Isaiah 42

God’s Promise concerning His Servant

1“1Behold, My 2Servant, whom I 3uphold; My 4chosen one in whom My 5soul delights. I have put My 6Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth 7justice to the 8nations.2He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street.3A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth 9justice.4He will not be 10disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the 11coastlands will wait expectantly for His 12law.”

5Thus says God the Lord, Who 13created the heavens and 14stretched them out, Who spread out the 15earth and its 16offspring, Who 17gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it,6“I am the Lord, I have 18called You in righteousness, I will also 19hold You by the hand and 20watch over You, And I will appoint You as a 21covenant to the people, As a 22light to the nations,7To 23open blind eyes, To 24bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.825I am the Lord, that is 26My name; I will not give My 27glory to another, Nor My praise to 28graven images.9Behold, the 29former things have come to pass, Now I declare 30new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

10Sing to the Lord a 31new song, Sing His praise from the 32end of the earth! 33You who go down to the sea, and 34all that is in it. You 35islands, and those who dwell on them.11Let the 36wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, The settlements where 37Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of 38Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the 39mountains.12Let them 40give glory to the Lord And declare His praise in the 41coastlands.1342The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His 43zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will 44prevail against His enemies.

The Blindness of the People

14“45I have kept silent for a long time, I have kept still and restrained Myself. Now like a woman in labor I will groan, I will both gasp and pant.15I will 46lay waste the mountains and hills And wither all their vegetation; I will 47make the rivers into coastlands And dry up the ponds.16I will 48lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will 49make darkness into light before them And 50rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will 51not leave them undone.”17They will be turned back and be 52utterly put to shame, Who trust in 53idols, Who say to molten images, “You are our gods.”

1854Hear, you deaf! And look, you blind, that you may see.19Who is blind but My 55servant, Or so deaf as My 56messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as he that is 5758at peace with Me, Or so blind as the servant of the Lord?2059You have seen many things, but you do not observe them; Your ears are open, but none hears.21The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake To make the law 60great and glorious.22But this is a people plundered and despoiled; All of them are 61trapped in 62caves, Or are 63hidden away in prisons; They have become a prey with none to deliver them, And a spoil, with none to say, “Give them back!”

23Who among you will give ear to this? Who will give heed and listen hereafter?24Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to plunderers? Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned, And in whose ways they 64were not willing to walk, And whose law they did not 65obey?25So He poured out on him the heat of His anger And the 66fierceness of battle; And it set him aflame all around, Yet he did not recognize it; And it burned him, but he 6768paid no attention.