Isaiah 42

1Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

1Look at my servant, whom I support; he is my chosen one, and I am delighted with him. I have put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.

2He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.

2He will not shout or raise his voice; he will not make a loud scene in the streets.

3A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: he will bring forth justice in truth.

3He will not break a bent reed, and he will not blow out a flickering candle; he will faithfully bring true justice.

4He will not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set justice in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.

4He will not falter or be discouraged until he has established justice on the earth; even distant lands across the sea will wait for his teachings.

5Thus saith God Jehovah, he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad the earth and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

5God the LORD says this—he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and everything that grows in it, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk on it:

6I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

6I, the LORD, have called you to do what is right; I will take your hand and protect you. I will give you as a covenant for the people and a light to the nations,

7to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.

7to open the eyes of the blind, to set the captives free from their dungeons, and to bring those who sit in darkness out of their prisons.

8I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.

8I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor will I share my praise with carved idols.

9Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.

9Look, everything I predicted in the past has happened, and now I am announcing new things; I am telling you about them before they even begin to happen.

10Sing unto Jehovah a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth; ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

10Sing a new song to the LORD! Sing his praise from the ends of the earth—you who sail the seas and everything in them, you distant islands and everyone living there.

11Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.

11Let the desert and its towns shout; let the villages where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy and shout from the mountain peaks.

12Let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.

12Let them give glory to the LORD and tell of his praise in the islands far away.

13Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man; he will stir up his zeal like a man of war: he will cry, yea, he will shout aloud; he will do mightily against his enemies.

13The LORD will march out like a mighty hero; he will stir up his passion like a warrior. He will give a great shout and a battle cry; he will show his great power against his enemies.

14I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will gasp and pant together.

14For a long time I have remained silent; I have kept still and held myself back. But now, like a woman in labor, I will scream, gasp, and pant.

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

15I will level the mountains and hills and wither all their plants. I will turn the rivers into dry land and dry up the marshes.

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

16I will lead the blind along a path they do not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar trails. I will turn their darkness into light and make the rough places smooth. I will do these things and I will not abandon them.

17They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly put to shame, that trust in graven images, that say unto molten images, Ye are our gods.

17But those who trust in idols, who say to statues, 'You are our gods,' will be turned back in total shame.

18Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.

18Listen, you deaf people! Look and see, you blind people!

19Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I send? who is blind as he that is at peace with me, and blind as Jehovah’s servant?

19Who is as blind as my own servant? Who is as deaf as the messenger I send? Who is as blind as my chosen one, as blind as the servant of the LORD?

20Thou seest many things, but thou observest not; his ears are open, but he heareth not.

20You see many things, but you do not really pay attention; your ears are open, but you do not truly hear.

21It pleased Jehovah, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law, and make it honorable.

21Because the LORD is righteous, he was pleased to make his law great and glorious.

22But this is a people robbed and plundered; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison-houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.

22But these people have been robbed and looted; they are all trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They have become prey with no one to rescue them; they have been carried off as spoil with no one to say, 'Give them back!'

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

23Who among you will listen to this? Who will pay attention and hear it for the future?

24Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not Jehovah? he against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, neither were they obedient unto his law.

24Who handed Jacob over to be looted and gave Israel to the robbers? Was it not the LORD, the one against whom we have sinned? The people would not follow his paths or obey his law.

25Therefore he poured upon him the fierceness of his anger, and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.

25So he poured out his burning anger and the fury of war on them. It wrapped them in flames, yet they didn't understand; it burned them up, but they didn't take it to heart.