)what had not been told them they shall see,
And what they had not heard they shall consider.

The Sin-Bearing Messiah

53 Who (F)has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no [e]form or [f]comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no [g]beauty that we should desire Him.
(G)He is despised and [h]rejected by men,
A Man of [i]sorrows and (H)acquainted with [j]grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and (I)we did not esteem Him.

Surely (J)He has borne our [k]griefs
And carried our [l]sorrows;
Yet we [m]esteemed Him stricken,
[n]Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was (K)wounded[o] for our transgressions,
He was [p]bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His (L)stripes[q] we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord [r]has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet (M)He opened not His mouth;
(N)He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
He was (O)taken from [s]prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For (P)He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
(Q)And [t]they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any (R)deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to [u]bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul (S)an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
11 [v]He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge (T)My righteous (U)Servant shall (V)justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
12 (W)Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
(X)And He shall divide the [w]spoil with the strong,
Because He (Y)poured out His soul unto death,
And He was (Z)numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And (AA)made intercession for the transgressors.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 52:13 prosper
  2. Isaiah 52:13 Lit. be lifted up
  3. Isaiah 52:14 appearance
  4. Isaiah 52:15 Or startle
  5. Isaiah 53:2 Stately form
  6. Isaiah 53:2 splendor
  7. Isaiah 53:2 Lit. appearance
  8. Isaiah 53:3 Or forsaken
  9. Isaiah 53:3 Lit. pains
  10. Isaiah 53:3 Lit. sickness
  11. Isaiah 53:4 Lit. sicknesses
  12. Isaiah 53:4 Lit. pains
  13. Isaiah 53:4 reckoned
  14. Isaiah 53:4 Struck down
  15. Isaiah 53:5 Or pierced through
  16. Isaiah 53:5 crushed
  17. Isaiah 53:5 Blows that cut in
  18. Isaiah 53:6 Lit. has caused to land on Him
  19. Isaiah 53:8 confinement
  20. Isaiah 53:9 Lit. he or He
  21. Isaiah 53:10 crush
  22. Isaiah 53:11 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; DSS, LXX From the labor of His soul He shall see light
  23. Isaiah 53:12 plunder