42ND CHAPTER

The Lord’s Servant Will Bring Righteousness to the World

1  Here is my servant, whom I support. 

Here is my chosen one, with whom I am pleased. 

I have put my Spirit on him. 

He will bring justice to the nations. 

2  He will not cry out or raise ⸤his voice⸥. 

He will not make his voice heard in the streets. 

3  He will not break off a damaged cattail. 

He will not even put out a smoking wick. 

He will faithfully bring about justice. 

4  He will not be discouraged or crushed 

until he has set up justice on the earth. 

The coastlands will wait for his teachings. 

5  The Lord God created the heavens and stretched them out. 

He shaped the earth and all that comes from it. 

He gave life to the people who are on it 

and breath to those who walk on it. 

This is what the Lord God says: 

6  I, the Lord, have called you to do what is right. 

I will take hold of your hand. 

I will protect you. 

I will appoint you as my promisea to the people, 

as my light to the nations. 

7  You will give sight to the blind, 

bring prisoners out of prisons, 

and bring those who live in darkness 

out of dungeons. 

8  I am the Lord; that is my name. 

I will not give my glory to anyone else 

or the praise I deserve to idols. 

9  What I said in the past has come true. 

I will reveal new things before they happen. 

A Song about the Lord, the Warrior

10  Sing a new song to the Lord. 

Sing his praise from the ends of the earth, 

you people who sail on the seas 

and all the creatures that live in them, 

you coastlands and all who live on them. 

11  Let those who live in the desert and its cities raise their voices. 

Let those who live in the settlements of Kedar praise him. 

Let those who live in Sela sing for joy. 

Let them shout from the tops of the mountains. 

12  Let them give glory to the Lord 

and announce his praise on the coastlands. 

13  The Lord marches out like a warrior. 

He prepares himself for battle like a soldier. 

He shouts, gives the battle cry, and overpowers his enemies. 

14  I have been silent for a long time. 

I kept quiet and held myself back. 

But like a woman in childbirth I will cry out. 

I will gasp and pant. 

15  I will lay waste to mountains and hills. 

I will dry up all their vegetation. 

I will turn rivers into islands. 

I will dry up ponds. 

16  I will lead the blind on unfamiliar roads. 

I will lead them on unfamiliar paths. 

I will turn darkness into light in front of them. 

I will make rough places smooth. 

These are the things I will do for them, 

and I will never abandon them. 

17  Then those who trust idols 

and those who say to statues, 

“You are our gods” 

will be turned away and put to shame. 

The Lord Will Bring Israel Home

18  Listen, you deaf people. 

Look, you blind people, so that you can see. 

19  Who is blind except my servant 

or deaf like the messenger I send? 

Who is blind like the one who has my trust 

or blind like the servant of the Lord? 

20  You have seen much, but you do not observe anything. 

Your ears are open, but you hear nothing. 

21  The Lord is pleased because he does what is right. 

He praises the greatness of his teachings and makes them glorious. 

22  But these people are robbed and looted. 

They are all trapped in pits and hidden in prisons. 

They have become prey with no one to rescue them. 

They have become loot with no one to say, “Give it back.” 

23  Who among you will listen to this? 

Is there anyone who will pay attention and listen in the future? 

24  Who gave Jacob away as loot 

and handed Israel over to robbers? 

Wasn’t it the Lord, against whom we have sinned? 

They didn’t want to live his way. 

They didn’t obey his teachings. 

25  So he poured out his burning anger and the horrors of war on them. 

It engulfed them in flames, but they did not understand. 

It burned them, but they did not take it to heart.