The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

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- Chapter 42 -

(Matthew 12:15–21)

Behold my servant, I will uphold him, my elect, with him my soul is well-pleased. I have sent my Spirit upon him. He will offer judgment to the nations.(a)

He will not cry out, and he will not show favoritism to anyone; neither will his voice be heard abroad.

The bruised reed he will not break, and the smoldering wick he will not extinguish. He will lead forth judgment unto truth.

He will not be saddened or troubled, until he establishes judgment on earth. And the islands will await his law.

Thus says the Lord God, who created the heavens and expanded it, who formed the earth and all that springs from it, who gives breath to the people in it, and spirit to those walking on it.

I, the Lord, have called you in justice, and I have taken your hand and preserved you. And I have presented you as a covenant of the people, as a light to the Gentiles,

so that you may open the eyes of the blind, and lead out the prisoner from confinement and those sitting in darkness from the house of incarceration.

I am the Lord; this is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven things.

The things that were first, behold, they have arrived. And I also announce what is new. Before these things arise, I will cause you to hear about them.

A New Song of Praise

(Psalm 98:1–9; Psalm 149:1–9)

Sing to the Lord a new canticle, sing his praise from the ends of the earth, you who descend into the sea and all its fullness, the islands and their inhabitants.

Let the desert and its cities be lifted up. Kedar will dwell in houses. O inhabitants of the rock, give praise! They will cry out from the top of the mountains.(b)

They will give glory to the Lord, and they will announce his praise to the islands.

The Lord will go forth like a strong man; like a man of battle, he will stir up zeal. He will shout and cry out. He will prevail against his enemies.

I have always been quiet; I have been silent; I have been patient. I will speak like a woman giving birth. I will destroy and consume, all at once.

I will desolate the mountains and the hills, and I will wither all their grass. And I will turn rivers into islands, and I will dry up the pools of water.

And I will lead the blind along a way which they do not know. And I will cause them to walk along paths with which they were unfamiliar. I will turn darkness into light before them, and crooked into straight. These things I have done for them. For I have not abandoned them.

They have been converted again. Let those who trust in graven idols be greatly confounded, for they say to a molten thing, “You are our god.”

Israel Is Deaf and Blind

You who are deaf, hear! You who are blind, turn your gaze and see!

Who is blind, except my servant? Who is deaf, except the one to whom I have sent my messengers? Who is blind, except the one who has been sold? And who is blind, except the servant of the Lord?

You who see many things, will you not keep them? You who have open ears, will you not listen?

And the Lord was willing to sanctify him, and to magnify the law, and to exalt him.

But this same people has robbed and laid waste. All their youth are a snare, and they have been hidden in houses of confinement. They have become victims; there is no one who may rescue them. They have been plundered; there is no one who may say, “Restore.”

Who is there among you who will hear this, who will listen closely and heed this in the future?

Who has handed over Jacob into plunder, and Israel into devastation? Is it not the Lord himself, against whom we have sinned? And they were not willing to walk in his ways, and they have not listened to his law.

And so, he poured out over him the indignation of his fury and a strong battle. And he burned him all around, and he did not realize it. And he set him on fire, and he did not understand it.

Footnotes

(a)42:1 My servant:Christ, who according to his humanity, is the servant of God.(Challoner)

(b)42:11 Petra:A city that gives name to Arabia Petraea.(Challoner)

(Matthew 12:15–21)

“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.

He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.

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

He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands wait for his law.”

God the LORD, 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, says:

“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness. I will hold your hand. I will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations,

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

“I am the LORD. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images.

Behold, the former things have happened and I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up.”

A New Song of Praise

(Psalm 98:1–9; Psalm 149:1–9)

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 therein, the islands and their inhabitants.

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!

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

The LORD 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.

“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.

I will destroy mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs. I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.

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.

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

Israel Is Deaf and Blind

“Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see.

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 the LORD’s servant?

You see many things, but don’t observe. His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.

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

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!’

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

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

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