Isaiah 41:21-42:9

American Standard Version

²¹ Produce your cause, saith Jehovah; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. ²² Let them bring forth, and declare unto us what shall happen: declare ye the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come. ²³ Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may ^[a]be dismayed, and behold it together. ²⁴ Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work is of nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you.

²⁵ I have raised up one from the north, and he is come; from the rising of the sun one that calleth upon my name: and he shall come upon ^[b]rulers as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay. ²⁶ Who hath declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is right? yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that heareth your words. ²⁷ I am the first that saith unto Zion, Behold, behold them; and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings. ²⁸ And when I look, there is no man: even among them there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can answer a word. ^29 [c]Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.

42 Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the ^[d]Gentiles. ² He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street. ³ A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: he will bring forth justice in truth. ⁴ He will not ^[e]fail nor be ^[f]discouraged, till he have set justice in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.

⁵ Thus saith God Jehovah, he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad the earth and that which cometh out of it; 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 hold thy hand, and will ^[g]keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; ⁷ to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house. ⁸ I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images. ⁹ Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.