14 “I have kept silent from ages past;
I have been quiet and restrained myself.(A)
But now, I will groan like a woman in labor,(B)
gasping breathlessly.
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills
and dry up all their vegetation.
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up marshes.(C)
16 I will lead the blind by a way they did not know;(D)
I will guide them on paths they have not known.
I will turn darkness to light in front of them(E)
and rough places into level ground.(F)
This is what I will do for them,
and I will not abandon them.(G)
17 They will be turned back and utterly ashamed—
those who trust in an idol
and say to a cast image,
‘You are our gods!’ (H)

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The Blindness of the People

14 (A)I have kept silent for a long time,
I have kept still and restrained Myself.
Now like a woman in labor I will groan,
I will both gasp and pant.
15 I will (B)lay waste the mountains and hills
And wither all their vegetation;
I will (C)turn the rivers into coastlands
And dry up the ponds.
16 I will (D)lead those who are blind by a way they have not known,
In paths they have not known I will guide them.
I will (E)turn darkness into light before them
And (F)uneven land into plains.
These are the things I will do,
And I will (G)not leave them undone.”
17 They will be turned back and be (H)utterly put to shame,
Who trust in [a]idols,
Who say to cast metal images,
“You are our gods.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 42:17 Or carved images

14 “For a long time I have kept silent,(A)
    I have been quiet and held myself back.(B)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
    I cry out, I gasp and pant.(C)
15 I will lay waste(D) the mountains(E) and hills
    and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
    and dry up(F) the pools.
16 I will lead(G) the blind(H) by ways they have not known,
    along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light(I) before them
    and make the rough places smooth.(J)
These are the things I will do;
    I will not forsake(K) them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
    who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’(L)
    will be turned back in utter shame.(M)

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14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.

15 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.

16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

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