Isaiah 42:1-44:5
Expanded Bible
The Lord’s Special Servant
42 “Here is my servant [41:8; 43:10; 52:13; 53:11], the one I ·support [strengthen; uphold; C the first of four “servant songs” in Isaiah, concerning Israel, and applied to the mission and suffering of the Messiah; 42:1–7; 49:1–13; 50:4–11; 52:13—53:12].
He is ·the one I chose [my chosen], and ·I am pleased with [my soul delights in] him [Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Luke 9:35].
I have put my Spirit upon him [11:1–9],
and he will bring justice to the nations [Matt. 12:18–20].
2 He will not cry out or yell
or speak loudly in the streets.
3 He will not break a ·crushed blade of grass [bruised reed]
or ·put out [extinguish] even a ·weak flame [dim/smoldering wick; C symbols of care for the weak and oppressed].
He will ·truly [faithfully] bring justice;
4 he will not ·lose hope [falter; or grow dim] or ·give up [be discouraged; or be bruised/crushed]
until he brings justice to the world.
And ·people far away [or the islands; or the coastlands] will ·trust [wait/put hope in] his ·teachings [instruction; law; L Torah].”
5 God, the Lord, said these things.
He created the ·skies [heavens] and stretched them out.
He spread out the earth and ·everything on it [L its offspring].
He gives breath to all people on earth,
and life to everyone who walks on the earth.
6 The Lord says, “I, the Lord, called you ·to do right [or to demonstrate my righteousness/justice; or by my righteous decree; L in righteousness],
and I will hold your hand
and ·protect [keep; guard] you.
·You will be the sign of my agreement with [L I will give/establish you as a covenant/treaty for] the people,
a light to shine for ·all people [the nations/Gentiles; 49:6; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47].
7 You will ·help the blind to see [L open blind eyes].
You will free those who are in prison,
and you will lead those who live in darkness out of their prison [35:5; 49:9; 61:1; Luke 4:18].
8 “I am the Lord. That is my name.
I will not ·give [share; yield] my glory to another;
I will not let idols take ·the praise that should be mine [L my praise].
9 [L Look; T Behold] The ·things I said would happen [L former things] have happened,
and now I ·tell you about [declare/announce] new things.
Before those things ·happen [spring forth; sprout],
I tell you about them.”
A Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing a ·new song [C celebrating victory; Ps. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Rev. 5:9; 14:3] to the Lord;
sing his praise ·everywhere on [L from the end of] the earth.
Praise him, you people who ·sail on [go down to] the seas and ·you animals who live in them [L its fullness].
Praise him, you people living in ·faraway places [or islands; or coastlands].
11 The ·deserts [wilderness] and their ·cities [towns] should ·praise him [shout; raise their voices].
The settlements of Kedar [C desert nomads, descended from Ishmael; Gen. 25:13] should praise him.
The people living in Sela [C an Edomite city; 16:1] should sing for joy;
they should shout from the mountaintops.
12 They should give glory to the Lord.
People in ·faraway lands [or the islands; or the coastlands] should praise him.
13 The Lord will march out like a ·strong soldier [mighty man/hero];
he will ·be excited [arouse/stir up zeal] like a man ready to fight a war.
He ·will shout out the battle cry [L shouts, indeed he cries out]
and ·defeat [prevails/triumphs over] his enemies.
14 The Lord says, “For a long time I have ·said nothing [kept silent/still];
I have been ·quiet [still] and held myself back.
But now I will cry out
and ·strain [pant and gasp] like a woman giving birth to a child.
15 I will ·destroy [level; lay waste] the hills and mountains
and dry up all their plants.
I will make the rivers become ·dry land [L islands; or coastlands]
and dry up the pools of water.
16 Then I will lead the blind along a way they never knew;
I will guide them along paths they have not known.
I will make the darkness become light for them,
and the rough ground smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not ·leave [abandon; forsake] my people.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say to their ·statues [idols; carved images],
‘You are our gods’
will be ·rejected [turned away/back] in ·disgrace [shame; humiliations].
Israel Refused to Listen to the Lord
18 “You who are deaf, hear me.
You who are blind, look and see.
19 ·No one [L Who…?] is more blind than my servant Israel
or more deaf than the messenger I send.
·No one [L Who…?] is more blind than ·the person I own [or my covenant people]
or more blind than the servant of the Lord.
20 Israel, you have seen much, but you have not ·obeyed [kept/guarded them].
·You hear [Your ears are open], but you refuse to listen.”
21 The Lord ·made his teachings wonderful [L magnified and made glorious his instruction/law/Torah],
because ·he is good [or of his righteousness].
22 These people have been ·defeated and robbed [plundered and looted].
They are trapped in pits
or ·locked up [hidden] in prison.
·Like robbers, enemies have taken them away [L They have become plunder],
and there is no one to ·save [rescue] them.
·Enemies carried them off [L They have become loot],
and no one said, “Bring them back.”
23 Will any of you listen to this?
Will you ·listen carefully [pay attention] in the future?
24 Who ·let [gave up; handed over] ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob] ·be carried off [to the looter; for plunder]?
Who let ·robbers [plunderers] take Israel away?
·The Lord [L Was it not the Lord who…?] allowed this to happen,
because we sinned against him.
We did not ·live the way he wanted us to live [L walk in his ways]
and did not obey his ·teaching [law; instruction; L Torah].
25 So he ·became very angry with us [L poured out on him his burning anger; C on Jacob/Israel]
and brought ·terrible wars [the violence/L power of war] against ·us [L him].
It ·was as if the people of Israel had fire all around them [L enveloped him in flame],
but they didn’t ·know what was happening [understand].
It ·was as if they were burning [L burned him up],
but they didn’t ·pay any attention [lay/take it to heart].
God Is Always with His People
43 Now this is what the Lord says.
He created you, ·people of Jacob [L Jacob];
he formed you, ·people of Israel [L Israel].
He says, “Don’t be afraid, because I have ·saved [ransomed; redeemed] you.
I have called you by name, and you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you [C as at the Red/or Reed Sea; Ex. 13–14].
When you cross rivers, ·you will not drown [L they will not overflow you; C as when Israel crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land; Josh. 3–4].
When you walk through fire, you will not be burned [Dan. 3:25–27],
nor will the flames hurt you.
3 This is because I, the Lord, am your God,
the Holy One of Israel [1:4], your Savior.
I gave Egypt ·to pay for you [for your ransom],
and I gave ·Cush [Ethiopia] and Seba ·to make you mine [in place of you].
4 Because you are precious ·to me [L in my eyes],
because I give you honor and love you,
I will give other people in your place;
I will give other nations ·to save [in exchange for] your life.
5 Don’t be afraid, because I am with you.
I will bring your ·children [descendants; offspring; seed] from the east
and gather you from the west.
6 I will tell the north: Give my people to me.
I will tell the south: Don’t ·keep my people in prison [or hold them back; restrain them].
Bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from ·faraway places [L the end of the earth].
7 Bring to me all the people who are ·mine [L called by my name],
whom I ·made [created] for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
Judah Is God’s Witness
8 Bring out the people who have eyes but ·don’t see [are blind]
and those who have ears but ·don’t hear [are deaf; 42:19].
9 All the nations gather together,
and all the people ·come together [assemble].
·Which of their gods [L Who among them] said this would happen?
·Which of their gods can tell what happened in the beginning [L …and caused us to hear former things]?
Let them bring their witnesses to prove they were right.
Then others will say, “It is true.”
10 The Lord says, “You are my witnesses
and the servant I chose [42:1].
I chose you so you would know and believe me,
so you would understand that I am ·the true God [L he].
There was no God ·created [formed] before me,
and there will be ·no God [none] after me.
11 I myself am the Lord;
I am the only Savior.
12 I myself have ·spoken [made known] to you, saved you, and ·told [proclaimed to] you these things.
It was not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses, and I am God,”
says the Lord.
13 “·I have always been God [L Indeed from the day, I am he; C “day” may mean the first day of creation or from this day forward].
No one can save people from my ·power [L hand];
when I do something, no one can ·change [undo; reverse] it.”
14 This is what the Lord, ·who saves you [your protector/redeemer; 41:14],
the Holy One of Israel [1:4], says:
“I will ·send armies [L send] to Babylon for you,
and I will ·knock down all its locked gates [or bring them down as fugitives].
The ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans] will ·shout their cries of sorrow [or flee in the ships they take such pride in].
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One [1:4],
the Creator of Israel, your King.”
God Will Save His People Again
16 This is what the Lord says.
He is the one who made a road through the sea [v. 2]
and a path through ·rough [strong; mighty] waters.
17 He is the one who ·defeated [L led out] the chariots and horses
and the mighty armies [Ex. 14:4–9].
They ·fell together [lay down] and will never rise again.
They were ·destroyed [extinguished] as a ·flame [L wick] is put out.
18 The Lord says, “Forget what happened before,
and do not ·think about [consider; dwell on] the past.
19 Look at the new thing I am going to do.
It is already ·happening [L sprouting/springing up]. Don’t you see it?
I will make a ·road [path; way] in the ·desert [wilderness; C the return from Babylon is portrayed as a new Exodus]
and ·rivers[a] [streams] in the ·dry land [desert; wasteland].
20 Even the wild animals will ·be thankful to [honor] me—
the ·wild dogs [jackals] and ·owls [or ostriches].
They will honor me when I put water in the ·desert [wilderness]
and ·rivers [streams] in the ·dry land [desert; wasteland]
to give ·water [drink] to my people, ·the ones I chose [my chosen; 42:1].
21 The people I ·made [L formed for myself]
will ·sing songs to praise me [L declare/proclaim my praise].
22 “People of Jacob, you have not ·called to me [called upon me; asked for my help];
people of Israel, you have ·become tired of [or not wearied yourself for] me.
23 You have not brought me your ·sacrifices [burnt offerings; Lev. 1:1–17] of sheep
nor honored me with your sacrifices.
I did not ·weigh you down [burden you] with ·sacrifices to offer [grain/or gift; tribute offering; Lev. 2:1]
or make you tired with incense to burn.
24 So you did not buy ·incense [fragrant calamus; aromatic cane] for me;
you did not ·freely bring me [saturate/lavish me with] fat from your sacrifices.
Instead you have ·weighed me down [burdened me] with your many sins;
you have made me tired of your ·many wrongs [iniquities].
25 “I, I am the One who ·erases [blots out] all your ·sins [transgressions], for my sake;
I will not remember your sins.
26 But you should ·remind [or review with] me.
Let’s ·meet and decide what is right [argue/contend together].
Tell what you have done and show ·you are right [your innocence].
27 Your first father sinned [C probably Jacob (58:14; 63:16), though possibly Abraham (51:2)],
and your ·leaders [mediators; spokesmen] have ·turned [transgressed] against me.
28 So I will make your ·holy rulers [or princes of the sanctuary; C either rulers or priests] ·unholy [defiled; disgraced].
I will ·bring destruction on [devote to destruction; Josh. 2:10] ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob],
and I will let Israel be ·insulted [reviled; scorned].”
The Lord Is the Only God
44 The Lord says, “·People of Jacob, you are my servants [L Jacob, my servant]. Listen to me!
·People of Israel, I chose you [L Israel, my chosen; 41:8].”
2 This is what the Lord says, who made you,
who formed you in ·your mother’s body [L the womb],
who will help you:
“·People of Jacob, my servants [L Jacob, my servant], don’t be afraid.
·Israel [L Jeshurun; C the location of the Temple; Deut. 32:15; 33:5, 26], I chose you.
3 I will pour out water for the thirsty land
and make streams flow on dry land.
I will pour out my Spirit ·into your children [on your descendants/offspring/seed]
and my blessing on your ·descendants [offspring].
4 ·Your children [L They] will ·grow [sprout up] like a tree in the grass,
like ·poplar trees [or willows] growing beside streams of water.
5 One person will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will use the name Jacob.
Another will ·sign his name [or write on his hand] ‘I am the Lord’s,’
and another will ·use [call himself by] the name Israel.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:19 rivers A Dead Sea Scroll copy has “paths.”
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