Isaiah 42

God’s Chosen Servant

1 “Look at My Servant, the One I uphold. My chosen One, the One I delight in. I put My Spirit on Him, and He is going to bring justice to the nations.”

2 “He will not be loud or arrogant. He is not out here yelling in the streets.”

3 “He will not crush the weak or snuff out the smallest hope. He will bring justice in truth.”

4 “He will not quit, will not break down, will not back up until justice covers the whole earth. Even the islands will wait on His law.”

The Lord, Creator and Covenant-keeper

5 This is what God the Lord says, the One who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and everything in it, who gives breath to the people on it and life to everyone who walks it:

6 “I, the Lord, called You in righteousness. I am going to hold Your hand and keep You. I am appointing You as a covenant for the people and a light for the nations.”

7 “You are going to open blind eyes, free prisoners from their chains, and bring those sitting in darkness out into the light.”

8 “I am the Lord, that is My name. I do not share My glory with idols or give My praise to fake gods.”

9 “Look, the former things already happened. Now I am announcing new things. Before they even rise up, I am telling you about them.”

A New Song for the Lord

10 Sing a new song to the Lord, let His praise ring from the ends of the earth. You who sail the seas, all the islands, all the nations, lift Him up.

11 Let the desert towns shout His name, let the villages of Kedar praise Him. Let the people of Sela sing loud and shout from the mountaintops.

12 Give the Lord the glory He deserves. Let His praise be heard everywhere.

God Comes Like a Warrior

13 The Lord is going to step up like a warrior, roaring like a champion. He will shout, storm forward, and crush His enemies.

14 “For a long time I kept quiet,” God says. “I stayed silent. But now I am going to cry out like a woman in labor, I am about to move.”

15 “I am going to destroy mountains and hills, dry up their plants, turn rivers into islands, and drain all the pools.”

16 “I will lead the blind down roads they never walked. I will turn darkness into light for them and make crooked paths straight. These things I will do, I will not abandon them.”

17 But those who trust in idols, who say to statues, “You are our god”, they are going to be turned back in shame.

Israel’s Blindness and Deafness

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

19 Who is as blind as My servant, Who is as deaf as My messenger, Who is more blind than the one committed to Me, yet still not seeing,

20 You see a lot but do not get it; you hear plenty but do not pay attention.

21 The Lord was pleased to make His law great and glorious.

22 But look, this people is robbed and trapped, stuck in holes and prisons. They are taken as loot, and nobody says, “Bring them back!”

God’s People Suffered for a Reason

23 Who among you will listen to this, Who will pay attention moving forward,

24 Who gave Jacob over to robbers, Who handed Israel to plunderers, was it not the Lord, the One they sinned against, They refused to walk in His ways and ignored His law.

25 So He poured out His anger, war surrounded them. Flames burned them, but they did not take it to heart. They were set on fire, but still did not learn the lesson.