Isaiah 41:21-42:9

English Standard Version

The Futility of Idols

²¹Set forth your case, says the Lord;
    bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.
²²Let them bring them, and ^(A)tell us
    what is to happen.
Tell us the former things, what they are,
    that we may consider them,
that we may know their outcome;
    or declare to us the things to come.
²³^(B)Tell us what is to come hereafter,
    that we may know that you are gods;
^(C)do good, or do harm,
    that we may be dismayed and terrified.^[a]
²⁴Behold, ^(D)you are nothing,
    and your work is less than nothing;
    an abomination is he who chooses you.

²⁵^(E)I stirred up one from the north, and he has come,
    ^(F)from the rising of the sun, ^(G)and he shall call upon my name;
he shall trample on rulers as on mortar,
    as the potter treads clay.
²⁶^(H)Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know,
    and beforehand, that we might say, “He is right”?
There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed,
    none who heard your words.
²⁷^(I)I was the first to say^[b] to Zion, “Behold, here they are!”
    and ^(J)I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news.
²⁸^(K)But when I look, there is no one;
    among these there is no counselor
    who, when I ask, gives an answer.
²⁹^(L)Behold, they are all a delusion;
    their works are nothing;
    their metal images are empty wind.

The Lord's Chosen Servant

42 ^(M)Behold ^(N)my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, ^(O)in whom my soul delights;
^(P)I have put my Spirit upon him;
    ^(Q)he will bring forth justice to the nations.
²He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street;
³^(R)a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
    ^(S)he will faithfully bring forth justice.
⁴He will not grow faint or be discouraged^[c]
    till he has established justice in the earth;
    and ^(T)the coastlands wait for his law.

⁵Thus says God, the Lord,
    who created the heavens ^(U)and stretched them out,
    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
^(V)who gives breath to the people on it
    and spirit to those who walk in it:
⁶“I am the Lord; ^(W)I have called you^[d] in righteousness;
    I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you ^(X)as a covenant for the people,
    ^(Y)a light for the nations,
⁷    ^(Z)to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
    ^(AA)from the prison those who sit in darkness.
⁸I am the Lord; that is my name;
    ^(AB)my glory I give to no other,
    nor my praise to carved idols.
⁹Behold, the former things have come to pass,
    ^(AC)and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
    I tell you of them.”

Footnotes

Isaiah 41:23 Or that we may both be dismayed and see
Isaiah 41:27 Or Formerly I said
Isaiah 42:4 Or bruised
Isaiah 42:6 The Hebrew for you is singular; four times in this verse

Matthew 12:9-21

English Standard Version

A Man with a Withered Hand

⁹He went on from there and ^(A)entered their synagogue. ¹⁰And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, ^(B)“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—^(C)so that they might accuse him. ¹¹He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, ^(D)if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹²^(E)Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So ^(F)it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And ^(G)the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. ¹⁴But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

God's Chosen Servant

¹⁵Jesus, aware of this, ^(H)withdrew from there. And ^(I)many followed him, and he healed them all ¹⁶and ^(J)ordered them not to make him known. ¹⁷^(K)This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁸^(L)“Behold, my ^(M)servant whom I have chosen,
    my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
^(N)I will put my Spirit upon him,
    and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
¹⁹He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
    nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
²⁰a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
²¹    ^(O)and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”