1 “ See! My servant, My chosen one! My much Loved, in Whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit on Him. He will say to the nations what is right from wrong.

Behold my Servant, Whom I uphold, My elect in Whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice and right and reveal truth to the nations.

2 H e will not cry out or speak with a loud voice. His voice will not be heard in the streets.

He will not cry or shout aloud or cause His voice to be heard in the street.

3 H e will not break a broken branch or put out a little fire. He will be faithful to make everything fair.

A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not quench; He will bring forth justice in truth.

4 H e will not lose hope or be crushed, until He has made things right on the earth. And the islands will wait with hope in His Law.”

He will not fail or become weak or be crushed and discouraged till He has established justice in the earth; and the islands and coastal regions shall wait hopefully for Him and expect His direction and law.

5 T his is what God the Lord Who made the heavens and spread them out and Who spread out the earth and what comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk in it, says,

Thus says God the Lord—He Who created the heavens and stretched them forth, He Who spread abroad the earth and that which comes out of it, He Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:

6 “ I am the Lord. I have called you to be right and good. I will hold you by the hand and watch over you. And I will give you as an agreement to the people, as a light to the nations.

I the Lord have called You for a righteous purpose and in righteousness; I will take You by the hand and will keep You; I will give You for a covenant to the people, for a light to the nations,

7 Y ou will open blind eyes. You will bring people out of prison, out of the prison where they live in darkness.

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

8 I am the Lord. That is My name. I will not give My shining-greatness to another, or My praise to false gods.

I am the Lord; that is My name! And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images.

9 S ee, the things told about in the past have happened. Now I speak about new things. Before they happen I will tell you about them.” A Song of Praise to the Lord

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

10 S ing a new song to the Lord! Sing His praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands and those who live on them.

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 in it, the islands and coastal regions and the inhabitants of them!

11 L et the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the towns where Kedar lives. Let the people of Sela sing. Let them call out for joy from the tops of the mountains.

Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of the rock sing; let them shout from the tops of the mountains!

12 L et them give honor to the Lord, and praise Him in the islands.

Let them give glory to the Lord and declare His praise in the islands and coastal regions.

13 T he Lord will go out like a powerful soldier. He will be ready like a man of war. He will call out, yes, He will call out a war cry. He will be strong against those who hate Him. God Promises to Help His People

The Lord will go forth like a mighty man, He will rouse up His zealous indignation and vengeance like a warrior; He will cry, yes, He will shout aloud, He will do mightily against His enemies.

14 “ I have been quiet for a long time. I have been quiet and have held Myself back. Now I will cry out like a woman giving birth. I will breathe hard and fast.

I have for a long time held My peace, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will cry out like a woman in travail, I will gasp and pant together.

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

I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their herbage; I will turn the rivers into islands, and I will dry up the pools.

16 I will lead the blind by a way that they do not know. I will lead them in paths they do not know. I will turn darkness into light in front of them. And I will make the bad places smooth. These are the things I will do and I will not leave them.”

And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness into light before them and make uneven places into a plain. These things I have determined to do; and I will not leave them forsaken.

17 T hey will be turned back and be put to shame who trust in false gods, who say to these objects of worship, “You are our gods.” Israel Is Blind and Cannot Hear

They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly put to shame, who trust in graven images, who say to molten images, You are our gods.

18 L isten, you who do not hear! And look, you blind, that you may see.

Hear, you deaf! And look, you blind, that you may see!

19 W ho is blind but My servant? Who does not hear, as the one whom I send with news? Who is so blind as he who is at peace with Me, or so blind as the servant of the Lord?

Who is blind but My servant ? Or deaf like My messenger whom I send? Who is blind like the one who is at peace with Me ? Yes, who is blind like the Lord’s servant?

20 Y ou see many things, but you cannot tell what you see. Your ears are open, but you do not hear.

You have seen many things, but you do not observe or apprehend their true meaning. His ears are open, but he hears not!

21 B ecause He is right and good, the Lord was pleased to make the Law great and give it honor.

It was the Lord’s pleasure for His righteousness’ sake to magnify instruction and revelation and glorify them.

22 B ut this is a people robbed of what they owned. All of them are trapped in deep holes, or hidden in prisons. They have been robbed of what they have, with no one to help them. They have been taken away, with no one to say, “Give them back!”

But this is a people robbed and plundered; they are all of them snared in holes and hidden in houses of bondage. They have become a prey, with no one to deliver them, a spoil, with no one to say, Restore them!

23 W ho among you will hear this? Who will listen and hear in the future?

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

24 W ho let Jacob be taken? Who gave Israel to robbers? Was it not the Lord, Whom we have sinned against, in Whose ways we were not willing to walk, and Whose Law we did not obey?

Who gave up Jacob for spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Was it not the Lord, He against Whom we have sinned and in Whose ways they would not walk, neither were they obedient to His law or His teaching?

25 S o He poured out upon Israel the heat of His anger and the power of battle. It set him on fire all around. Yet he did not understand. It burned him, but he did not think about it.

Therefore He poured out upon the fierceness of His anger and the strength of battle. And it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; it burned him, but he did not lay it to heart.