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Isaiah Chapter 42

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asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM

1 It may be Jehovah thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Jehovah thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.
2 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
3 And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith Jehovah, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
4 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear tidings, and shall return unto his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
5 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah; for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
6 And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come out to fight against thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
7 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
8 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered?
9 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden that were in Telassar?
10 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?
11 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up unto the house of Jehovah, and spread it before Jehovah.
12 And Hezekiah prayed unto Jehovah, saying,
13 O Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, that sittest
14 above the cherubim, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.
15 Incline thine ear, O Jehovah, and hear; open thine eyes, O Jehovah, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, who hath sent to defy the living God.
16 Of a truth, Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries, and their land,
17 and have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.
18 Now therefore, O Jehovah our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art Jehovah, even thou only.
19 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria,
20 this is the word which Jehovah hath spoken concerning him: The virgin daughter of Zion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.
21 Whom hast thou defied and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high?
22 even against the Holy One of Israel.
23 By thy servants hast thou defied the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof; and I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field;
24 I have digged and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet will I dry up all the rivers of Egypt.
25 Hast thou not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? now have I brought it to pass, that it should be thine to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect [in whom] my soul delighteth! I will put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the nations.
2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment according to truth.
4 He shall not faint nor be in haste, till he have set justice in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
5 Thus saithGod, Jehovah, he that created the heavens and stretched them out, he that spread forth the earth and its productions, he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
6 I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will take hold of thy hand; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations,
7 to open the blind eyes, to bring forth the prisoner from the prison, them that sit in darkness out of the house of restraint.
8 I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth will I cause you to hear them.
10 Sing unto Jehovah a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles and their inhabitants.
11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up [their voice], the villages that Kedar doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains:
12 let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.
13 Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man, he will stir up jealousy like a man of war: he will cry, yea, he will shout; he will shew himself mighty against his enemies.
14 Long time have I holden my peace; I have been still, I have restrained myself: I will cry like a woman that travaileth; I will blow and pant at once.
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.
16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not, in paths that they know not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
17 They shall be turned back, they shall be covered with shame, that confide in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are ourgods.
18 — Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
19 Who is blind, but my servant? and deaf, as my messenger whom I sent? Who is blind as he in whom I have trusted, and blind as Jehovah's servant,
20 — seeing many things, and thou observest not? With opened ears, he heareth not.
21 Jehovah had delight [in him] for his righteousness' sake: he hath magnified the law, and made it honourable.
22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and hidden in prison-houses; they are become a prey, and none delivereth, — a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
23 Who among you will give ear to this, [who] will hearken and hear what is to come?
24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not Jehovah, he against whom we have sinned? And they would not walk in his ways, neither did they hearken unto his law.
25 And he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he took it not to heart.

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 Jacob is my servant, I will help him: Israel is my chosen, my soul has accepted him; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
2 He shall not cry, nor lift up [his voice], nor shall his voice be heard without.
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench; but he shall bring forth judgment to truth.
4 He shall shine out, and shall not be discouraged, until he have set judgment on the earth: and in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
5 Thus saith the Lord God, who made the heaven, and established it; who settled the earth, and the things in it, and gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to them that tread on it:
6 I the Lord God have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will strengthen thee: and I have given thee for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles;
7 to open the eyes of the blind, to bring the bound and them that sit in darkness out of bonds and the prison-house.
8 I am the Lord God: that is my name: I will not give my glory to another, nor my praises to graven images.
9 Behold, the ancient things have come to pass, and [so will] the new things which I tell you: yea, before I tell [them] they are made known to you.
10 Sing a new hymn to the Lord: ye [who are] his dominion, glorify his name from the end of the earth: ye that go down to the sea, and sail upon it; the islands, and they that dwell in them.
11 Rejoice, thou wilderness, and the villages thereof, the hamlets, and the dwellers in Kedar: the inhabitants of the rock shall rejoice, they shall shout from the top of the mountains.
12 They shall give glory to God, [and] shall proclaim his praises in the islands.
13 The Lord God of hosts shall go forth, and crush the war: he shall stir up jealousy, and shall shout mightily against his enemies.
14 I have been silent: shall I also always be silent and forbear? I have endured like a travailing [woman]: I will [now] amaze and wither at once.
15 I will make desolate mountains and hills, and will dry up all their grass; and I will make the rivers islands, and dry up the pools.
16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, and I will cause them to tread paths which they have not known: I will turn darkness into light for them, and crooked things into straight. These things will I do, and will not forsake them.
17 But they are turned back: be ye utterly ashamed that trust in graven [images], who say to the molten [images], Ye are our gods.
18 Hear, ye deaf, and look up, ye blind, to see.
19 And who is blind, but my servants? and deaf, but they that rule over them? yea, the servants of God have been made blind.
20 Ye have often seen, and have not taken heed; [your] ears have been opened, and ye have not heard.
21 The Lord God has taken counsel that he might be justified, and might magnify [his] praise.
22 And I beheld, and the people were spoiled and plundered: for [there is] a snare in the secret chambers everywhere, and in the houses also, where they have hidden them: they became a spoil, and there was no one that delivered the prey, and there was none who said, Restore.
23 Who [is there] among you that will give ear to these things? hearken ye to the things which are coming to pass.
24 For what did he give Jacob up to spoil, and Israel to them that plundered him? Did not God [do it] against whom they sinned? [and] they would not walk in his ways, nor hearken to his law.
25 So he brought upon them the fury of his wrath; and the war, and those that burnt round about them, prevailed against them; yet no one of them knew [it], neither did they lay [it] to heart.

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Ecce servus meus, suscipiam eum: electus meus, complacuit sibi in illo anima mea: dedi spiritum meum super eum, iudicium Gentibus proferet.
2 Non clamabit, neque accipiet personam, nec audietur vox eius foris.
3 Calamum quassatum non conteret, et linum fumigans non extinguet: in veritate educet iudicium.
4 Non erit tristis, neque turbulentus, donec ponat in terra iudicium: et legem eius insulæ expectabunt.
5 Hæc dicit Dominus Deus creans cælos, et extendens eos: formans terram, et quæ germinant ex ea: dans flatum populo, qui est super eam, et spiritum calcantibus eam.
6 Ego Dominus vocavi te in iustitia, et apprehendi manum tuam, et servavi te. Et dedi te in fœdus populi, in lucem Gentium:
7 Ut aperires oculos cæcorum, et educeres de conclusione vinctum, de domo carceris sedentes in tenebris.
8 Ego Dominus, hoc est nomen meum: gloriam meam alteri non dabo, et laudem meam sculptilibus.
9 Quæ prima fuerunt, ecce venerunt: nova quoque ego annuncio: antequam oriantur, audita vobis faciam.
10 Cantate Domino canticum novum, laus eius ab extremis terræ: qui descenditis in mare, et plenitudo eius, insulæ, et habitatores earum.
11 Sublevetur desertum, et civitates eius: in domibus habitabit Cedar: laudate habitatores Petræ, de vertice montium clamabunt.
12 Ponent Domino gloriam, et laudem eius in insulis nunciabunt.
13 Dominus sicut fortis egredietur, sicut vir præliator suscitabit zelum: vociferabitur, et clamabit: super inimicos suos confortabitur.
14 Tacui semper, silui, patiens fui, sicut parturiens loquar: dissipabo, et absorbebo simul.
15 Desertos faciam montes, et colles, et omne gramen eorum exiccabo: et ponam flumina in insulas, et stagna arefaciam.
16 Et ducam cæcos in viam, quam nesciunt, et in semitis, quas ignoraverunt, ambulare eos faciam: ponam tenebras coram eis in lucem, et prava in recta: hæc verba feci eis, et non dereliqui eos.
17 Conversi sunt retrorsum: confundantur confusione qui confidunt in sculptili, qui dicunt conflatili: Vos dii nostri.
18 Surdi audite, et cæci intuemini ad videndum.
19 Quis cæcus, nisi servus meus? et surdus, nisi ad quem nuncios meos misi? quis cæcus, nisi qui venundatus est? et quis cæcus, nisi servus Domini?
20 Qui vides multa, nonne custodies? qui apertas habes aures, nonne audies?
21 Et Dominus voluit ut sanctificaret eum, et magnificaret legem, et extolleret.
22 Ipse autem populus direptus, et vastatus: laqueus iuvenum omnes, et in domibus carcerum absconditi sunt: facti sunt in rapinam, nec est qui eruat: in direptionem, nec est qui dicat: Redde.
23 Quis est in vobis qui audiat hoc, attendat et auscultet futura?
24 Quis dedit in direptionem Iacob, et Israel vastantibus? nonne Dominus ipse, cui peccavimus? Et noluerunt in viis eius ambulare, et non audierunt legem eius.
25 Et effudit super eum indignationem furoris sui, et forte bellum, et combussit eum in circuitu, et non cognovit: et succendit eum, et non intellexit.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 “Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights: I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
3 He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands wait for his law.”
5 God the LORD, he who created the heavens and stretched them out, he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it, says:
6 “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness. I will hold your hand. I will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations,
7 to open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.
8 “I am the LORD. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images.
9 Behold, the former things have happened and I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up.”
10 Sing to the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains!
12 Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.
13 The LORD will go out like a mighty man. He will stir up zeal like a man of war. He will raise a war cry. Yes, he will shout aloud. He will triumph over his enemies.
14 “I have been silent a long time. I have been quiet and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant.
15 I will destroy mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs. I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.
16 I will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know. I will lead them in paths that they don’t know. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. I will do these things, and I will not forsake them.
17 “Those who trust in engraved images, who tell molten images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back. They will be utterly disappointed.
18 “Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see.
19 Who is blind, but my servant? Or who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is as blind as he who is at peace, and as blind as the LORD’s servant?
20 You see many things, but don’t observe. His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.
21 It pleased the LORD, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law and make it honorable.
22 But this is a robbed and plundered people. All of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prisons. They have become captives, and no one delivers, and a plunder, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’
23 Who is there among you who will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear for the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob as plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Didn’t the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, and they disobeyed his law.
25 Therefore he poured the fierceness of his anger on him, and the strength of battle. It set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know. It burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 Lo, My servant, I take hold on him, My chosen one--My soul hath accepted, I have put My Spirit upon him, Judgment to nations he bringeth forth.
2 He doth not cry, nor lift up, Nor cause his voice to be heard, in the street.
3 A bruised reed he breaketh not, And dim flax he quencheth not, To truth he bringeth forth judgment.
4 He doth not become weak nor bruised, Till he setteth judgment in the earth, And for his law isles wait with hope.
5 Thus said God, Jehovah, preparing The heavens, and stretching them out, Spreading out the earth and its productions, Giving breath to the people on it, And spirit to those walking in it.
6 I, Jehovah, did call thee in righteousness, And I lay hold on thy hand, and keep thee, And I give thee for a covenant of a people, And a light of nations.
7 To open the eyes of the blind, To bring forth from prison the bound one, From the house of restraint those sitting in darkness.
8 I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah, this <FI>is<Fi> My name, And Mine honour to another I give not, Nor My praise to graven images.
9 The former things, lo, have come, And new things I am declaring, Before they spring up I cause you to hear.
10 Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise from the end of the earth, Ye who are going down to the sea, and its fulness, Isles, and their inhabitants.
11 The wilderness and its cities do lift up <FI>the voice<Fi> , The villages Kedar doth inhabit, Sing do the inhabitants of Sela, From the top of mountains they cry.
12 They ascribe to Jehovah honour, And His praise in the isles they declare.
13 Jehovah as a mighty one goeth forth. As a man of war He stirreth up zeal, He crieth, yea, He shrieketh, Against His enemies He showeth Himself mighty.
14 I have kept silent from of old, I keep silent, I refrain myself, As a travailing woman I cry out, I desolate and swallow up together.
15 I make waste mountains and hills, And all their herbs I dry up, And I have made rivers become isles, And ponds I dry up.
16 And I have caused the blind to go, In a way they have not known, In paths they have not known I cause them to tread, I make a dark place before them become light, And unlevelled places become a plain, These <FI>are<Fi> the things I have done to them, And I have not forsaken them.
17 Removed backward--utterly ashamed, Are those trusting in a graven image, Those saying to a molten image, `Ye <FI>are<Fi> our gods.'
18 Ye deaf, hear; and ye blind, look to see.
19 Who <FI>is<Fi> blind but My servant? And deaf as My messenger I send? Who <FI>is<Fi> blind as he who is at peace, Yea, blind, as the servant of Jehovah?
20 Seeing many things, and thou observest not, Opening ears, and he heareth not.
21 Jehovah hath delight for the sake of His righteousness, He magnifieth law, and maketh honourable.
22 And this <FI>is<Fi> a people seized and spoiled, Snared in holes--all of them, And in houses of restraint they were hidden, They have been for a prey, And there is no deliverer, A spoil, and none is saying, `Restore.'
23 Who among you giveth ear <FI>to<Fi> this? Attendeth, and heareth afterwards.
24 Who hath given Jacob for a spoil, And Israel to the spoilers? Is it not Jehovah--He against whom we sinned? Yea, they have not been willing in His ways to walk, Nor have they hearkened to His law.
25 And He poureth on him fury, His anger, and the strength of battle, And it setteth him on fire round about, And he hath not known, And it burneth against him, and he layeth it not to heart!

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).