Isaiah 42

The Servant of the Lord

“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 islandsⁿ will put their hope.”^o

This is what God the Lord says—

he who created the heavens^p and stretched them out,

who spread 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,^a

to free^b captives from prison^c

and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.^d

“I am the Lord;^e that is my name!^f

I will not yield my glory to another^g

or my praise to idols.^h

See, the former thingsⁱ have taken place,

and new things I declare;

before they spring into being

I announce^j them to you.”

Song of Praise to the Lord

Sing^a to the Lord a new song,^b

his praise^c from the ends of the earth,^d

you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,^e

you islands,^f and all who live in them.

Let the wilderness^g and its towns raise their voices;

let the settlements where Kedar^h lives rejoice.

Let the people of Selaⁱ sing for joy;

let them shout from the mountaintops.^j

Let them give glory^k to the Lord

and proclaim his praise^l in the islands.^m

The Lord will march out like a champion,ⁿ

like a warrior^o he will stir up his zeal;^p

with a shout^q he will raise the battle cry

and will triumph over his enemies.^r

“For a long time I have kept silent,^s

I have been quiet and held myself back.^t

But now, like a woman in childbirth,

I cry out, I gasp and pant.^u

I will lay waste^v the mountains^w and hills

and dry up all their vegetation;

I will turn rivers into islands

and dry up^x the pools.

I will lead^y the blind^z by ways they have not known,

along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;

I will turn the darkness into light^a before them

and make the rough places smooth.^b

These are the things I will do;

I will not forsake^c them.

But those who trust in idols,

who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’^d

will be turned back in utter shame.^e

Israel Blind and Deaf

“Hear, you deaf;^a

look, you blind, and see!

Who is blind^b but my servant,^c

and deaf like the messenger^d I send?

Who is blind like the one in covenant^e with me,

blind like the servant of the Lord?

You have seen many things, but have paid no attention;

your ears are open, but you hear nothing.”^f

It pleased the Lord

for the sake^g of his righteousness

to make his law^h great and glorious.

But this is a people plunderedⁱ and looted,

all of them trapped in pits^j

or hidden away in prisons.^k

They have become plunder,

with no one to rescue them;^l

they have been made loot,

with no one to say, “Send them back.”

Which of you will listen to this

or pay close attention^m in time to come?

Who handed Jacob over to become loot,

and Israel to the plunderers?ⁿ

Was it not the Lord,^o

against whom we have sinned?

For they would not follow^p his ways;

they did not obey his law.^q

So he poured out on them his burning anger,^r

the violence of war.

It enveloped them in flames,^s yet they did not understand;^t

it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.^u