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 chosen, in whom my soul delights— I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice 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 shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it 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.

He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice.

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 nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands will wait for his 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 Yahweh, 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.

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, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for 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 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 shining-greatness to another, or My praise to false gods.

“I am Yahweh. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved 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 happened, and I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up.”

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

Let them give glory to Yahweh, and declare his praise in the islands.

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

Yahweh 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 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 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 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 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 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.”

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 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

“Those who trust in engraved images, who tell molten images, ‘You are our gods’ will be turned back. They will be utterly disappointed.

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 who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is as blind as he who is at peace, and as blind as Yahweh’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 see many things, but don’t observe. His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.

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

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

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 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 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 for 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 Jacob as plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Didn’t Yahweh, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, and they disobeyed his law.

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 the fierceness of his anger on him, and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know; and it burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”