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42 “Behold, my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights:
    I have put my Spirit on him.
    He will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout,
    nor raise his voice,
    nor cause it to be heard in the street.
He won’t break a bruised reed.
    He won’t quench a dimly burning wick.
    He will faithfully bring justice.
He will not fail nor be discouraged,
    until he has set justice in the earth,
    and the islands wait for his law.”

God Yahweh,
    he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it,
    he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it, says:
“I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness.
    I will hold your hand.
    I will keep you,
    and make you a covenant for the people,
    as a light for the nations,
    to open the blind eyes,
    to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon,
    and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.

“I am Yahweh.
    That is my name.
    I will not give my glory to another,
    nor my praise to engraved images.
Behold, the former things have happened
    and I declare new things.
    I tell you about them before they come up.”

10 Sing to Yahweh a new song,
    and his praise from the end of the earth,
    you who go down to the sea,
    and all that is therein,
    the islands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices,
    with the villages that Kedar inhabits.
    Let the inhabitants of Sela sing.
    Let them shout from the top of the mountains!
12 Let them give glory to Yahweh,
    and declare his praise in the islands.
13 Yahweh will go out like a mighty man.
    He will stir up zeal like a man of war.
    He will raise a war cry.
    Yes, he will shout aloud.
    He will triumph over his enemies.

14 “I have been silent a long time.
    I have been quiet and restrained myself.
    Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant.
15 I will destroy mountains and hills,
    and dry up all their herbs.
    I will make the rivers islands,
    and will dry up the pools.
16 I will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know.
    I will lead them in paths that they don’t know.
    I will make darkness light before them,
    and crooked places straight.
    I will do these things,
    and I will not forsake them.

17 “Those who trust in engraved images,
    who tell molten images,
    ‘You are our gods,’
    will be turned back.
    They will be utterly disappointed.

18 “Hear, you deaf,
    and look, you blind,
    that you may see.
19 Who is blind, but my servant?
    Or who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send?
Who is as blind as he who is at peace,
    and as blind as Yahweh’s servant?
20 You see many things, but don’t observe.
    His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.
21 It pleased Yahweh, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law
    and make it honorable.
22 But this is a robbed and plundered people.
    All of them are snared in holes,
    and they are hidden in prisons.
They have become captives, and no one delivers,
    and a plunder, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’

23 Who is there among you who will give ear to this?
    Who will listen and hear for the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob as plunder,
    and Israel to the robbers?
    Didn’t Yahweh, he against whom we have sinned?
    For they would not walk in his ways,
    and they disobeyed his law.
25 Therefore he poured the fierceness of his anger on him,
    and the strength of battle.
It set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know.
    It burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”

42 Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the [a]Gentiles. He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street. A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: he will bring forth justice in truth. He will not [b]fail nor be [c]discouraged, till he have set justice in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.

Thus saith God Jehovah, he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad 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: I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will [d]keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house. I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.

10 Sing unto Jehovah a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth; ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. 11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. 12 Let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands. 13 Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man; he will stir up his zeal like a man of war: he will cry, yea, he will shout aloud; he will do mightily against his enemies.

14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will [e]gasp and pant together. 15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools. 16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; in paths that they know not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things will I do, [f]and I will not forsake them. 17 They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly put to shame, that trust in graven images, that say unto molten images, Ye are our gods.

18 Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. 19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I send? who is blind as he that is [g]at peace with me, and blind as Jehovah’s servant? 20 Thou seest many things, but thou observest not; his ears are open, but he heareth not. 21 It pleased Jehovah, for his righteousness’ sake, to [h]magnify the law, and make it honorable. 22 But this is a people robbed and plundered; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison-houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.

23 Who is there among you that will give ear to this? that will hearken and hear for the time to come? 24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not Jehovah? he against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, neither were they obedient unto his [i]law. 25 Therefore he poured upon him the fierceness of his anger, and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 42:1 Or, nations (and elsewhere)
  2. Isaiah 42:4 Or, burn dimly
  3. Isaiah 42:4 Or, bruised
  4. Isaiah 42:6 Or, form
  5. Isaiah 42:14 Or, destroy and devour
  6. Isaiah 42:16 Or, and will not forbear
  7. Isaiah 42:19 Or, made perfect. Or, recompensed
  8. Isaiah 42:21 Or, make the teaching great and glorious
  9. Isaiah 42:24 Or, teaching