Isaiah

Here Is My Servant

1“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold,My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights.I will put My Spirit on Him,and He will bring justice to the nations.

2He will not cry out or raise His voice,nor make His voice heard in the streets.

3A bruised reed He will not breakand a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.

4He will not grow weak or discouragedbefore He has established justice on the earth. In His law the islands will put their hope.”

5This is what God the LORD says—He who created the heavensand stretched them out,who spread out the earth and its offspring,who gives breath to the people on itand life to those who walk in it:

6“I, the LORD, have called youfor a righteous purpose,and I will take hold of your hand.I will keep you and appoint youto be a covenant for the peopleand a light to the nations,

7to open the eyes of the blind,to bring prisoners out of the dungeonand those sitting in darknessout from the prison house.

8I am the LORD;that is My name!I will not yield My glory to anotheror My praise to idols.

9Behold, the former things have happened,and now I declare new things.Before they spring forthI proclaim them to you.”

A New Song of Praise

10Sing to the LORD a new song—His praise from the ends of the earth—you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,you islands,and all who dwell in them.

11Let the desert and its cities raise their voices;let the villages of Kedar cry aloud.Let the people of Sela sing for joy;let them cry out from the mountaintops.

12Let them give glory to the LORDand declare His praise in the islands.

13The LORD goes forth like a mighty one;He stirs up His zeal like a warrior.He shouts; yes, He roarsin triumph over His enemies:

14“I have kept silent from ages past;I have remained quiet and restrained.But now I will groan like a woman in labor;I will at once gasp and pant.

15I will lay waste the mountains and hillsand dry up all their vegetation.I will turn the rivers into dry landand drain the marshes.

16I will lead the blind by a way they did not know;I will guide them on unfamiliar paths.I will turn darkness into light before themand rough places into level ground.These things I will do for them,and I will not forsake them.

17But those who trust in idolsand say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.

Israel Is Deaf and Blind

18Listen, you deaf ones;look, you blind ones, that you may see!

19Who is blind but My servant,or deaf like the messenger I am sending?Who is blind like My covenant partner,or blind like the servant of the LORD?

20Though seeing many things, you do not keep watch.Though your ears are open, you do not hear.”

21The LORD was pleased, for the sake of His righteousness,to magnify His law and make it glorious.

22But this is a people plundered and looted,all trapped in caves or imprisoned in dungeons.They have become plunder with no one to rescue them,and loot with no one to say, “Send them back!”

23Who among you will pay attention to this?Who will listen and obey hereafter?

24Who gave Jacob up for spoil,and Israel to the plunderers?Was it not the LORD,against whom we have sinned?They were unwilling to walk in His ways,and they would not obey His law.

25So He poured out on them His furious angerand the fierceness of battle.It enveloped them in flames,but they did not understand;it consumed them,but they did not take it to heart.

1“Behold, my servant, whom I uphold,my chosen, in whom my soul delights: I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.

2He will not shout,nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.

3He won’t break a bruised reed.He won’t quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice.

4He will not fail nor be discouraged,until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands wait for his law.”

5God the LORD,he who created the heavens and stretched them out, he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it, says:

6“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness.I will hold your hand. I will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations,

7to open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.

8“I am the LORD.That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images.

9Behold, the former things have happenedand I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up.”

10Sing to the LORD a new song,and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants.

11Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices,with the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains!

12Let them give glory to the LORD,and declare his praise in the islands.

13The LORD will go out like a mighty man.He will stir up zeal like a man of war. He will raise a war cry. Yes, he will shout aloud. He will triumph over his enemies.

14“I have been silent a long time.I have been quiet and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant.

15I will destroy mountains and hills,and dry up all their herbs. I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.

16I will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know.I will lead them in paths that they don’t know. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. I will do these things, and I will not forsake them.

17“Those who trust in engraved images,who tell molten images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back. They will be utterly disappointed.

18“Hear, you deaf,and look, you blind, that you may see.

19Who is blind, but my servant?Or who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send?Who is as blind as he who is at peace,and as blind as the LORD’s servant?

20You see many things, but don’t observe.His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.

21It pleased the LORD, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the lawand make it honorable.

22But this is a robbed and plundered people.All of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prisons.They have become captives, and no one delivers,and a plunder, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’

23Who is there among you who will give ear to this?Who will listen and hear for the time to come?

24Who gave Jacob as plunder,and Israel to the robbers? Didn’t the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, and they disobeyed his law.

25Therefore he poured the fierceness of his anger on him,and the strength of battle.It set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know.It burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”