Isaiah 42
King James Version
42 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
5 Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth 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:
6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
8 I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
9 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 the Lord 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 the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands.
13 The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.
14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.
15 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.
16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the 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 sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord's servant?
20 Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.
21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.
22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled; 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 among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.
25 Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
Isaiah 42
New American Standard Bible
God’s Promise concerning His Servant
42 “(A)Behold, My (B)Servant, whom I [a]uphold;
My (C)chosen one in whom My (D)soul delights.
I have put My (E)Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth (F)justice to the [b]nations.
2 He will not cry out nor raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.
3 A bent reed He will not break off
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth (G)justice.
4 He will not be (H)disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice on the earth;
And the (I)coastlands will wait expectantly for His [c]law.”
5 This is what God the Lord says,
Who (J)created the heavens and (K)stretched them out,
Who spread out the (L)earth and its [d]offspring,
Who (M)gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the Lord, I have (N)called You in righteousness,
I will also (O)hold You by the hand and (P)watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a (Q)covenant to the people,
As a (R)light to the nations,
7 To (S)open blind eyes,
To (T)bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
8 (U)I am the Lord, that is (V)My name;
I will not give My (W)glory to another,
Nor My praise to idols.
9 Behold, the (X)former things have come to pass,
Now I declare (Y)new things;
Before they sprout I proclaim them to you.”
10 Sing to the Lord a (Z)new song,
Sing His praise from the (AA)end of the earth!
(AB)You who go down to the sea, and (AC)all that is in it;
You (AD)islands, and those who live on them.
11 Let the (AE)wilderness and its cities raise their voices,
The settlements which (AF)Kedar inhabits.
Let the inhabitants of (AG)Sela sing aloud,
Let them shout for joy from the tops of the (AH)mountains.
12 Let them (AI)give glory to the Lord
And declare His praise in the (AJ)coastlands.
13 (AK)The Lord will go out like a warrior,
He will stir His (AL)zeal like a man of war.
He will shout, indeed, He will raise a war cry.
He will (AM)prevail against His enemies.
The Blindness of the People
14 “(AN)I have kept silent for a long time,
I have kept still and restrained Myself.
Now like a woman in labor I will groan,
I will both gasp and pant.
15 I will (AO)lay waste the mountains and hills
And wither all their vegetation;
I will (AP)turn the rivers into coastlands
And dry up the ponds.
16 I will (AQ)lead those who are blind by a way they have not known,
In paths they have not known I will guide them.
I will (AR)turn darkness into light before them
And (AS)uneven land into plains.
These are the things I will do,
And I will (AT)not leave them undone.”
17 They will be turned back and be (AU)utterly put to shame,
Who trust in [e]idols,
Who say to cast metal images,
“You are our gods.”
18 (AV)Hear, you who are deaf!
And look, you who are blind, so that you may see.
19 Who is blind but My (AW)servant,
Or so deaf as My (AX)messenger whom I send?
Who is so blind as one who is [f](AY)at peace with Me,
Or so blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 (AZ)You have seen many things, but you do not retain them;
Your ears are open, but no one hears.
21 The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake
To make the Law (BA)great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered and pillaged;
All of them are (BB)trapped in [g]caves,
Or are (BC)hidden away in prisons;
They have become plunder, with no one to save them,
And spoils with no one to say, “Give them back!”
23 Who among you will listen to this?
Who will pay attention and listen in the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob up for spoils, and Israel to plunderers?
Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,
And in whose ways they (BD)were not willing to walk,
And whose Law they did not (BE)obey?
25 So He poured out on him the heat of His anger
And the (BF)fierceness of battle;
And it set him aflame all around,
Yet he did not recognize it;
And it burned him, but he [h](BG)paid no attention.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 42:1 Or hold fast
- Isaiah 42:1 Or Gentiles
- Isaiah 42:4 Or instruction
- Isaiah 42:5 Or vegetation
- Isaiah 42:17 Or carved images
- Isaiah 42:19 Or the devoted one
- Isaiah 42:22 Or holes
- Isaiah 42:25 Lit did not lay it to heart
Isaiah 42
English Standard Version
The Lord's Chosen Servant
42 (A)Behold (B)my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, (C)in whom my soul delights;
(D)I have put my Spirit upon him;
(E)he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
3 (F)a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
(G)he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged[a]
till he has established justice in the earth;
and (H)the coastlands wait for his law.
5 Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens (I)and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
(J)who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the Lord; (K)I have called you[b] in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you (L)as a covenant for the people,
(M)a light for the nations,
7 (N)to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
(O)from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
(P)my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
(Q)and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them.”
Sing to the Lord a New Song
10 (R)Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the end of the earth,
(S)you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it,
(T)the coastlands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice,
the villages that (U)Kedar inhabits;
let the habitants of (V)Sela sing for joy,
let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord,
and declare his praise in (W)the coastlands.
13 (X)The Lord goes out like a mighty man,
like a man of war (Y)he stirs up his zeal;
he cries out, (Z)he shouts aloud,
he shows himself mighty against his foes.
14 For a long time I have held my peace;
I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out (AA)like a woman in labor;
I will gasp and pant.
15 (AB)I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into islands,[c]
and dry up the pools.
16 (AC)And I will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
(AD)the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
and I do not forsake them.
17 (AE)They are turned back and utterly put to shame,
who trust in carved idols,
who say to metal images,
“You are our gods.”
Israel's Failure to Hear and See
18 Hear, you deaf,
and look, you blind, that you may see!
19 Who is blind but my servant,
or deaf as my messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as my dedicated one,[d]
or blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 (AF)He sees many things, but does not observe them;
(AG)his ears are open, but he does not hear.
21 The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness' sake,
to magnify his law and make it glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered and looted;
they are all of them trapped in holes
(AH)and hidden in prisons;
they have become plunder with none to rescue,
spoil with none to say, “Restore!”
23 Who among you will give ear to this,
will attend and listen for the time to come?
24 Who gave up Jacob to the looter,
and Israel to the plunderers?
Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,
in whose ways they would not walk,
and whose law they would not obey?
25 So he poured on him the heat of his anger
and the might of battle;
it set him on fire all around, (AI)but he did not understand;
it burned him up, (AJ)but he did not take it to heart.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 42:4 Or bruised
- Isaiah 42:6 The Hebrew for you is singular; four times in this verse
- Isaiah 42:15 Or into coastlands
- Isaiah 42:19 Or as the one at peace with me
Ésaïe 42
La Bible du Semeur
Le premier chant du Serviteur
42 Voici mon serviteur, ╵que je soutiens,
celui que j’ai choisi, ╵qui fait toute ma joie.
Je lui ai donné mon Esprit
et il établira ╵le droit pour tous les peuples[a].
2 Mais il ne criera pas,
il n’élèvera pas la voix,
il ne la fera pas ╵entendre dans les rues.
3 Il ne brisera pas ╵le roseau qui se ploie
et il n’éteindra pas ╵la flamme qui faiblit,
mais il établira le droit ╵selon la vérité.
4 Il ne faiblira pas,
et il ne ploiera pas
jusqu’à ce qu’il ait établi ╵le droit sur terre,
jusqu’à ce que les îles ╵et les régions côtières ╵mettent leur espoir en sa loi.
5 Car voici ce que dit ╵l’Eternel Dieu
qui a créé les cieux ╵et les a déployés,
lui qui a disposé la terre ╵avec tout ce qu’elle produit,
qui a donné la vie ╵aux hommes qui la peuplent
et le souffle de vie ╵à ceux qui la parcourent :
6 Moi, l’Eternel, ╵moi, je t’ai appelé ╵dans un juste dessein
et je te tiendrai par la main ;
je te protégerai ╵et je t’établirai
pour conclure une alliance avec le peuple,
pour être la lumière des peuples étrangers[b],
7 pour ouvrir les yeux des aveugles,
pour tirer du cachot ╵les prisonniers,
de la maison d’arrêt ╵ceux qui habitent les ténèbres.
8 Moi, je suis l’Eternel, ╵tel est mon nom.
Et je ne donnerai ╵ma gloire à aucun autre.
Je ne livrerai pas ╵mon honneur aux idoles.
9 Les événements du passé ╵se sont produits.
Et maintenant, j’annonce ╵des événements tout nouveaux ;
avant qu’ils germent,
je vous les fais connaître.
Le cantique nouveau
10 Chantez à l’Eternel ╵un cantique nouveau,
entonnez sa louange ╵aux confins de la terre,
vous qui voguez sur mer,
et vous qui la peuplez,
vous les îles ╵et les régions côtières, ╵vous qui les habitez !
11 Désert et villes du désert,
campements de Qédar, ╵élevez votre voix !
Habitants de Séla[c], ╵exultez d’allégresse !
Du sommet des montagnes, ╵poussez des cris de joie,
12 et rendez gloire à l’Eternel !
Que jusque dans les îles ╵et les régions côtières, ╵on publie sa louange !
13 L’Eternel sortira ╵comme un héros,
comme un homme de guerre, ╵il réveillera son ardeur,
il poussera des cris de guerre, ╵des cris terribles,
il triomphera ╵de ses ennemis.
14 Je me suis tu pendant longtemps,
j’ai gardé le silence, ╵je me suis contenu
mais maintenant, ╵comme une femme qui enfante, ╵je pousse des gémissements,
et je respire en haletant.
15 Je m’en vais dévaster ╵montagnes et collines
et j’en dessécherai ╵toute végétation,
je changerai les fleuves ╵et j’en ferai des îles,
j’assécherai les lacs,
16 les aveugles, ╵je les ferai marcher
sur une route ╵qu’ils ne connaissent pas.
Oui, je les conduirai sur des sentiers ╵dont ils ignorent tout.
Je transformerai devant eux ╵leur obscurité en lumière
et leurs parcours accidentés ╵en terrains plats.
Tout cela, je l’accomplirai
sans rien laisser d’inachevé.
17 Mais ceux qui se fient aux idoles,
qui disent aux statues ╵fabriquées de métal fondu :
« Nos dieux, c’est vous ! »
devront se retirer ╵couverts de honte.
La libération du peuple aveugle
Aux sourds et aux aveugles
18 Vous les sourds, écoutez !
Vous, les aveugles, ╵regardez et voyez !
19 Qui est aveugle, ╵sinon mon serviteur[d] ?
Et qui est sourd, ╵sinon mon messager, ╵mon envoyé ?
Qui est aveugle ╵sinon celui ╵que l’Eternel réhabilite[e],
et qui est sourd ╵sinon le serviteur ╵de l’Eternel[f] ?
20 Tu as vu bien des choses,
tu n’as rien retenu.
Tu as l’oreille ouverte,
tu n’as rien entendu.
21 Mais à cause de sa justice, ╵l’Eternel a voulu
rendre sa Loi ╵magnifique et sublime.
Un peuple pillé et dépouillé
22 Et cependant, voilà un peuple ╵pillé et dépouillé[g],
ils sont tous pris au piège ╵au fond des fosses,
mis au secret dans des prisons,
ils sont pillés
et nul ne les délivre.
On les a dépouillés
et aucun ne dit : « Restitue ! »
23 Qui, parmi vous, ╵prêtera donc l’oreille ?
Qui sera attentif ╵pour écouter, à l’avenir ?
24 Qui a livré Jacob ╵à ceux qui le dépouillent ?
Qui livra Israël ╵à ceux qui l’ont pillé ?
N’est-ce pas l’Eternel,
envers qui nous avons péché,
et dont nous avons refusé ╵de suivre les sentiers ╵qu’il nous avait prescrits ?
Oui, ils n’ont pas ╵obéi à sa Loi.
25 Alors, il a versé ╵sur Israël
l’ardeur de son courroux,
il a fait déferler sur lui ╵de violents combats.
Sa colère a flambé ╵autour de lui
sans qu’il le reconnaisse,
le feu l’a embrasé
sans qu’il y prenne garde.
Footnotes
- 42.1 Voir Mt 3.17 ; 17.5 ; Mc 1.11 ; Lc 3.22 ; 9.35. Les v. 1-4 sont cités en Mt 12.18-21.
- 42.6 Voir Es 49.8. Cité en Ac 13.47 ; allusion en Lc 2.32 (voir Jn 8.12 ; Ac 26.23).
- 42.11 Qédar désigne le désert Arabique et ses tribus nomades, Séla la capitale fortifiée des Edomites (voir note 2 R 14.7), dont les Nabatéens s’empareront.
- 42.19 Il s’agit ici du peuple d’Israël, serviteur de l’Eternel (41.8 ; 43.8, 10).
- 42.19 Autre traduction : celui qui m’est consacré.
- 42.19 D’après deux manuscrits hébreux et un manuscrit grec. Les autres manuscrits ont : et qui est aveugle comme mon serviteur ?
- 42.22 Par les Babyloniens (39.6).
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