53 Who has believed what we have heard?[a]
And to whom has the arm of the Lord(A) been revealed?(B)
He grew up before him like a young plant(C)
and like a root out of dry ground.
He didn’t have an impressive form
or majesty that we should look at him,
no appearance that we should desire him.(D)
He was despised and rejected by men,(E)
a man of suffering who knew what sickness was.(F)
He was like someone people turned away from;[b]
he was despised, and we didn’t value him.

Yet he himself bore our sicknesses,
and he carried our pains;(G)
but we in turn regarded him stricken,
struck down by God,(H) and afflicted.
But he was pierced because of our rebellion,(I)
crushed because of our iniquities;(J)
punishment(K) for our peace was on him,
and we are healed by his wounds.(L)
We all went astray like sheep;(M)
we all have turned to our own way;
and the Lord has punished him
for[c] the iniquity(N) of us all.(O)

He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughter
and like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not open his mouth.(P)
He was taken away because of oppression and judgment,
and who considered his fate?[d]
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
he was struck because of my people’s rebellion.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
but he was with a rich man at his death,(Q)
because he had done no violence
and had not spoken deceitfully.(R)

10 Yet the Lord was pleased(S) to crush him severely.[e](T)
When[f] you make him a guilt offering,(U)
he will see his seed, he will prolong his days,
and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished.(V)
11 After his anguish,
he will see light[g] and be satisfied.
By his knowledge,
my righteous(W) servant(X) will justify many,(Y)
and he will carry their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him[h] the many as a portion,
and he will receive[i] the mighty as spoil,
because he willingly submitted to death,(Z)
and was counted among the rebels;(AA)
yet he bore the sin of many(AB)
and interceded for the rebels.(AC)

Footnotes

  1. 53:1 Or believed our report
  2. 53:3 Lit And like a hiding of faces from him
  3. 53:6 Or has placed on him; lit with
  4. 53:8 Or and as for his generation, who considered him?
  5. 53:10 Or him; he made him sick.
  6. 53:10 Or If
  7. 53:11 DSS, LXX; MT omits light
  8. 53:12 Or him with
  9. 53:12 Or receive with

53 Who can believe what we have heard,
    and for whose sake has the Lord’s arm[a] been revealed?
He grew up like a young plant before us,[b]
    like a root from dry ground.
He possessed no splendid form for us to see,
    no desirable appearance.
He was despised and avoided by others;
    a man who suffered, who knew sickness well.
Like someone from whom people hid their faces,
    he was despised, and we didn’t think about him.

It was certainly our sickness that he carried,
    and our sufferings that he bore,
    but we thought him afflicted,
    struck down by God and tormented.
He was pierced because of our rebellions
    and crushed because of our crimes.
    He bore the punishment that made us whole;
    by his wounds we are healed.
Like sheep we had all wandered away,
    each going its own way,
    but the Lord let fall on him all our crimes.

He was oppressed and tormented,
    but didn’t open his mouth.
Like a lamb being brought to slaughter,
    like a ewe silent before her shearers,
    he didn’t open his mouth.

Due to an unjust ruling he was taken away,
    and his fate—who will think about it?
He was eliminated from the land of the living,
    struck dead because of my people’s rebellion.
His grave was among the wicked,
    his tomb with evildoers,[c]
    though he had done no violence,
    and had spoken nothing false.

10 But the Lord wanted to crush him
    and to make him suffer.
If his life is offered[d] as restitution,
    he will see his offspring; he will enjoy long life.
    The Lord’s plans will come to fruition through him.
11 After his deep anguish he will see light,[e] and he will be satisfied.
Through his knowledge, the righteous one, my servant,
    will make many righteous,
    and will bear their guilt.
12 Therefore, I will give him a share with the great,
    and he will divide the spoil with the strong,
    in return for exposing his life to death
    and being numbered with rebels,
    though he carried the sin of many
    and pleaded on behalf of those who rebelled.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 53:1 Or power
  2. Isaiah 53:2 Or him
  3. Isaiah 53:9 Cf Tg; MT and with a rich one in his deaths
  4. Isaiah 53:10 Or if you place his life
  5. Isaiah 53:11 DSS (1QIsaa); MT lacks light.