Isaiah 50

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

50 Thus says the Lord:
Where is your mother’s bill of divorce
    with which I put her away?
Or which of my creditors is it
    to whom I have sold you?
No, because of your sins you were sold,
    and for your transgressions your mother was put away.
²Why was no one there when I came?
    Why did no one answer when I called?
Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?
    Or have I no power to deliver?
By my rebuke I dry up the sea,
    I make the rivers a desert;
their fish stink for lack of water,
    and die of thirst.^[a]
³I clothe the heavens with blackness,
    and make sackcloth their covering.

The Servant’s Humiliation and Vindication

⁴The Lord God has given me
    the tongue of a teacher,^[b]
that I may know how to sustain
    the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens—
    wakens my ear
    to listen as those who are taught.
⁵The Lord God has opened my ear,
    and I was not rebellious,
    I did not turn backward.
⁶I gave my back to those who struck me,
    and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
    from insult and spitting.

⁷The Lord God helps me;
    therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
    and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
⁸    he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
    Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
    Let them confront me.
⁹It is the Lord God who helps me;
    who will declare me guilty?
All of them will wear out like a garment;
    the moth will eat them up.

¹⁰Who among you fears the Lord
    and obeys the voice of his servant,
who walks in darkness
    and has no light,
yet trusts in the name of the Lord
    and relies upon his God?
¹¹But all of you are kindlers of fire,
    lighters of firebrands.^[c]
Walk in the flame of your fire,
    and among the brands that you have kindled!
This is what you shall have from my hand:
    you shall lie down in torment.

Footnotes

Isaiah 50:2 Or die on the thirsty ground
Isaiah 50:4 Cn: Heb of those who are taught
Isaiah 50:11 Syr: Heb you gird yourselves with firebrands

Isaiah 50

The Message

Who Out There Fears God?

50 ^1-3God says:

“Can you produce your mother’s divorce papers
    proving I got rid of her?
Can you produce a receipt
    proving I sold you?
Of course you can’t.
    It’s your sins that put you here,
    your wrongs that got you shipped out.
So why didn’t anyone come when I knocked?
    Why didn’t anyone answer when I called?
Do you think I’ve forgotten how to help?
    Am I so decrepit that I can’t deliver?
I’m as powerful as ever,
    and can reverse what I once did:
I can dry up the sea with a word,
    turn river water into desert sand,
And leave the fish stinking in the sun,
    stranded on dry land . . .
Turn all the lights out in the sky
    and pull down the curtain.”

* * *

^4-9The Master, God, has given me
    a well-taught tongue,
So I know how to encourage tired people.
    He wakes me up in the morning,
Wakes me up, opens my ears
    to listen as one ready to take orders.
The Master, God, opened my ears,
    and I didn’t go back to sleep,
    didn’t pull the covers back over my head.
I followed orders,
    stood there and took it while they beat me,
    held steady while they pulled out my beard,
Didn’t dodge their insults,
    faced them as they spit in my face.
And the Master, God, stays right there and helps me,
    so I’m not disgraced.
Therefore I set my face like flint,
    confident that I’ll never regret this.
My champion is right here.
    Let’s take our stand together!
Who dares bring suit against me?
    Let him try!
Look! the Master, God, is right here.
    Who would dare call me guilty?
Look! My accusers are a clothes bin of threadbare
    socks and shirts, fodder for moths!

* * *

^10-11Who out there fears God,
    actually listens to the voice of his servant?
For anyone out there who doesn’t know where you’re going,
    anyone groping in the dark,
Here’s what: Trust in God.
    Lean on your God!
But if all you’re after is making trouble,
    playing with fire,
Go ahead and see where it gets you.
    Set your fires, stir people up, blow on the flames,
But don’t expect me to just stand there and watch.
    I’ll hold your feet to those flames.

以赛亚书 50

Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified)

犹大因罪见弃非耶和华无力救赎

50 耶和华如此说：“我休你们的母亲，休书在哪里呢？我将你们卖给我哪一个债主呢？你们被卖，是因你们的罪孽；你们的母亲被休，是因你们的过犯。 ²我来的时候，为何无人等候呢？我呼唤的时候，为何无人答应呢？我的膀臂岂是缩短，不能救赎吗？我岂无拯救之力吗？看哪，我一斥责，海就干了，我使江河变为旷野，其中的鱼因无水腥臭，干渴而死。 ³我使诸天以黑暗为衣服，以麻布为遮盖。”

奉命传道甘受凌辱

⁴“主耶和华赐我受教者的舌头，使我知道怎样用言语扶助疲乏的人。主每早晨提醒，提醒我的耳朵，使我能听，像受教者一样。 ⁵主耶和华开通我的耳朵，我并没有违背，也没有退后。 ⁶人打我的背，我任他打；人拔我腮颊的胡须，我由他拔；人辱我吐我，我并不掩面。

知主佑助心志益坚

⁷“主耶和华必帮助我，所以我不抱愧。我硬着脸面好像坚石，我也知道我必不致蒙羞。 ⁸称我为义的与我相近。谁与我争论？可以与我一同站立！谁与我作对？可以就近我来！ ⁹主耶和华要帮助我，谁能定我有罪呢？他们都像衣服渐渐旧了，为蛀虫所咬。”

宜赖神勿恃己能

¹⁰“你们中间谁是敬畏耶和华，听从他仆人之话的？这人行在暗中，没有亮光，当倚靠耶和华的名，仗赖自己的神。 ¹¹凡你们点火用火把围绕自己的，可以行在你们的火焰里，并你们所点的火把中！这是我手所定的：你们必躺在悲惨之中。

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)

Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

Isaiah 50 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition