Isaiah 41:21–42:9
21 “Present your case,m” says the Lord.
“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.n
what is going to happen.o
Tell us what the former thingsp were,
so that we may consider them
and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,q
23 tell us what the future holds,
so we may knowr that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,s
so that we will be dismayedt and filled with fear.
24 But you are less than nothingu
and your works are utterly worthless;v
whoever chooses you is detestable.w
25 “I have stirredx up one from the north,y and he comes—
one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treadsz on rulers as if they were mortar,
as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,a so we could know,
or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
no one foretoldb it,
no one heard any wordsc from you.
27 I was the first to telld Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.e
28 I look but there is no onef—
no one among the gods to give counsel,g
no one to give answerh when I ask them.
Their deeds amount to nothing;i
their imagesj are but windk and confusion.
42 “Here is my servant,l whom I uphold,
my chosen onem in whom I delight;n
I will put my Spirito on him,
and he will bring justicep to the nations.q
2 He will not shout or cry out,r
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reeds he will not break,t
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.u
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;v
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justicew on earth.
In his teachingx the islandsy will put their hope.”z
5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,a who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earthb with all that springs from it,c
who gives breathd to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have callede you in righteousness;f
I will take hold of your hand.g
I will keeph you and will make you
to be a covenanti for the people
and a lightj for the Gentiles,k
7 to open eyes that are blind,l
to freem captives from prisonn
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.o
8 “I am the Lord;p that is my name!q
I will not yield my glory to anotherr
or my praise to idols.s
9 See, the former thingst have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announceu them to you.”