Isaiah 42:16

הֵ֤ן עַבְדִּי֙ אֶתְמׇךְ־בּ֔וֹ בְּחִירִ֖י רָצְתָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י נָתַ֤תִּי רוּחִי֙ עָלָ֔יו מִשְׁפָּ֖ט לַגּוֹיִ֥ם יוֹצִֽיא׃ This is My servant, whom I uphold,
My chosen one, in whom I delight.
I have put My spirit upon him,
He shall teach the true way to the nations.

לֹ֥א יִצְעַ֖ק וְלֹ֣א יִשָּׂ֑א וְלֹא־יַשְׁמִ֥יעַ בַּח֖וּץ קוֹלֽוֹ׃ He shall not cry out or shout aloud,
Or make his voice heard in the streets.

קָנֶ֤ה רָצוּץ֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁבּ֔וֹר וּפִשְׁתָּ֥ה כֵהָ֖ה לֹ֣א יְכַבֶּ֑נָּה לֶאֱמֶ֖ת יוֹצִ֥יא מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ He shall not break even a bruised reed,
Or snuff out even a dim wick.^aHe shall not break even a bruised reed, / Or snuff out even a dim wick Or “A bruised reed, he shall not be broken; / A dim wick, he shall not be snuffed out.”
He shall bring forth the true way.

לֹ֤א יִכְהֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א יָר֔וּץ עַד־יָשִׂ֥ים בָּאָ֖רֶץ מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּלְתוֹרָת֖וֹ אִיִּ֥ים יְיַחֵֽלוּ׃ {פ}
He shall not grow dim or be bruised
Till he has established the true way on earth;
And the coastlands shall await his teaching.

כֹּה־אָמַ֞ר הָאֵ֣ל ׀ יְהֹוָ֗ה בּוֹרֵ֤א הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔ם רֹקַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ וְצֶאֱצָאֶ֑יהָ נֹתֵ֤ן נְשָׁמָה֙ לָעָ֣ם עָלֶ֔יהָ וְר֖וּחַ לַהֹלְכִ֥ים בָּֽהּ׃ Thus said the ETERNAL God,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and what it brings forth,
Who gave breath to the people upon it
And life to those who walk thereon:

אֲנִ֧י יְהֹוָ֛ה קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ בְצֶ֖דֶק וְאַחְזֵ֣ק בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְאֶצׇּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ לִבְרִ֥ית עָ֖ם לְא֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם׃ I GOD, in My grace, have summoned you,
And I have grasped you by the hand.
I created you, and appointed you
A covenant people,^bcovenant people Lit. “covenants of a people”; meaning of Heb. uncertain. a light of nations^ca light of nations See 49.6 and note.—

לִפְקֹ֖חַ עֵינַ֣יִם עִוְר֑וֹת לְהוֹצִ֤יא מִמַּסְגֵּר֙ אַסִּ֔יר מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּ֖לֶא יֹ֥שְׁבֵי חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ Opening eyes deprived of light,^dOpening eyes deprived of light An idiom meaning “freeing the imprisoned”; cf. 61.1.
Rescuing prisoners from confinement,
From the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה ה֣וּא שְׁמִ֑י וּכְבוֹדִי֙ לְאַחֵ֣ר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּ֔ן וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י לַפְּסִילִֽים׃ I am GOD, that is My name;
I will not yield My glory to another,
Nor My renown to idols.

הָרִאשֹׁנ֖וֹת הִנֵּה־בָ֑אוּ וַֽחֲדָשׁוֹת֙ אֲנִ֣י מַגִּ֔יד בְּטֶ֥רֶם תִּצְמַ֖חְנָה אַשְׁמִ֥יעַ אֶתְכֶֽם׃ {פ}
See, the things once predicted have come,
And now I foretell new things,
Announce to you ere they sprout up.

שִׁ֤ירוּ לַֽיהֹוָה֙ שִׁ֣יר חָדָ֔שׁ תְּהִלָּת֖וֹ מִקְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ יוֹרְדֵ֤י הַיָּם֙ וּמְלֹא֔וֹ אִיִּ֖ים וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶֽם׃ Sing to GOD a new song,
Praise from the ends of the earth—
You who sail the sea and you creatures in it,
You coastlands^eYou who sail the sea and you creatures in it, / You coastlands Emendation yields “Let the sea roar and its creatures, / The coastlands…” Cf. Ps. 98.7. and their inhabitants!

יִשְׂא֤וּ מִדְבָּר֙ וְעָרָ֔יו חֲצֵרִ֖ים תֵּשֵׁ֣ב קֵדָ֑ר יָרֹ֙נּוּ֙ יֹ֣שְׁבֵי סֶ֔לַע מֵרֹ֥אשׁ הָרִ֖ים יִצְוָֽחוּ׃ Let the desert and its towns cry aloud,
The villages where Kedar dwells;
Let Sela’s inhabitants shout,
Call out from the peaks of the mountains.

יָשִׂ֥ימוּ לַיהֹוָ֖ה כָּב֑וֹד וּתְהִלָּת֖וֹ בָּאִיִּ֥ים יַגִּֽידוּ׃ Let them do honor to GOD,
And tell God’s glory in the coastlands.

יְהֹוָה֙ כַּגִּבּ֣וֹר יֵצֵ֔א כְּאִ֥ישׁ מִלְחָמ֖וֹת יָעִ֣יר קִנְאָ֑ה יָרִ֙יעַ֙ אַף־יַצְרִ֔יחַ עַל־אֹיְבָ֖יו יִתְגַּבָּֽר׃ {ס}         GOD goes forth like a warrior,
Whipping up rage like a fighter—
Yelling, roaring aloud,
Then charging upon the enemy.

הֶחֱשֵׁ֙יתִי֙ מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם אַחֲרִ֖ישׁ אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֣ה אֶפְעֶ֔ה אֶשֹּׁ֥ם וְאֶשְׁאַ֖ף יָֽחַד׃ “I have kept silent far too long,^ffar too long Lit. “from of old.”
Kept still and restrained Myself;
Now I will scream like a woman in labor,
I will pant and I will gasp.

אַחֲרִ֤יב הָרִים֙ וּגְבָע֔וֹת וְכׇל־עֶשְׂבָּ֖ם אוֹבִ֑ישׁ וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י נְהָרוֹת֙ לָאִיִּ֔ים וַאֲגַמִּ֖ים אוֹבִֽישׁ׃ Hills and heights will I scorch,
Cause all their green to wither;
I will turn rivers into isles,^gisles Emendation yields “desert.”
And dry the marshes up.

נָסֹ֤גוּ אָחוֹר֙ יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ בֹ֔שֶׁת הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים בַּפָּ֑סֶל הָאֹמְרִ֥ים לְמַסֵּכָ֖ה אַתֶּ֥ם אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ {פ}
Driven back and utterly shamed
Shall be those who trust in an image,
Those who say to idols,
‘You are our gods!’”

הַחֵרְשִׁ֖ים שְׁמָ֑עוּ וְהַעִוְרִ֖ים הַבִּ֥יטוּ לִרְאֽוֹת׃ Listen, you who are deaf;
You blind ones, look up and see!

מִ֤י עִוֵּר֙ כִּ֣י אִם־עַבְדִּ֔י וְחֵרֵ֖שׁ כְּמַלְאָכִ֣י אֶשְׁלָ֑ח מִ֤י עִוֵּר֙ כִּמְשֻׁלָּ֔ם וְעִוֵּ֖ר כְּעֶ֥בֶד יְהֹוָֽה׃ Who is so blind as My servant,
So deaf as the messenger I send?
Who is so blind as the chosen^hchosen Meaning of Heb. uncertain. one,
So blind as GOD’s servant?

(ראית) [רָא֥וֹת] רַבּ֖וֹת וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁמֹ֑ר פָּק֥וֹחַ אׇזְנַ֖יִם וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמָֽע׃ Seeing many things, he givesⁱhe gives Heb. “you give.” no heed;
With ears open, he hears nothing.

יְהֹוָ֥ה חָפֵ֖ץ לְמַ֣עַן צִדְק֑וֹ יַגְדִּ֥יל תּוֹרָ֖ה וְיַאְדִּֽיר׃ ^jMeaning of verse uncertain; cf. 43.9–12. GOD desires his vindication,
That he may magnify and glorify the Teaching.

וְהוּא֮ עַם־בָּז֣וּז וְשָׁסוּי֒ הָפֵ֤חַ בַּחוּרִים֙ כֻּלָּ֔ם וּבְבָתֵּ֥י כְלָאִ֖ים הׇחְבָּ֑אוּ הָי֤וּ לָבַז֙ וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּ֔יל מְשִׁסָּ֖ה וְאֵין־אֹמֵ֥ר הָשַֽׁב׃ Yet it is a people plundered and despoiled:
All of them are trapped in holes,
Imprisoned in dungeons.
They are given over to plunder, with none to rescue them;
To despoilment, with none to say “Give back!”

מִ֥י בָכֶ֖ם יַאֲזִ֣ין זֹ֑את יַקְשִׁ֥ב וְיִשְׁמַ֖ע לְאָחֽוֹר׃ If only you would listen to this,
Attend and give heed from now on!

מִֽי־נָתַ֨ן (למשוסה) [לִמְשִׁסָּ֧ה] יַעֲקֹ֛ב וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל לְבֹזְזִ֖ים הֲל֣וֹא יְהֹוָ֑ה ז֚וּ חָטָ֣אנוּ ל֔וֹ וְלֹֽא־אָב֤וּ בִדְרָכָיו֙ הָל֔וֹךְ וְלֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּתוֹרָתֽוֹ׃ Who was it gave Jacob over to despoilment
And Israel to plunderers?
Surely, GOD—against whom they^kthey Heb. “we.” sinned,
In whose ways they would not walk,
And whose Teaching they would not obey—

וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֤ךְ עָלָיו֙ חֵמָ֣ה אַפּ֔וֹ וֶעֱז֖וּז מִלְחָמָ֑ה וַתְּלַהֲטֵ֤הוּ מִסָּבִיב֙ וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֔ע וַתִּבְעַר־בּ֖וֹ וְלֹא־יָשִׂ֥ים עַל־לֵֽב׃ Who poured out wrath,
Anger, and the fury of war upon them.
It blazed upon them all about, but they heeded not;
It burned among them, but they gave it no thought.