Isaiah 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.

1God says, "Look at my servant. I hold him up. He is the one I chose, and I am glad about him. I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring fair judging to all the nations."

2He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

2He will not shout. He will not raise his voice. No one will hear him yelling in the street.

3A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

3A bent reed, he will not snap in two. A candle wick barely burning, he will not blow out. He will bring what is fair, and he will do it truly.

Note"Smoking flax" means the wick of an oil lamp that is barely burning and almost out.

4He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

4He will not grow weak. He will not give up. He will keep going until things are fair on earth. Faraway lands across the sea will wait for his teaching.

Note"The isles" means lands far away across the sea, not small islands only.

5Thus 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:

5This is what God the LORD says. He made the heavens and spread them out. He spread out the earth and everything that grows from it. He gives breath to the people on it. He gives life to all who walk on it.

6I 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;

6"I, the LORD, have called you to do what is right. I will hold your hand. I will keep you safe. I will make you the sign of my promise to the people. I will make you a light for the nations."

7To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

7"You will open eyes that cannot see. You will bring prisoners out of the dark pit. You will lead people out of the dark jail."

8I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

8"I am the LORD. That is my name. I will not give my glory to anyone else. I will not let carved statues take my praise."

9Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

9"Look. The things I said long ago have already happened. Now I am telling you new things. I tell you about them before they start."

10Sing 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.

10Sing a new song to the LORD. Praise him from the farthest ends of the earth. Sing, you sailors who go out on the sea. Sing, everything that lives in the water. Sing, you faraway lands and all who live there.

11Let 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.

11Let the desert and its towns shout out loud. Let the villages of Kedar, a desert people, shout too. Let the people of the rocky city sing. Let them shout from the tops of the mountains.

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

12Let them give glory to the LORD. Let them tell his praise in the faraway lands.

13The 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.

13The LORD will march out like a strong soldier. He will stir up his zeal like a fighter going to war. He will shout. He will roar. He will win against his enemies.

14I 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.

14God says, "I have been quiet for a very long time. I held myself back and said nothing. Now I will cry out like a woman having a baby. I will gasp and pant."

NoteThe KJV says "I will destroy and devour at once." The Hebrew word pictures the gasping and panting of a woman having a baby, which is the picture the verse just used.

15I 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.

15"I will turn the mountains and hills into empty land. I will dry up all their plants. I will turn the rivers into dry ground. I will dry up the pools of water."

16And 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.

16"I will lead blind people on a road they never knew. I will guide them on paths they have never walked. I will turn their darkness into light. I will make rough ground smooth. I will do these things for them. I will not leave them."

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

17Some people trust in carved statues. They say to metal statues, "You are our gods." They will be turned back. They will be filled with shame.

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

18Listen, you who will not hear. Look, you who will not see, so that you may see.

19Who 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?

19Who is as blind as my servant? Who is as deaf as the messenger I send? Who is as blind as the one I trust? Who is as blind as the LORD's servant?

Note"Perfect" here does not mean without any fault. It means the one God made his promise with, the one he trusts.

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

20You see many things, but you do not pay attention. Your ears are open, but you do not listen.

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

21The LORD was glad to do what is right. He made his teaching great. He made it worth honoring.

22But 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.

22But this people has been robbed. Everything they had was taken away. They are trapped in holes and locked in jails. Enemies carried them off, and no one saved them. No one said, "Give them back."

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

23Which of you will listen to this? Who will pay attention from now on?

24Who 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.

24Who let robbers carry off Jacob and Israel, two names for God's people? It was the LORD. We had sinned against him. The people would not walk in his ways. They would not obey his teaching.

25Therefore 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.

25So he poured his hot anger out on them. He sent hard fighting against them. It burned all around them, but they did not understand. It burned them, but they did not take it to heart.