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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.
He will not cry out nor raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.
A bent reed He will not break off
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth (G)justice.
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.”

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:
“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,
To (S)open blind eyes,
To (T)bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
(U)I am the Lord, that is (V)My name;
I will not give My (W)glory to another,
Nor My praise to idols.
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

  1. Isaiah 42:1 Or hold fast
  2. Isaiah 42:1 Or Gentiles
  3. Isaiah 42:4 Or instruction
  4. Isaiah 42:5 Or vegetation
  5. Isaiah 42:17 Or carved images
  6. Isaiah 42:19 Or the devoted one
  7. Isaiah 42:22 Or holes
  8. Isaiah 42:25 Lit did not lay it to heart

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)
He will not shout or cry out,(G)
    or raise his voice in the streets.
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)
    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)

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:
“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)
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)

“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)
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)

God’s Promise concerning His Servant

42 “Behold, My [a]Servant, whom I [b]uphold;
My Chosen One in whom My soul delights.
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the nations.(A)

“He will not call out or shout aloud,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.

“A broken reed He will not break [off]
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish [He will not harm those who are weak and suffering];
He will faithfully bring forth justice.(B)

“He will not be disheartened or crushed [in spirit];
[He will persevere] until He has established justice on the earth;
And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”(C)

This is what God the Lord says,

He who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and its produce,
Who gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk on it,

“I am the Lord, I have called You (the Messiah) in righteousness [for a righteous purpose],
I will also take You by the hand and keep watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people [Israel],
As a light to the nations (Gentiles),

To open the eyes of the blind,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who sit in darkness from the prison.(D)

“I am the Lord, that is My Name;
My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved idols.

“Indeed, the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

10 
Sing to the Lord a new song,
Sing His praise from the end of the earth!
You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,
You islands and coastlands, and those who inhabit them [sing His praise]!
11 
Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices,
The villages where Kedar lives.
Let the inhabitants of [c]Sela shout for joy,
Let them shout joyfully from the tops of the mountains.
12 
Let them give glory to the Lord
And declare His praise in the islands and coastlands.
13 
The Lord will go forth like a warrior,
He will stir up His zeal like a man of war;
He will shout out, yes, He will raise a war cry.
He will prevail [mightily] against His enemies.

The Blindness of the People

14 
“I [the Lord] have been silent for a long time,
I have been still and restrained Myself.
Now I will moan like a woman in labor,
I will both gasp and pant.
15 
“I will lay waste the mountains and hills
And wither all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into coastlands
And dry up the ponds.
16 
“I will lead the blind by a way they do not know;
I will guide them in paths that they do not know.
I will make darkness into light before them
And rugged places into plains.
These things I will do [for them],
And I will not leave them abandoned or undone.”
17 
Those who trust in carved idols will be turned back,
And utterly put to shame,
Who say to cast images,
“You are our gods.”

18 
Hear, you deaf!
And look, you blind, that you may see.
19 
Who is blind but My servant [Israel],
Or deaf like My messenger whom I send?
Who is blind like the one who is at peace with Me [in a covenant relationship],
Or so blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 
You have seen many things, but you do not observe them;
Your ears are open, but no one hears.
21 
The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake
To make the law great and prove to be glorious.
22 
But this is a people despoiled and plundered;
All of them are trapped in holes,
Or are hidden away in prisons.
They have become a prey with no one to rescue them,
And a spoil, with no one to say, “Give them back!”(E)

23 
Who among you will listen to this?
Who will listen and pay attention in the time to come?
24 
Who gave up Jacob [the kingdom of Judah] for spoil, and [the kingdom of] Israel to the plunderers?
Was it not the Lord, He against whom we [of Judah] have sinned,
And in whose ways they [of Israel] were unwilling to walk,
And whose law and teaching they did not obey?
25 
Therefore He poured out on Israel the heat of His anger
And the fierceness of battle;
And engulfed him in fire,
Yet he did not recognize [the lesson of repentance which the Assyrian conquest was intended to teach];
It burned him, but he did not take it to heart.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 42:1 This is the first of the famous prophecies concerning the Servant of the Lord, the Messiah (Is 42:1-7; 49:1-9a; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12).
  2. Isaiah 42:1 Or hold fast.
  3. Isaiah 42:11 Gr Petra (rock). Sela was probably the Edomite capital at this time. Carved into great walls of rose-colored rock it was later controlled by the Nabateans.

O Servo do Senhor

42 Eis aqui o meu Servo, a quem sustenho, o meu Eleito, em quem se compraz a minha alma; pus o meu Espírito sobre ele; juízo produzirá entre os gentios. Não clamará, não se exaltará, nem fará ouvir a sua voz na praça. A cana trilhada não quebrará, nem apagará o pavio que fumega; em verdade, produzirá o juízo. Não faltará, nem será quebrantado, até que ponha na terra o juízo; e as ilhas aguardarão a sua doutrina.

Assim diz Deus, o Senhor, que criou os céus, e os estendeu, e formou a terra e a tudo quanto produz, que dá a respiração ao povo que nela está e o espírito, aos que andam nela. Eu, o Senhor, te chamei em justiça, e te tomarei pela mão, e te guardarei, e te darei por concerto do povo e para luz dos gentios; para abrir os olhos dos cegos, para tirar da prisão os presos e do cárcere, os que jazem em trevas. Eu sou o Senhor; este é o meu nome; a minha glória, pois, a outrem não darei, nem o meu louvor, às imagens de escultura. Eis que as primeiras coisas passaram, e novas coisas eu vos anuncio, e, antes que venham à luz, vo-las faço ouvir.

10 Cantai ao Senhor um cântico novo e o seu louvor, desde o fim da terra, vós que navegais pelo mar e tudo quanto há nele; vós, ilhas e seus habitantes. 11 Alcem a voz o deserto e as suas cidades, com as aldeias que Quedar habita; exultem os que habitam nas rochas e clamem do cume dos montes. 12 Deem glória ao Senhor e anunciem o seu louvor nas ilhas. 13 O Senhor, como poderoso, sairá; como homem de guerra, despertará o zelo; clamará, e fará grande ruído, e sujeitará os seus inimigos.

14 Por muito tempo, me calei, estive em silêncio e me contive; mas, agora, darei gritos como a que está de parto, e a todos assolarei, e juntamente devorarei. 15 Os montes e outeiros tornarei em deserto, e toda a sua erva farei secar, e tornarei os rios em ilhas, e as lagoas secarei. 16 E guiarei os cegos por um caminho que nunca conheceram, fá-los-ei caminhar por veredas que não conheceram; tornarei as trevas em luz perante eles e as coisas tortas farei direitas. Essas coisas lhes farei e nunca os desampararei. 17 Tornarão atrás e confundir-se-ão de vergonha os que confiam em imagens de escultura e dizem às imagens de fundição: Vós sois nossos deuses.

18 Surdos, ouvi, e vós, cegos, olhai, para que possais ver. 19 Quem é cego, senão o meu servo ou surdo como o meu mensageiro, a quem envio? E quem é cego como o galardoado e cego, como o servo do Senhor? 20 Tu vês muitas coisas, mas não as guardas; ainda que tenha os ouvidos abertos, nada ouve. 21 O Senhor se agradava dele por amor da sua justiça; engrandeceu-o pela lei e o fez glorioso. 22 Mas este é um povo roubado e saqueado; todos estão enlaçados em cavernas e escondidos nas casas dos cárceres; são postos por presa, e ninguém há que os livre; por despojo, e ninguém diz: Restitui. 23 Quem há entre vós que ouça isso? Que atenda e ouça o que há de ser depois? 24 Quem entregou Jacó por despojo e Israel, aos roubadores? Porventura, não foi o Senhor, aquele contra quem pecaram e nos caminhos do qual não queriam andar, não dando ouvidos à sua lei? 25 Pelo que derramou sobre eles a indignação da sua ira e a força da guerra e lhes pôs labaredas em redor, mas nisso não atentaram; e os queimou, mas não puseram nisso o coração.

O Servo do Senhor

42 “Eis o meu servo,
    a quem sustento,
o meu escolhido, em quem tenho prazer.
    Porei nele o meu Espírito,
e ele trará justiça às nações.
Não gritará nem clamará,
nem erguerá a voz nas ruas.
Não quebrará o caniço rachado,
e não apagará o pavio fumegante.
Com fidelidade fará justiça;
não mostrará fraqueza
    nem se deixará ferir,
até que estabeleça a justiça na terra.
Em sua lei as ilhas porão sua esperança.”

É o que diz Deus, o Senhor,
aquele que criou o céu e o estendeu,
que espalhou a terra
    e tudo o que dela procede,
que dá fôlego aos seus moradores
    e vida aos que andam nela:
“Eu, o Senhor, o chamei para justiça;
    segurarei firme a sua mão.
Eu o guardarei e farei de você
    um mediador para o povo
e uma luz para os gentios,
para abrir os olhos aos cegos,
para libertar da prisão os cativos
e para livrar do calabouço
    os que habitam na escuridão.

“Eu sou o Senhor; este é o meu nome!
Não darei a outro a minha glória
nem a imagens o meu louvor.
Vejam! As profecias antigas
    aconteceram, e novas eu anuncio;
antes de surgirem, eu as declaro a vocês”.

10 Cantem ao Senhor um novo cântico,
    seu louvor desde os confins da terra,
vocês, que navegam no mar,
    e tudo o que nele existe,
vocês, ilhas, e todos os seus habitantes.
11 Que o deserto e as suas cidades
    ergam a sua voz;
regozijem-se os povoados
    habitados por Quedar.
Cante de alegria o povo de Selá,
    gritem pelos altos dos montes.
12 Dêem glória ao Senhor
    e nas ilhas proclamem seu louvor.
13 O Senhor sairá
    como homem poderoso,
como guerreiro despertará o seu zelo;
com forte brado e seu grito de guerra,
    triunfará sobre os seus inimigos.

14 “Fiquei muito tempo em silêncio,
    e me contive, calado.
Mas agora, como mulher
    em trabalho de parto,
eu grito, gemo e respiro ofegante.
15 Arrasarei os montes e as colinas
    e secarei toda sua vegetação;
tornarei rios em ilhas e secarei os açudes.
16 Conduzirei os cegos por caminhos
    que eles não conheceram,
por veredas desconhecidas eu os guiarei;
transformarei as trevas em luz
    diante deles
e tornarei retos os lugares acidentados.
Essas são as coisas que farei;
    não os abandonarei.
17 Mas retrocederão em vergonha total
    aqueles que confiam
    em imagens esculpidas,
que dizem aos ídolos fundidos:
    ‘Vocês são nossos deuses’.

A Cegueira de Israel

18 “Ouçam, surdos; olhem, cegos, e vejam!
19 Quem é cego senão o meu servo,
    e surdo senão o mensageiro que enviei?
Quem é cego como aquele
    que é consagrado a mim,
cego como o servo do Senhor?
20 Você viu muitas coisas,
    mas não deu nenhuma atenção;
seus ouvidos estão abertos,
    mas você não ouve nada.”
21 Foi do agrado do Senhor,
    por amor de sua retidão,
tornar grande e gloriosa a sua lei.
22 Mas este é um povo saqueado e roubado;
foi apanhado em cavernas
    e escondido em prisões.
Tornou-se presa,
    sem ninguém para resgatá-lo;
tornou-se despojo,
    sem que ninguém o reclamasse, dizendo: “Devolvam”.

23 Qual de vocês escutará isso
ou prestará muita atenção
no tempo vindouro?
24 Quem entregou Jacó
    para tornar-se despojo,
e Israel aos saqueadores?
Não foi o Senhor,
    contra quem temos pecado?
Pois eles não quiseram seguir
    os seus caminhos;
não obedeceram à sua lei.
25 De modo que ele lançou sobre eles
    o seu furor,
a violência da guerra.
Ele os envolveu em chamas,
contudo nada aprenderam;
    isso os consumiu,
e ainda assim, não o levaram a sério.