Isaiah 42
Expanded Bible
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].
2 He will not cry out or yell
or speak loudly in the streets.
3 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;
4 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].”
5 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.
6 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].
7 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].
8 “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].
9 [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].
Isaiah 42
New American Standard Bible
God’s Promise concerning His Servant
42 “(A)Behold, My (B)Servant, whom I [a]uphold;
My (C)chosen one in whom My (D)soul delights.
I have put My (E)Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth (F)justice to the [b]nations.
2 He will not cry out nor raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.
3 A bent reed He will not break off
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth (G)justice.
4 He will not be (H)disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice on the earth;
And the (I)coastlands will wait expectantly for His [c]law.”
5 This is what God the Lord says,
Who (J)created the heavens and (K)stretched them out,
Who spread out the (L)earth and its [d]offspring,
Who (M)gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the Lord, I have (N)called You in righteousness,
I will also (O)hold You by the hand and (P)watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a (Q)covenant to the people,
As a (R)light to the nations,
7 To (S)open blind eyes,
To (T)bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
8 (U)I am the Lord, that is (V)My name;
I will not give My (W)glory to another,
Nor My praise to idols.
9 Behold, the (X)former things have come to pass,
Now I declare (Y)new things;
Before they sprout I proclaim them to you.”
10 Sing to the Lord a (Z)new song,
Sing His praise from the (AA)end of the earth!
(AB)You who go down to the sea, and (AC)all that is in it;
You (AD)islands, and those who live on them.
11 Let the (AE)wilderness and its cities raise their voices,
The settlements which (AF)Kedar inhabits.
Let the inhabitants of (AG)Sela sing aloud,
Let them shout for joy from the tops of the (AH)mountains.
12 Let them (AI)give glory to the Lord
And declare His praise in the (AJ)coastlands.
13 (AK)The Lord will go out like a warrior,
He will stir His (AL)zeal like a man of war.
He will shout, indeed, He will raise a war cry.
He will (AM)prevail against His enemies.
The Blindness of the People
14 “(AN)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 (AO)lay waste the mountains and hills
And wither all their vegetation;
I will (AP)turn the rivers into coastlands
And dry up the ponds.
16 I will (AQ)lead those who are blind by a way they have not known,
In paths they have not known I will guide them.
I will (AR)turn darkness into light before them
And (AS)uneven land into plains.
These are the things I will do,
And I will (AT)not leave them undone.”
17 They will be turned back and be (AU)utterly put to shame,
Who trust in [e]idols,
Who say to cast metal images,
“You are our gods.”
18 (AV)Hear, you who are deaf!
And look, you who are blind, so that you may see.
19 Who is blind but My (AW)servant,
Or so deaf as My (AX)messenger whom I send?
Who is so blind as one who is [f](AY)at peace with Me,
Or so blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 (AZ)You have seen many things, but you do not retain them;
Your ears are open, but no one hears.
21 The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake
To make the Law (BA)great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered and pillaged;
All of them are (BB)trapped in [g]caves,
Or are (BC)hidden away in prisons;
They have become plunder, with no one to save them,
And spoils with no one to say, “Give them back!”
23 Who among you will listen to this?
Who will pay attention and listen in the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob up for spoils, and Israel to plunderers?
Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,
And in whose ways they (BD)were not willing to walk,
And whose Law they did not (BE)obey?
25 So He poured out on him the heat of His anger
And the (BF)fierceness of battle;
And it set him aflame all around,
Yet he did not recognize it;
And it burned him, but he [h](BG)paid no attention.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 42:1 Or hold fast
- Isaiah 42:1 Or Gentiles
- Isaiah 42:4 Or instruction
- Isaiah 42:5 Or vegetation
- Isaiah 42:17 Or carved images
- Isaiah 42:19 Or the devoted one
- Isaiah 42:22 Or holes
- Isaiah 42:25 Lit did not lay it to heart
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
