Beginning
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Here is my servant, whom I support,
my chosen one, in whom I delight.[a]
I’ve placed my Spirit upon him;
and[b] he’ll deliver his[c] justice throughout the world.[d]
2 He won’t shout,
or raise his voice,
or make it heard in the street.
3 A crushed reed he will not break,
and a fading candle[e] he won’t snuff out.[f]
He’ll bring forth[g] justice for the truth.
4 And[h] he won’t grow faint or be crushed
until he establishes justice on the mainland,
and the coastlands take ownership of[i] his Law.”
God Speaks about the Servant
5 This is what God says—
the God[j] 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 life[k] to those who walk in it:
6 “I’ve[l] called you in righteousness.
I’ll take hold of your hand.
I’ll preserve you and appoint you
as a covenant to the people,[m]
as a light for the nations,
7 to open blind eyes
and to bring out those who are bound[n] from their cells,
and[o] those sitting in darkness from prison.
8 I, the Lord, am the one,
and I won’t give my name and[p] glory to another,
nor my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place,
and I’m announcing the[q] new things—
before they spring into being
I’m telling you about them.”
Praise in Song to God
10 Sing to the Lord a new song,
and[r] his praise from the ends of the earth,
you who sail down the sea and by everything in it,
you coastlands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert cry out,[s]
its towns and the[t] villages where Kedar lives;
and[u] let those who live in Sela sing for joy.
Let them shout aloud[v] from the mountaintops.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord,
and declare his praise in the islands.
13 The Lord marches out like a warrior;
he stirs up his rage like a man of war;
he makes his anger heard;
he shouts aloud;[w]
he declares his mastery over his enemies:
14 “I have certainly[x] stayed silent for a long time;
I’ve kept still and held myself back.
Now, like a woman giving birth, I’ll cry out.
All of a sudden I’ll gasp and pant.
15 I’ll devastate the mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I’ll turn rivers into islands,
and dry up the ponds.
16 I’ll help the blind walk,
even[y] on a road they do not know;
I’ll guide them
in directions[z] they do not know.
I’ll turn the dark places[aa] into light in front of them,
and the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I will do,
and I won’t abandon them.
17 Those who trust in carved idols
will turn back and[ab] be completely disappointed,[ac]
along with those[ad] who say to metal images,
‘You are our gods.’”
God Rebukes Israel
18 “Listen, you deaf people,
and look up, you blind people, so you may see!
19 Who is blind except my servant,
or deaf like my messenger I am sending?
Who is blind like the one committed to me,
or blind like the Lord’s servant?
20 You’ve seen[ae] many things, but you pay no[af] attention.
His ears are open,[ag] but he doesn’t listen.
21 The Lord was pleased, for the sake of his vindication,
that he should magnify his Law and make it glorious.
22 But this is a people who have been robbed and plundered,
all of them trapped in pits
or hidden away in prisons.[ah]
They have become prey, with no one to rescue them;
they have been made loot, with no one to say, ‘Send them back!’
23 “Who among you will listen,
and[ai] pay attention,
and listen for the time to come?”
God Punishes Israel
24 “Who handed Jacob over to looters,
and Israel to robbers?
Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned?
After all, they weren’t willing to walk in his ways,
and they wouldn’t obey[aj] his instruction,
25 so he drenched him with[ak] the heat that is his anger,[al]
the violence of war.
It enveloped him in flames,
but still he had no insight.
It burned him up,
but he didn’t take it to heart.”
The Future Redemption of Israel
43 But now this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, Jacob,
the one who formed you, Israel:
“Do not be afraid, because I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called you by name;
you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I’ll be with you;
and through the rivers, they won’t sweep over you.
when you walk through fire you won’t be scorched,
and the flame won’t set you ablaze.
3 “I[am] am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer.[an]
And[ao] I’ve given Egypt as your ransom,[ap]
Cush and the people of Seba[aq] in exchange for you.
4 Since you’re precious in my sight
and honored,
and because I love you,
I’m giving up people in your place,
and nations in exchange for your life.”
The Regathering of Israel
5 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you;
I’ll bring your children from the east,
and gather you from the west.
6 I’ll say to the north,
‘Give them up’!
and to the south,
‘Don’t keep them back!’
Bring[ar] my sons from far away
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom[as] I formed and made.
8 “Bring out the people who are blind, yet still have eyes,
who are deaf, yet still have ears!
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
and let the peoples be assembled.
“Who is there among them who[at] can declare this,
or announce[au] the former things?
Let them produce their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them proclaim[av] so people will say, ‘It’s true.’
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and trust me
and understand that I am the One.[aw]
Before me no God was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
11 I, yes I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
12 I’ve revealed and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no foreign god among you —
and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord.
13 “I am God; also[ax] from ancient days[ay] I am the one.
And there is no one who can deliver out of my hand;
when I act, who can reverse it?”
14 This is what the Lord says,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon,[az]
and bring them all down as fugitives.
Now as for the Babylonians,
their ringing cry will become lamentation.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
Creator of Israel, and your King.”
Something New for Israel
16 This is what the Lord says —
who makes a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariots and horsemen,
and[ba] armies and warriors at the same time.
They lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a candle:[bb]
18 “Don’t remember[bc] the former things;
don’t dwell on things past.
19 Watch! I’m about to carry out something new!
And[bd] now it’s springing up—
don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the wilderness
and paths[be] in the desert.
20 Wild animals, jackals, and owls[bf] will honor me
because I provide[bg] water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness
to give drink to my people, my chosen ones,[bh]
21 the people whom I formed for myself
and[bi] so that they may speak[bj] my praise.”
God is Weary of Israel
22 “And[bk] yet you didn’t call upon me, Jacob;
indeed, you are tired of me, Israel!
23 You haven’t brought me your sheep for a burnt offering,[bl]
nor have you honored me with[bm] your sacrifices,
nor have you made meal offerings for me[bn]—
yet I have not tired you about incense!
24 You[bo] haven’t bought me sweet cane with money,
nor have you satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
You have only burdened me with your sins
and made me tired with your iniquities.
25 “I, I am the one
who blots out your transgression[bp] for my own sake,
and I’ll remember your sins no more.[bq]
26 Recount the brief!
Let’s argue the matter together;
Present your case,
so that you may be proved right.
27 Your first ancestor sinned,
and your mediators rebelled against me.
28 So I’ll disgrace the leaders of the Temple,
and I’ll consign Jacob to total destruction[br]
and Israel to contempt.
God’s Blessing on Israel
44 “But now listen, Jacob my servant
and Israel whom I have chosen:
2 This what the Lord says, the one who made you,
formed you from the womb,
and who will help[bs] you:
“Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant,
and Jeshurun,[bt] whom I have chosen.
3 For I’ll pour water upon thirsty ground
and streams on parched land.
So[bu] will I pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing upon your descendants.
4 They’ll[bv] spring up as among[bw] the green grass,
like willows by flowing streams.
5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
still another will have written on his hand, ‘the Lord’s,’
and will adopt the name of Israel.”
I am the First and the Last
6 This is what the Lord says, the King of Israel
and its Redeemer—
the Lord of the Heavenly Armies is his name—[bx]
“I am the first and I am the last,
and apart from me there is no God.
7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim
and declare it, and lay it out for himself—[by]
since he made[bz] an ancient people.
And let him speak[ca] future events;
let them tell him what[cb] will happen.
8 Don’t tremble, and don’t be afraid.[cc]
Didn’t I tell you and announce it long ago?
You are my witnesses.
Is there any God besides me?
There is no other Rock—
I don’t know of any.”
A Rebuke to Idol Worship
9 Now,[cd] all the forming of[ce] images means nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their own witnesses cannot see, and they[cf] know nothing. So they will be put to shame.
10 Who would shape a god or cast an image that profits nothing? 11 To be sure, all who associate with it will be put to shame; and as for the craftsmen, they are only human. Let them all gather together and[cg] take their stand. Then[ch] let them be terrified—they will be humiliated together.
12 The blacksmith prepares a tool and works in the coals, then[ci] fashions an idol with hammers, working by the strength of his arm. He even becomes hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.
13 The carpenter measures it[cj] with a line; he traces its shape with a stylus, then fashions it with planes and shapes it with a compass. He makes the idol like a human figure, with human beauty, to be at home[ck] in a shrine. 14 He cuts down cedars, or chooses a cypress tree or an oak, and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. Or he plants a cedar, and the rain makes it grow. 15 He divides it up[cl] for people to burn. Taking part of it, he warms himself, makes a fire, and bakes bread. Or perhaps[cm] he constructs a god and worships it. He makes it an idol and bows down to it. 16 Half the wood he burns in the fire, and[cn] over[co] that half he places[cp] meat so he can eat. He sits by its coals, warms himself,[cq] and says, “Ah! I am warm in front of[cr] the fire.” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god. To blocks[cs] of wood he bows down, worships, prays, and says, “Save me, since you are my god.”
18 They don’t realize; they don’t understand, because their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds, too, so they cannot understand. 19 No one stops to think. No one has the knowledge or understanding to think—yes to think!—[ct]“Half of it I burned in the fire. I even baked bread on its coals, and[cu] I roasted meat and ate it. And[cv] am I about to make detestable things[cw] from what is left? Am I about to bow down to blocks[cx] of wood?” 20 He tends ashes. A deceived mind has lead him astray. It cannot be his life,[cy] nor can he say, “There’s a lie in my right hand.”[cz]
A Call to Remembrance and Joy
21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
Israel,[da] for you are my servant.
I have formed you;
you are a servant to me.
Israel,[db] you must not mislead me.[dc]
22 I’ve wiped away your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist.
Return to me;
because I’ve redeemed you.
23 “Shout for joy, you heavens,
for the Lord has done it!
Shout aloud, you depths of the earth!
Burst out with singing, you mountains,
you forest, and all your trees!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob
and will display his glory in Israel.
24 “This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer
and the one who formed you in the womb:
‘I am the Lord, who has made everything,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth—
Who was with me at that time?—[dd]
25 who frustrates the omens of idle talkers,
and drives diviners mad,
who turns back the wise,
and makes their knowledge foolish;[de]
26 who carries out the words of his servants,
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, “It will be inhabited,”
and of Judah’s cities, “They will be rebuilt,”
and of her ruins, “I’ll raise them up”;
27 who says to the watery deep, “Be dry—
I will dry up your rivers;”
28 who says about Cyrus, “He’s my shepherd,
and he’ll carry out everything that I please:
He’ll say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’
and of my[df] Temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid again.’”’”
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.