Add parallel Print Page Options

50 The Lord asks, Did I sell you to my creditors? Is that why you aren’t here? Is your mother gone because I divorced her and sent her away? No, you went away as captives because of your sins. And your mother, too, was taken in payment for your sins. Was I too weak to save you? Is that why the house is silent and empty when I come home? Have I no longer power to deliver? No, that is not the reason! For I can rebuke the sea and make it dry! I can turn the rivers into deserts, covered with dying fish. I am the one who sends the darkness out across the skies.

The Lord God has given me his words of wisdom so that I may know what I should say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Lord God has spoken to me, and I have listened; I do not rebel nor turn away. I give my back to the whip, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard. I do not hide from shame—they spit in my face.

Because the Lord God helps me, I will not be dismayed; therefore, I have set my face like flint to do his will, and I know that I will triumph. He who gives me justice is near. Who will dare to fight against me now? Where are my enemies? Let them appear! See, the Lord God is for me! Who shall declare me guilty? All my enemies shall be destroyed like old clothes eaten up by moths!

10 Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his Servant? If such men walk in darkness, without one ray of light, let them trust the Lord, let them rely upon their God. 11 But see here, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves from your own fires and not from God’s; you will live among sorrows.

50 Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.

I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

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.

10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.

50 Thus says Yahweh:

“Where is this divorce document of your mother’s divorce, with which I dismissed her?
    or to whom of my creditors did I sell you?
Look! you were sold because of your sin,
    and your mother was dismissed because of your transgressions.
Why was there no man when I came,
    no one who answered when I called?
Do I lack the strength to save?[a]
    Or is there no power in me to deliver?
Look! by my rebuke I dry up the sea;
    I make[b] the rivers a desert;
their fish stink because there is no water,
    and they[c] die because of thirst.
I clothe the heavens with darkness,
    and I make[d] their covering sackcloth.”

The Servant’s Vindication

The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of a pupil,
    to know how to help the weary with a word.
He awakens morning by morning,[e]
    awakens an ear for me to listen as do the pupils.
The Lord Yahweh has opened an ear for me,
    and I, I was not rebellious.
I did not turn backwards;
    I gave my back to those who struck me,
and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;[f]
    I did not hide my face from insults and spittle.

And the Lord Yahweh helps me,

therefore I have not been put to shame;
    therefore I have set my face like flint.
And I know that I shall not be ashamed;
    he who obtains rights for me is near.
Who will contend with me? Let us stand together.
    Who is the master of my judgment? Let him approach me.
Look! The Lord Yahweh helps me.
    Who is the one who will declare me guilty?
Look! All of them will be worn out like a garment;
    the moth will eat them.
10 Who among you is in fear of Yahweh,
    obeys[g] the voice of his servant?
Who walks in darkness
    and has no light,
trusts in the name of Yahweh
    and depends on his God?
11 Look! All of you are kindlers of fire,
    who gird yourselves with flaming arrows.
Walk in the light of your fire,
    and among the flaming arrows you have kindled!
You shall have this from my hand:
    you shall lie down in[h] a place of torment.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 50:2 Literally “short is short my hand from redemption”
  2. Isaiah 50:2 Literally “put”
  3. Isaiah 50:2 Hebrew “she”
  4. Isaiah 50:3 Literally “put”
  5. Isaiah 50:4 Literally “in the morning in the morning”
  6. Isaiah 50:6 Literally “face”
  7. Isaiah 50:10 Or “listens”
  8. Isaiah 50:11 Or “to”