the Fourth Week of Advent
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Read the Bible
George Lamsa Translation
Isaiah 42
1 BEHOLD, my servant, whom I uphold, my elect in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he shall bring forth justice to the Gentiles.2 He shall not cry, nor make a sound, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and a flickering lamp he shall not extinguish; he shall truly bring forth judgment.4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged till he has set justice in the earth; and the islands shall wait for his law.
5 Thus says the LORD God, he who created the heavens and stretched them out, he who spread forth the earth and all that is in it, he who gives breath to the people upon it, and spirit to those who walk therein;6 I the LORD have called you in righteousness and have held your hand and have strengthened you and have given you for a covenant to the people and for a light to the Gentiles;7 That you may open the eyes of the blind, to release prisoners from bondage, and bring out of the prison house those who sit in darkness.8 I am the LORD; that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.10 Sing to the LORD a new song, and his praise from the ends of the earth, you that go down to the sea and all that is therein; the islands and those who dwell in them.11 Let the wilderness and its towns rejoice; let Kedar be meadows; let the inhabitants of the steep rocks 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 shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up zealousness like a man of war; he shall shout and become valiant; he shall slay his enemies.14 I have for a long time held my peace; I have kept silent, I have been patient like a woman in travail; I have remained speechless and completely confounded.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 lead the blind by a way that they know not; and in the paths that they have not known I will make them walk; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things have I done to them and have not forsaken them.17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, who trust in graven images, who say to molten images, You are our gods.
18 Hear, O you deaf! And understand and see, O you blind!19 Who is blind but my servant? Who is deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as the ruler? and blind as the LORDS servant?20 I gave you counsel, but you observed it not; I opened your ears, but you heard not.21 The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness sake; he will magnify the law and make it honorable.22 But this is a people robbed and downtrodden; all the young men are snared, and they are hid in prison houses; they have become a prey, and there is none to deliver; and trampled upon, and there is none to restore.23 Who among you will give ear to this? Who will hearken to the other counsel?24 Who gave Jacob to be trod under foot and Israel for a spoil? Was it not the LORD, because we have sinned against him? For we would not walk in his ways, neither were we obedient to his law.25 Therefore he has poured upon them the fury of his anger and the fierceness of battle; and it has set them on fire round about, yet they knew it not; and it burned them, yet they laid it not to heart.