Isaiah 42 New International Version

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)
²He will not shout or cry out,^(G)
    or raise his voice in the streets.
³A 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)
⁴    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)

⁵This 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:
⁶“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)
⁷to 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)

⁸“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)
⁹See, 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

¹⁰Sing^(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.
¹¹Let 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)
¹²Let them give glory^(AU) to the Lord
    and proclaim his praise^(AV) in the islands.^(AW)
¹³The 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)
¹⁵I 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.
¹⁶I 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.
¹⁷But 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!
¹⁹Who 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?
²⁰You have seen many things, but you pay no attention;
    your ears are open, but you do not listen.”^(BU)
²¹It pleased the Lord
    for the sake^(BV) of his righteousness
    to make his law^(BW) great and glorious.
²²But 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.”

²³Which of you will listen to this
    or pay close attention^(CB) in time to come?
²⁴Who 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)
²⁵So 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)

Cross references

New International Version (NIV)

Isaiah 42 New International Version

The Servant of the Lord

Song of Praise to the Lord

Israel Blind and Deaf

Cross references

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