5. Thus says God יהוה, 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.
6. “I, יהוה, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and 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 יהוה. 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 יהוה 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 יהוה, and declare his praise in the islands.
13. יהוה 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 יהוה’s servant?
20. You see many things, but don’t observe. His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.
21. It pleased יהוה, 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
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 יהוה, 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; and it set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know; and it burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”
Chapter 43
1. But now יהוה who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel says: “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you.I have called you by your name. You are mine.
2. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and
3. For I am יהוה your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom,
4. Since you have been precious and honored in my sight, and I have loved you; therefore I will give people in your place, and nations instead of your life.
5. Don’t be afraid; for I am with you. I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west.
6. I will tell the north, ‘Give them up!’and tell the south, ‘Don’t hold them back! Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7. everyone who is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yes, whom I have made.’”
8. Bring out the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears.
9. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, “That is true.”
10. “You are my witnesses,” says
11. I myself am