Isaiah chapter 42
English Standard Version
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. 5Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, 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: 6"I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. 9Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them." 10 Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. 11Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the habitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. 12Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare his praise in the coastlands. 13 The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes. 14For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant. 15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools. 16 And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. 17 They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, "You are our gods." 18Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! 19Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the Lord? 20 He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear. 21The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness ' sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious. 22But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to rescue, spoil with none to say, "Restore!" 23Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come? 24Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey? 25So he poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.
New International Version
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." 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. 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.
New American Standard Bible
1'Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. 2He will not cry out nor raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. 3A bent reed He will not break off And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. 4He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice on the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.'
6'I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, 7To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison. 8I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to idols. 9Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they sprout I proclaim them to you.' 10Sing to the Lord a new song, 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. 11Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices, The settlements which Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains. 12Let them give glory to the Lord And declare His praise in the coastlands. 13The Lord will go out like a warrior, He will stir His zeal like a man of war. He will shout, indeed, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies. 14'I have kept silent for a long time, I have kept still and restrained Myself. Now like a woman in labor I will groan, I will both gasp and pant. 15I will lay waste the mountains and hills And wither all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into coastlands And dry up the ponds. 16I will lead those who are blind by a way they have not known, In paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn darkness into light before them And uneven land into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not leave them undone.' 17They will be turned back and be utterly put to shame, Who trust in idols, Who say to cast metal images, 'You are our gods.' 18Hear, you who are deaf! And look, you who are blind, so that you may see. 19Who is blind but My servant, Or so deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as one who is at peace with Me, Or so blind as the servant of the Lord? 20You have seen many things, but you do not retain them; Your ears are open, but no one hears. 21The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake To make the Law great and glorious. 22But this is a people plundered and pillaged; All of them are trapped in caves, Or are hidden away in prisons; They have become plunder, with no one to save them, And spoils with no one to say, 'Give them back!' 23Who among you will listen to this? Who will pay attention and listen in the time to come? 24Who gave Jacob up for spoils, and Israel to plunderers? Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned, And in whose ways they were not willing to walk, And whose Law they did not obey? 25So He poured out on him the heat of His anger And the fierceness of battle; And it set him aflame all around, Yet he did not recognize it; And it burned him, but he paid no attention.
Christian Standard Bible
1"This is my servant; I strengthen him, this is my chosen one; I delight in him. I have put my Spirit on him; he will bring justice to the nations. 2He will not cry out or shout or make his voice heard in the streets. 3He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not put out a smoldering wick; he will faithfully bring justice.
4He will not grow weak or be discouraged until he has established justice on earth. The coasts and islands will wait for his instruction." 5This is what God, the Lord, says— who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it — 6"I am the Lord. I have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will hold you by your hand. I will watch over you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, 7in order to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those sitting in darkness from the prison house. 8I am the Lord. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. 9The past events have indeed happened. Now I declare new events; I announce them to you before they occur." 10Sing a new song to the Lord; sing his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea with all that fills it, you coasts and islands with your inhabitants. 11Let the desert and its cities shout, the settlements where Kedar dwells cry aloud. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy; let them cry out from the mountaintops. 12Let them give glory to the Lord and declare his praise in the coasts and islands.
13The Lord advances like a warrior; he stirs up his zeal like a soldier. He shouts, he roars aloud, he prevails over his enemies. 14"I have kept silent from ages past; I have been quiet and restrained myself. But now, I will groan like a woman in labor, gasping breathlessly. 15I will lay waste mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn rivers into islands and dry up marshes. 16I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on paths they have not known. I will turn darkness to light in front of them and rough places into level ground. This is what I will do for them, and I will not abandon them. 17They will be turned back and utterly ashamed— those who trust in an idol and say to a cast image, ‘You are our gods!’ 18"Listen, you deaf! Look, you blind, so that you may see. 19Who is blind but my servant, or deaf like my messenger I am sending? Who is blind like my dedicated one, or blind like the servant of the Lord?
20Though seeing many things, you pay no attention. Though his ears are open, he does not listen." 21Because of his righteousness, the Lord was pleased to magnify his instruction and make it glorious. 22But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in holes or imprisoned in dungeons. They have become plunder with no one to rescue them and loot, with no one saying, "Give it back!" 23Who among you will hear this? Let him listen and obey in the future. 24Who gave Jacob to the robber, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord? Have we not sinned against him? They were not willing to walk in his ways, and they would not listen to his instruction. 25So he poured out his furious anger and the power of war on Jacob. It surrounded him with fire, but he did not know it; it burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.
New Living Translation
1'Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. 2He will not shout or raise his voice in public. 3He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. 4He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction. '
5God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, 6'I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. 7You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.
8'I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. 9Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.'
10Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing his praises from the ends of the earth! Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands. 11Join in the chorus, you desert towns; let the villages of Kedar rejoice! Let the people of Sela sing for joy; shout praises from the mountaintops! 12Let the whole world glorify the Lord; let it sing his praise. 13The Lord will march forth like a mighty hero; he will come out like a warrior, full of fury. He will shout his battle cry and crush all his enemies.
14He will say, 'I have long been silent; yes, I have restrained myself. But now, like a woman in labor, I will cry and groan and pant. 15I will level the mountains and hills and blight all their greenery. I will turn the rivers into dry land and will dry up all the pools. 16I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them. 17But those who trust in idols, who say, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned away in shame.
18'Listen, you who are deaf! Look and see, you blind! 19Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the Lord? 20You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen.'
21Because he is righteous, the Lord has exalted his glorious law. 22But his own people have been robbed and plundered, enslaved, imprisoned, and trapped. They are fair game for anyone and have no one to protect them, no one to take them back home.
23Who will hear these lessons from the past and see the ruin that awaits you in the future? 24Who allowed Israel to be robbed and hurt? It was the Lord, against whom we sinned, for the people would not walk in his path, nor would they obey his law. 25Therefore, he poured out his fury on them and destroyed them in battle. They were enveloped in flames, but they still refused to understand. They were consumed by fire, but they did not learn their lesson.
King James Version
7To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. 8I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
New King James Version
1“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. 2He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. 3A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. 4He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” 5Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it: 6“I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. 8I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images. 9Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.” 10 Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them! 11Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, The villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, Let them shout from the top of the mountains. 12Let them give glory to the Lord, And declare His praise in the coastlands. 13The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies. 14“I have held My peace a long time, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will cry like a woman in labor, I will pant and gasp at once. 15I will lay waste the mountains and hills, And dry up all their vegetation; I will make the rivers coastlands, And I will dry up the pools. 16I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them. 17They shall be turned back, They shall be greatly ashamed, Who trust in carved images, Who say to the molded images, ‘You are our gods.’ 18“Hear, you deaf; And look, you blind, that you may see. 19 Who is blind but My servant, Or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, And blind as the Lord’s servant? 20Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Opening the ears, but he does not hear.” 21The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will exalt the law and make it honorable. 22But this is a people robbed and plundered; All of them are snared in holes, And they are hidden in prison houses; They are for prey, and no one delivers; For plunder, and no one says, “Restore!” 23Who among you will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear for the time to come? 24Who gave Jacob for plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Was it not the Lord, He against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in His ways, Nor were they obedient to His law. 25Therefore He has poured on him the fury of His anger And the strength of battle; It has set him on fire all around, Yet he did not know; And it burned him, Yet he did not take it to heart.
What does Isaiah chapter 42 mean?
In chapter 42, Isaiah delivers three distinct messages about God's relationship with Israel and the rest of humanity. The prophet also writes about two different time periods. One is for the people of Isaiah's time; the other is a future generation of Israelites held captive in Babylon after Jerusalem is destroyed. The survivors will be exiled. This passage also features one of Isaiah's references to the Messiah.Isaiah begins and ends the chapter with descriptions of two very different servants of the Lord. The Lord points to the first Servant with delight in His soul, proclaiming that His Spirit is on the Servant and that the Servant will bring justice, finally, to the world. This Servant is the promised Messiah, who will eventually be revealed in the New Testament as Christ Jesus. This figure will rule the world. But He will not be a rough and destructive dictator like the world leaders Israel has known so far. He will care for the bruised and the weak, meaning the poor and the needy. He will be patient while also establishing justice on the earth (Isaiah 42:1–4).
God's role as Creator is highlighted to remind Israel of His power over all of life. The Servant sent by God comes with God's promises for humanity. This includes the non-Jewish nations. "Light" is a biblical metaphor for God's goodness and truth. The Servant will open blind eyes and release prisoners from darkness, both in literal and symbolic ways (Isaiah 42:5–8).
Through Isaiah, God is revealing new things that will come to pass long before they happen. This is further evidence that He is truly God. The idols and false gods of the pagan nations are not gods at all. Isaiah calls every one of these people groups to turn to the Lord in praise. They should all give glory to God (Isaiah 42:9–12).
The Lord has not forgotten His covenant with His people. He is a mighty warrior, and He is coming to rescue them. The only thing which has restrained God from delivering justice has been His own will. The Israelite people captive in Babylon will remain there for as long as God intends. But when the Lord chooses to rescue them, nothing will stand in His way. That includes the spiritual blindness of the people. His supernatural power will defeat the idol-worshiping enemies who threaten Israel's safety (Isaiah 42:13–17).
Finally, Isaiah comes to the second servant of the Lord: the nation of Israel. The nation is often mentioned using the name of their patriarch, Jacob. The descendants of Jacob were chosen by God and sent into the world to represent Him and reveal His glory. They failed to do so because they chose blindness and deafness. In this context, these are references to a lack of truth and an unwillingness to listen to what they need to hear. These ideas should be obvious, but the stubborn nation of Israel refuses to see or hear (Isaiah 42:18–20).
God revealed Himself to Israel through His glorious Law. He made a covenant with them, promising to bless them abundantly as His messenger to the world. He asked for them to follow His laws. If they chose to be unfaithful, He would hand them over to their enemies. In Isaiah's future, Israel is once again in captivity. Jerusalem has been plundered and looted and burned. The people are kept in prisons and pits with no chance to save themselves (Isaiah 42:21–22).
In times of crisis, people often ask, "Why did this happen?" Here, God makes it plain that He caused Israel's suffering. They rejected him by their disobedience. So, the Lord chose to subject Israel to foreign invaders. Israel stubbornly refuses to listen during peace; so, God brings them war. Why didn't God keep this from happening? God is the one who caused it to happen, Isaiah tells them bluntly. His people refused to obey Him, so He turned His fury on them in the form of foreign invaders. Israel refuses to make that connection.
