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The Lord’s Special Servant

42 “Here is my servant, the one I support.
    He is the one I chose, and I am pleased with him.
I have put my Spirit upon him,
    and he will bring justice to all nations.
He will not cry out or yell
    or speak loudly in the streets.
He will not break a crushed blade of grass
    or put out even a weak flame.
He will truly bring justice;
he will not lose hope or give up
until he brings justice to the world.
    And people far away will trust his teachings.”

God, the Lord, said these things.
He created the skies and stretched them out.
    He spread out the earth and everything on it.
He gives life to all people on earth,
    to everyone who walks on the earth.
The Lord says, “I, the Lord, called you to do right,
    and I will hold your hand
and protect you.
    You will be the sign of my agreement with the people,
    a light to shine for all people.
You will help the blind to see.
    You will free those who are in prison,
    and you will lead those who live in darkness out of their prison.

“I am the Lord. That is my name.
    I will not give my glory to another;
    I will not let idols take the praise that should be mine.
The things I said would happen have happened,
    and now I tell you about new things.
Before those things happen,
    I tell you about them.”

A Song of Praise to the Lord

10 Sing a new song to the Lord;
    sing his praise everywhere on the earth.
Praise him, you people who sail on the seas and you animals who live in them.
    Praise him, you people living in faraway places.
11 The deserts and their cities should praise him.
    The settlements of Kedar should praise him.
The people living in Sela should sing for joy;
    they should shout from the mountaintops.
12 They should give glory to the Lord.
    People in faraway lands should praise him.
13 The Lord will march out like a strong soldier;
    he will be excited like a man ready to fight a war.
He will shout out the battle cry
    and defeat his enemies.

14 The Lord says, “For a long time I have said nothing;
    I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now I will cry out
    and strain like a woman giving birth to a child.
15 I will destroy the hills and mountains
    and dry up all their plants.
I will make the rivers become dry land
    and dry up the pools of water.
16 Then I will lead the blind along a way they never knew;
    I will guide them along paths they have not known.
I will make the darkness become light for them,
    and the rough ground smooth.
These are the things I will do;
    I will not leave my people.
17 But those who trust in idols,
    who say to their statues,
‘You are our gods’
    will be rejected in disgrace.

Israel Refused to Listen to the Lord

18 “You who are deaf, hear me.
    You who are blind, look and see.
19 No one is more blind than my servant Israel
    or more deaf than the messenger I send.
No one is more blind than the person I own
    or more blind than the servant of the Lord.
20 Israel, you have seen much, but you have not obeyed.
    You hear, but you refuse to listen.”
21 The Lord made his teachings wonderful,
    because he is good.
22 These people have been defeated and robbed.
    They are trapped in pits
    or locked up in prison.
Like robbers, enemies have taken them away,
    and there is no one to save them.
Enemies carried them off,
    and no one said, “Bring them back.”

23 Will any of you listen to this?
    Will you listen carefully in the future?
24 Who let the people of Jacob be carried off?
    Who let robbers take Israel away?
The Lord allowed this to happen,
    because we sinned against him.
We did not live the way he wanted us to live
    and did not obey his teaching.
25 So he became very angry with us
    and brought terrible wars against us.
It was as if the people of Israel had fire all around them,
    but they didn’t know what was happening.
It was as if they were burning,
    but they didn’t pay any attention.

The Servant of the Lord

42 “Here is my servant,(A) whom I uphold,
    my chosen one(B) in whom I delight;(C)
I will put my Spirit(D) on him,
    and he will bring justice(E) to the nations.(F)
He will not shout or cry out,(G)
    or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed(H) he will not break,(I)
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.(J)
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;(K)
    he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice(L) on earth.
    In his teaching(M) the islands(N) will put their hope.”(O)

This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,(P) who stretches them out,
    who spreads out the earth(Q) with all that springs from it,(R)
    who gives breath(S) to its people,
    and life to those who walk on it:
“I, the Lord, have called(T) you in righteousness;(U)
    I will take hold of your hand.(V)
I will keep(W) you and will make you
    to be a covenant(X) for the people
    and a light(Y) for the Gentiles,(Z)
to open eyes that are blind,(AA)
    to free(AB) captives from prison(AC)
    and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.(AD)

“I am the Lord;(AE) that is my name!(AF)
    I will not yield my glory to another(AG)
    or my praise to idols.(AH)
See, the former things(AI) have taken place,
    and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
    I announce(AJ) them to you.”

Song of Praise to the Lord

10 Sing(AK) to the Lord a new song,(AL)
    his praise(AM) from the ends of the earth,(AN)
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,(AO)
    you islands,(AP) and all who live in them.
11 Let the wilderness(AQ) and its towns raise their voices;
    let the settlements where Kedar(AR) lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela(AS) sing for joy;
    let them shout from the mountaintops.(AT)
12 Let them give glory(AU) to the Lord
    and proclaim his praise(AV) in the islands.(AW)
13 The Lord will march out like a champion,(AX)
    like a warrior(AY) he will stir up his zeal;(AZ)
with a shout(BA) he will raise the battle cry
    and will triumph over his enemies.(BB)

14 “For a long time I have kept silent,(BC)
    I have been quiet and held myself back.(BD)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
    I cry out, I gasp and pant.(BE)
15 I will lay waste(BF) the mountains(BG) and hills
    and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
    and dry up(BH) the pools.
16 I will lead(BI) the blind(BJ) by ways they have not known,
    along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light(BK) before them
    and make the rough places smooth.(BL)
These are the things I will do;
    I will not forsake(BM) them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
    who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’(BN)
    will be turned back in utter shame.(BO)

Israel Blind and Deaf

18 “Hear, you deaf;(BP)
    look, you blind, and see!
19 Who is blind(BQ) but my servant,(BR)
    and deaf like the messenger(BS) I send?
Who is blind like the one in covenant(BT) with me,
    blind like the servant of the Lord?
20 You have seen many things, but you pay no attention;
    your ears are open, but you do not listen.”(BU)
21 It pleased the Lord
    for the sake(BV) of his righteousness
    to make his law(BW) great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered(BX) and looted,
    all of them trapped in pits(BY)
    or hidden away in prisons.(BZ)
They have become plunder,
    with no one to rescue them;(CA)
they have been made loot,
    with no one to say, “Send them back.”

23 Which of you will listen to this
    or pay close attention(CB) in time to come?
24 Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
    and Israel to the plunderers?(CC)
Was it not the Lord,(CD)
    against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow(CE) his ways;
    they did not obey his law.(CF)
25 So he poured out on them his burning anger,(CG)
    the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames,(CH) yet they did not understand;(CI)
    it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.(CJ)

42 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

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

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth 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:

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

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

I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

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

10 Sing unto the Lord 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.

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

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

13 The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.

14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.

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

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

17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

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

19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord's servant?

20 Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.

21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled; 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.

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

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

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