42
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.
2 He
will not shout,
nor raise his
voice,
nor cause it to
be heard in
the street.
3 He won’t
break a bruised
reed.
He won’t quench a
dimly burning wick.
He will faithfully
bring justice.
4 He
will not fail
nor be discouraged,
until he has
set justice in
the earth,
and the islands
wait for his
law.”
5 God
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,
7 to
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.
9 Behold,
the former things
have happened
and I declare
new things.
I tell you
about them before
they come up.”
10 Sing
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.
11 Let 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!
12 Let
them give glory
to the LORD,
and declare his
praise in
the islands.
13 The
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.
15 I
will destroy
mountains and
hills,
and dry up
all their herbs.
I will make
the rivers islands,
and will dry
up the pools.
16 I
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.
19 Who
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?
20 You
see many things,
but don’t observe.
His ears are open,
but he doesn’t
listen.
21 It
pleased the LORD,
for his
righteousness’ sake,
to magnify the
law
and make
it honorable.
22 But
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!’
23 Who
is there among
you who will
give ear to
this?
Who will listen
and hear for
the time to come?
24 Who
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.
25 Therefore
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.”