Isaiah 42:1-43:20

The Servant of the LORD 1“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.

2He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.

3A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

4he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

5This is what God the LORD says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:

6“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,

7to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

8“I am the LORD ; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.

9See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

Song of Praise to the LORD 10Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them.

11Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops.

12Let them give glory to the LORD and proclaim his praise in the islands.

13The LORD will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.

14“For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.

15I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools.

16I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

17But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame.

Israel Blind and Deaf 18“Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see!

19Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one in covenant 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.”

21It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious.

22But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them; they have been made loot, with no one to say, “Send them back.”

23Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come?

24Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? For they would not follow his ways; they did not obey his law. 25So he poured out on them his burning anger, the violence of war. It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

Israel’s Only Savior 1But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

3For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush That is, the upper Nile region and Seba in your stead.

4Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.

5Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

6I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—

7everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

8Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.

9All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”

10“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

11I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.

12I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.

13Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”

God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness 14This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, Or Chaldeans in the ships in which they took pride.

15I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.”

16This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,

17who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

18“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

19See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

20The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,