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Isaiah 42
New Catholic Bible
Isaiah 42
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 42
The Mission of the Servant[a]
1 Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom my soul delights.
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will establish justice among the nations.
2 He will not cry out or shout
or make his voice heard in the street.
3 He will not break a bruised reed,
nor will he snuff out a smoldering wick;
faithfully he will establish justice.
4 He will not falter or become discouraged
until he has established justice upon the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
5 Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who fashioned the earth and all that grows in it,
who gives breath to the people who dwell on it
and spirit to those who walk upon it:
6 I, the Lord, have called you for a righteous purpose;
I have taken you by the hand.
I have formed you and established you
to be a covenant to the people
and a light to the nations,
7 to open the eyes of the blind,
and to lead captives out of prison,
and to release from the dungeon
those who live in darkness.
8 I am the Lord; that is my name.
My glory I do not grant to another,
nor my praise to idols.
9 Behold, the earlier prophecies have come to pass,
and now I will reveal new things.
Before they actually occur,
I will announce them to you.
Israel Saved despite Its Sins
10 Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the ends of the earth.
Let the sea resound and all that fills it,
the coastlands and all its inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its towns rejoice,
the villages where Kedar[b] dwells.
Let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy;
let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them all give glory to God
and sing his praise in the coastlands.
13 The Lord marches forth like a hero;
like a warrior he stirs up his fury.
He shouts forth his battle cry
and triumphs against his foes.[c]
14 For a long time I have restrained myself;
I have maintained my silence and held my peace.
Now I will cry out like a woman in labor,
gasping and panting.
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills
and dry up all their vegetation.
I will convert rivers into islands
and dry up the pools.
16 I will lead the blind[d]
and guide them along paths they do not know.
I will turn darkness into light before them
and make straight their winding roads.
These are the things I will do for them,
and I will not forsake them.
17 But those who place their trust in idols
and who say to carved images,
“You are our gods,”
will be turned back in bitter shame.
18 You who are deaf, listen!
You who are blind, look and see!
19 Who is so blind as my servant,
or so deaf as the messenger I send?
Who is so blind as the one dedicated to my service,
or so deaf as the servant of the Lord?
20 You have seen many things without comprehending them;
your ears are open but you do not hear.
21 For the sake of his justice the Lord was pleased
to make his law great and glorious.
22 But this is a people despoiled and plundered,
all of them trapped in holes
and hidden away in dungeons.
They have been pillaged with no one to rescue them;
they are plundered with no one to demand their release.
23 Who among you will pay heed to this?
Who will pay attention and listen in the future?
24 Who handed over Jacob to be plundered,
who gave up Israel to be despoiled?
Was it not the Lord,
against whom we have sinned?
They refused to walk in his ways,
and they would not obey his laws.
25 Therefore, he poured out upon them
his blazing anger and the fury of battle.
It enveloped them in flames,
but they did not understand,
it burned them,
but they did not take it to heart.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 42:1 The repatriated Jews have toned down their enthusiasm, for they had not passed through a flowering wilderness; they were not many in number, and their return had not converted anyone. An unknown poet reawakens their hope while also giving a more spiritual cast to their dreams of glory. Beyond Cyrus, a temporary servant, God is preparing for himself a humble agent of salvation, filled with the spirit of the prophets. He will renew the covenant, make love shine forth in the midst of the people, and without violence will establish true justice. As a result, a very lofty idea of the liberator and of salvation is henceforth part of the Jewish consciousness. Jesus will accomplish the mission of this servant; Matthew cites verses 1-4 of this song (Mt 12:17-21); verse 1 echoes in the words of the Father as he presents Christ to the human race at the Jordan (Mt 3:17; Mk 1:11; Lk 3:23) and later on Tabor (Mt 17:5; Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35).
- Isaiah 42:11 Kedar and Sela stand for Arabia.
- Isaiah 42:13 The depiction of God as a warrior in order to indicate his intervention in history is common in Old Testament epic and lyrical poetry beginning with the Canticle of Deborah (Jdg 5:4).
- Isaiah 42:16 The blind: these are the Israelites who have not been willing to recognize the Lord.
Isaías 42
Nueva Versión Internacional (Castilian)
Isaías 42
Nueva Versión Internacional (Castilian)
El siervo del Señor
42 »Este es mi siervo, a quien sostengo,
mi escogido, en quien me deleito;
sobre él he puesto mi Espíritu,
y llevará justicia a las naciones.
2 No clamará, ni gritará,
ni alzará su voz por las calles.
3 No acabará de romper la caña quebrada,
ni apagará la mecha que apenas arde.
Con fidelidad hará justicia;
4 no vacilará ni se desanimará
hasta implantar la justicia en la tierra.
Las costas lejanas esperan su ley».
5 Así dice Dios, el Señor,
el que creó y desplegó los cielos;
el que extendió la tierra
y todo lo que ella produce;
el que da aliento al pueblo que la habita,
y vida a los que en ella se mueven:
6 «Yo, el Señor, te he llamado en justicia;
te he tomado de la mano.
Yo te formé, yo te constituí
como pacto para el pueblo,
como luz para las naciones,
7 para abrir los ojos de los ciegos,
para librar de la cárcel a los presos,
y del calabozo a los que habitan en tinieblas.
8 »Yo soy el Señor; ¡ese es mi nombre!
No entrego a otros mi gloria,
ni mi alabanza a los ídolos.
9 Las cosas pasadas se han cumplido,
y ahora anuncio cosas nuevas;
¡las anuncio antes que sucedan!»
Canción de alabanza al Señor
10 Cantad al Señor un cántico nuevo,
vosotros, que descendéis al mar,
y todo lo que hay en él;
Cantad vuestra alabanza desde los confines de la tierra,
vosotras, costas lejanas y vuestros habitantes.
11 Que alcen la voz el desierto y sus ciudades,
y los poblados donde Cedar habita.
Que canten de alegría los habitantes de Selá,
y griten desde las cimas de las montañas.
12 Den gloria al Señor
y proclamen su alabanza en las costas lejanas.
13 El Señor marchará como guerrero;
como hombre de guerra despertará su celo.
Con gritos y alaridos se lanzará al combate,
y triunfará sobre sus enemigos.
14 «Por mucho tiempo he guardado silencio,
he estado callado y me he contenido.
Pero ahora voy a gritar como parturienta,
voy a resollar y jadear al mismo tiempo.
15 Devastaré montañas y cerros,
y secaré toda su vegetación;
convertiré los ríos en tierra seca,
y secaré los estanques;
16 conduciré a los ciegos por caminos desconocidos,
los guiaré por senderos inexplorados;
ante ellos convertiré en luz las tinieblas,
y allanaré los lugares escabrosos.
Esto haré,
y no los abandonaré.
17 Pero retrocederán llenos de vergüenza
los que confían en los ídolos,
los que dicen a las imágenes:
“Vosotros sois nuestros dioses”.
Israel ciego y sordo
18 »Sordos, ¡escuchad!
Ciegos, ¡fijaos bien!
19 ¿Quién es más ciego que mi siervo,
y más sordo que mi mensajero?
¿Quién es más ciego que mi enviado,
y más ciego que el siervo del Señor?
20 Tú has visto muchas cosas,
pero no las has captado;
tienes abiertos los oídos,
pero no oyes nada».
21 Le agradó al Señor,
por amor a su justicia,
hacer su ley grande y gloriosa.
22 Pero este es un pueblo saqueado y despojado,
todos atrapados en cuevas
o encerrados en cárceles.
Son saqueados,
y nadie los libra;
son despojados,
y nadie reclama.
23 ¿Quién de vosotros escuchará esto
y prestará atención en el futuro?
24 ¿Quién entregó a Jacob para el despojo,
a Israel para el saqueo?
¿No es acaso el Señor,
a quien su pueblo ha ofendido?
No siguió sus caminos
ni obedeció su ley.
25 Por eso el Señor derramó sobre él
su ardiente ira y el furor de la guerra.
Lo envolvió en llamas, pero no comprendió;
lo consumió, pero no lo tomó en serio.
Isaiah 42
New King James Version
Isaiah 42
New King James Version
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Behold! (A)My Servant whom I uphold,
My [a]Elect One in whom My soul (B)delights!
(C)I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed He will not break,
And [b]smoking flax He will not [c]quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
(D)And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
5 Thus says God the Lord,
(E)Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,
(F)Who gives breath to the people on it,
And spirit to those who walk on it:
6 “I,(G) the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You (H)and give You as a covenant to the people,
As (I)a light to the Gentiles,
7 (J)To open blind eyes,
To (K)bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in (L)darkness from the prison house.
8 I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My (M)glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Praise to the Lord
10 (N)Sing to the Lord a new song,
And His praise from the ends of the earth,
(O)You who go down to the sea, and [d]all that is in it,
You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!
11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice,
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 the Lord,
And declare His praise in the coastlands.
13 The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man;
He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war.
He shall cry out, (P)yes, shout aloud;
He shall prevail against His enemies.
Promise of the Lord’s Help
14 “I have held My peace a long time,
I have been still and restrained Myself.
Now I will cry like a woman in [e]labor,
I will pant and gasp at once.
15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills,
And dry up all their vegetation;
I will make the rivers coastlands,
And I will dry up the pools.
16 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them.
17 They shall be (Q)turned back,
They shall be greatly ashamed,
Who trust in carved images,
Who say to the molded images,
‘You are our gods.’
18 “Hear, you deaf;
And look, you blind, that you may see.
19 (R)Who is blind but My servant,
Or deaf as My messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as he who is perfect,
And blind as the Lord’s servant?
20 Seeing many things, (S)but you do not observe;
Opening the ears, but he does not hear.”
Israel’s Obstinate Disobedience
21 The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake;
He will exalt the law and make it honorable.
22 But this is a people robbed and plundered;
All of them are [f]snared in holes,
And they are hidden in prison houses;
They are for prey, and no one delivers;
For plunder, and no one says, “Restore!”
23 Who among you will give ear to this?
Who will listen and hear for the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob for plunder, and Israel to the robbers?
Was it not the Lord,
He against whom we have sinned?
(T)For they would not walk in His ways,
Nor were they obedient to His law.
25 Therefore He has poured on him the fury of His anger
And the strength of battle;
(U)It has set him on fire all around,
(V)Yet he did not know;
And it burned him,
Yet he did not take it to (W)heart.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 42:1 Chosen
- Isaiah 42:3 dimly burning
- Isaiah 42:3 extinguish
- Isaiah 42:10 Lit. its fullness
- Isaiah 42:14 childbirth
- Isaiah 42:22 Or trapped in caves
Isaiah 42
New International Version
Isaiah 42
New International Version
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Here is my servant,(A) whom I uphold,
my chosen one(B) in whom I delight;(C)
I will put my Spirit(D) on him,
and he will bring justice(E) to the nations.(F)
2 He will not shout or cry out,(G)
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed(H) he will not break,(I)
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.(J)
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;(K)
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice(L) on earth.
In his teaching(M) the islands(N) will put their hope.”(O)
5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,(P) who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth(Q) with all that springs from it,(R)
who gives breath(S) to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called(T) you in righteousness;(U)
I will take hold of your hand.(V)
I will keep(W) you and will make you
to be a covenant(X) for the people
and a light(Y) for the Gentiles,(Z)
7 to open eyes that are blind,(AA)
to free(AB) captives from prison(AC)
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.(AD)
8 “I am the Lord;(AE) that is my name!(AF)
I will not yield my glory to another(AG)
or my praise to idols.(AH)
9 See, the former things(AI) have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce(AJ) them to you.”
Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing(AK) to the Lord a new song,(AL)
his praise(AM) from the ends of the earth,(AN)
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,(AO)
you islands,(AP) and all who live in them.
11 Let the wilderness(AQ) and its towns raise their voices;
let the settlements where Kedar(AR) lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela(AS) sing for joy;
let them shout from the mountaintops.(AT)
12 Let them give glory(AU) to the Lord
and proclaim his praise(AV) in the islands.(AW)
13 The Lord will march out like a champion,(AX)
like a warrior(AY) he will stir up his zeal;(AZ)
with a shout(BA) he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.(BB)
14 “For a long time I have kept silent,(BC)
I have been quiet and held myself back.(BD)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.(BE)
15 I will lay waste(BF) the mountains(BG) and hills
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up(BH) the pools.
16 I will lead(BI) the blind(BJ) by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light(BK) before them
and make the rough places smooth.(BL)
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake(BM) them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’(BN)
will be turned back in utter shame.(BO)
Israel Blind and Deaf
18 “Hear, you deaf;(BP)
look, you blind, and see!
19 Who is blind(BQ) but my servant,(BR)
and deaf like the messenger(BS) I send?
Who is blind like the one in covenant(BT) with me,
blind like the servant of the Lord?
20 You have seen many things, but you pay no attention;
your ears are open, but you do not listen.”(BU)
21 It pleased the Lord
for the sake(BV) of his righteousness
to make his law(BW) great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered(BX) and looted,
all of them trapped in pits(BY)
or hidden away in prisons.(BZ)
They have become plunder,
with no one to rescue them;(CA)
they have been made loot,
with no one to say, “Send them back.”
23 Which of you will listen to this
or pay close attention(CB) in time to come?
24 Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
and Israel to the plunderers?(CC)
Was it not the Lord,(CD)
against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow(CE) his ways;
they did not obey his law.(CF)
25 So he poured out on them his burning anger,(CG)
the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames,(CH) yet they did not understand;(CI)
it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.(CJ)
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