Isaiah 42:3-5
New English Translation
3 A crushed reed he will not break,
a dim wick he will not extinguish;[a]
he will faithfully make just decrees.[b]
4 He will not grow dim or be crushed[c]
before establishing justice on the earth;
the coastlands[d] will wait in anticipation for his decrees.”[e]
5 This is what the true God,[f] the Lord, says—
the one who created the sky and stretched it out,
the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it,[g]
the one who gives breath to the people on it,
and life to those who live on it:[h]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 42:3 sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
- Isaiah 42:3 tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
- Isaiah 42:4 tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.
- Isaiah 42:4 tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”
- Isaiah 42:4 tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).
- Isaiah 42:5 tn Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
- Isaiah 42:5 tn Heb “and its offspring” (so NASB); NIV “all that comes out of it.”
- Isaiah 42:5 tn Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (NAB, NASB, and NRSV all similar).
Isaiah 42:3-5
New International Version
Isaiah 42:3-5
King James Version
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
5 Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
Read full chapter
Isaiah 42:3-5
New King James Version
3 A bruised reed He will not break,
And [a]smoking flax He will not [b]quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
(A)And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
5 Thus says God the Lord,
(B)Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,
(C)Who gives breath to the people on it,
And spirit to those who walk on it:
Footnotes
- Isaiah 42:3 dimly burning
- Isaiah 42:3 extinguish
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.