Isaiah 53:2-7

Contemporary English Version

²Like a young plant or a root
    that sprouts in dry ground,
the servant grew up
    obeying the Lord.
He wasn't some handsome king.
Nothing about the way he looked
    made him attractive to us.
³He was hated and rejected;
his life was filled with sorrow
    and terrible suffering.
No one wanted to look at him.
We despised him and said,
    “He is a nobody!”

⁴He suffered and endured
    great pain for us,
but we thought his suffering
    was punishment from God.
⁵^(A)^(B) He was wounded and crushed
    because of our sins;
by taking our punishment,
    he made us completely well.
⁶^(C) All of us were like sheep
    that had wandered off.
We had each gone our own way,
but the Lord gave him
    the punishment we deserved.

⁷^(D)^(E) ^(F) He was painfully abused,
    but he did not complain.
He was silent like a lamb
    being led to the butcher,
as quiet as a sheep
    having its wool cut off.