Isaiah 42

1 “Here is My Servant [My chosen one, whom I support], whom I uphold [grasp, hold], My Chosen One [elect, select], in whom My soul [the essence of My being, My heart] delights [is pleased, accepts]. I will put [give, set] My Spirit [the breath of life, divine presence] on Him, and He will bring [proclaim, establish] justice [righteous judgment] to the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples]. word study 2 He will not [absolutely refuse to] cry out [shout loudly, express distress] or raise [lift up, elevate] His voice [sound, audible expression], nor make [cause to be heard, proclaim] His voice [sound, audible expression] heard [perceived, understood] in the streets [outside, in public places, openly]. word study 3 A bruised [crushed, damaged] reed He will not break [shatter, destroy] and a smoldering [dimly burning, faint] wick He will not extinguish [put out, quench]; He will faithfully [with truth, in truth] bring forth [establish, uphold] justice [righteous judgment]. word study 4 He will not grow weak [become dim, be crushed] or discouraged [fail, be sad] before He has established [set, put in place] justice [righteous judgment] on the earth [land, ground]. In His law [instruction, teaching, torah] the islands [coastlands, sea-lands] will put their hope [wait, trust, have confidence].” word study 5 This is what God [the supreme Creator, Elohim] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says— He who created [brought into existence, made] the heavens [the visible universe, the sky] and stretched them out [expanding, spreading them forth], who spread out [stretched forth, beat out] the earth [the land, the ground] and its offspring [produce, children], who gives [grants, imparts] breath [the breath of life, spirit] to the people [nations, humanity] on it and life [spirit, vitality] to those who walk [go, live] in it: word study 6 “I, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], have called you [in righteousness, to demonstrate what’s right] for a righteous purpose [in justice, to show fairness], and I will take hold of your hand [to guide and direct you]. I will keep you [watch over and guard you] and appoint you to be a covenant [a promise or agreement] for the people [a nation, a group of individuals] and a light [spiritual illumination, happiness] to the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrews], word study 7 to open [to give sight to, enable to see] the eyes [sources of spiritual perception] of the blind [those unable to see spiritually], to bring prisoners [captives, those bound by sin] out of the dungeon [place of confinement, darkness] and those sitting [dwelling, remaining] in darkness [spiritual gloom, misery] out from the prison house [place of bondage, confinement]. word study 8 I [the first person singular, emphasizing God’s personal identity] am the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent and eternal God]; that is My name [fame, renown, reputation]! I will not yield [give or surrender, implying a refusal to share] My glory [great honor or splendor, often used to describe God’s majesty] to another [a different or separate entity, emphasizing God’s uniqueness] or My praise [a song of praise or an act of public worship] to idols [carved images or false gods, objects of worship]. word study 9 Behold [look, see], the former things [events, prophesied happenings] have happened, and now I [God, the Lord] declare [proclaim, tell openly] new things [recent, fresh revelations]. Before [prior to, in advance of] they spring [grow, come into being] forth I proclaim [tell, make known] them to you [to your hearing, for your understanding].” word study 10 Sing [with joyful music, a new melody] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] a new [recently created, fresh] song— His praise [a song of praise] from the ends [borders, edges] of the earth— you who go down [descend, sail] to the sea [a large body of water], and all that is in it [its fullness, a complete amount], you islands [coastlands, habitable spots], and all who dwell [sit, remain] in them. word study 11 Let the desert [wilderness, a dry and barren land] and its cities [towns, inhabited places] raise their voices [lift up their sound]; let the villages [small settlements, rural areas] of Kedar [a region inhabited by Bedouin people] cry aloud [shout, cry out loudly]. Let the people of Sela [inhabitants of the rock, Petra] sing for joy [shout, triumph]; let them cry out [shout, give a loud cry] from the mountaintops [the tops of the mountains, high places]. word study 12 Let them give [ascribe, assign] glory [great honor, splendor] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and declare [tell, proclaim openly] His praise [a song of praise] in the islands [coastlands, habitable spots, such as a coast or dry land]. word study 13 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] goes forth [to come out, to march out] like a mighty one [a strong warrior, a champion]; He stirs up [to rouse, to awaken] His zeal [jealousy, strong feelings of passion] like a warrior [a man of war, a fighter]. He shouts [to cry out, to make a loud noise]; yes, He roars [to cry, to utter a shrill sound] in triumph [to prevail, to be strong] over His enemies [adversaries, those who oppose Him]: word study 14 “I have kept silent [held my peace, refrained from speaking] from ages past [forever, from the beginning]; I have remained quiet [still, restrained myself] and restrained [abstained, controlled myself]. But now I will groan [cry out, scream] like a woman in labor [travailing, giving birth]; I will at once [together, in unity] gasp [breathe heavily, pant] and pant [be breathless, exhausted]. word study 15 I will lay waste [destroy, make desolate] the mountains [hills] and hills [small hills] and dry up [withering, to desolate] all their vegetation [herbs, growth, new life]. I will turn [make, set] the rivers [a flood] into dry land [islands, coastland] and drain [dry up, wither] the marshes [pools, bodies of calm water]. word study 16 I will lead the blind [physically or spiritually unable to see] by a way [road or path] they did not know [were unaware of]; I will guide them on unfamiliar [unseen or unexplored] paths [roads or journeys]. I will turn darkness [absence of light, spiritual ignorance] into light [understanding, spiritual illumination] before them and rough [crooked or uneven] places [roads or circumstances] into level [smooth or plain] ground [terrain or situation]. These things [events or actions] I will do for them, and I will not forsake [abandon or relinquish] them. word study 17 But those who trust [have confidence, rely on] in idols [carved images, false gods] and say [declare, profess] to molten images [cast metal statues, liquid metal figures], ‘You [as objects of worship] are our gods [our Elohim, objects of reverence]!’ will be turned back [removed backward, utterly disappointed] in utter [complete, extreme] shame [humiliation, guilt]. word study 18 Listen [hear and obey], you deaf ones [those who are spiritually unresponsive, unable to hear God’s voice]; look [regard carefully, pay attention], you blind ones [those who are unable to see spiritually, lacking discernment], that you may see [perceive, understand, have spiritual insight]! word study 19 Who is blind [spiritually unaware, unable to see] but My servant [one who serves God, a faithful follower], or deaf [unresponsive, unable to hear] like the messenger [a prophet, an angel] I am sending [appointing, commissioning]? Who is blind [lacking spiritual insight, perceptive] like My covenant partner [one in a special relationship with God], or blind [unseeing, ignorant] like the servant [one who serves, a slave] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]? word study 20 Though seeing [perceiving, observing] many things [much, a great deal], you do not keep watch [are not vigilant, do not observe]. Though your ears [the ability to hear] are open [to hear, attentive], you do not hear [listen, pay attention].” word study 21 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] was pleased [to delight in, had pleasure], for the sake of His righteousness [justice, moral integrity], to magnify [make great, increase] His law [instruction, Torah] and make it glorious [honorable, majestic, wonderful]. word study 22 But this is a people [robbed and spoiled, plundered and pillaged] plundered and looted [taken by force, seized and stolen], all trapped [snared and caught] in caves [holes and dens, dungeons] or imprisoned [confined and hidden] in dungeons [prison houses, places of confinement]. They have become plunder [a prey, spoil and booty] with no one to rescue [deliver and save] them, and loot [plunder and spoil] with no one to say, “Send them back [restore and return them]!” word study 23 Who [which one of you, whoever is willing] among you will pay attention [give ear, listen carefully] to this [these things, this message]? Who will listen [hearken, obey] and obey [hear and heed, pay attention to] hereafter [for the time to come, from now on]? word study 24 Who gave Jacob [the father of the Israelites] up for spoil [to be plundered, as booty], and Israel [God’s chosen people] to the plunderers [robbers, attackers]? Was it not the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], against whom we have sinned [missed the mark, gone wrong]? They were unwilling [refused, did not consent] to walk in His ways [follow His path, obey His commands], and they would not obey [listen to, heed] His law [instruction, Torah]. word study 25 So He poured out [released, unleashed] on them His furious [intense, raging] anger [wrath, indignation] and the fierceness [strength, violence] of battle [war, conflict]. It enveloped [surrounded, set on fire] them in flames [fire, burning], but they did not understand [know, perceive]; it consumed [burned, destroyed] them, but they did not take it to heart [consider, lay to heart, be mindful]. word study