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I support him.
He is the one I have chosen,
and I am very pleased with him.
I have filled him with my Spirit,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
<2> He will not cry out or yell.
He will not shout in the streets.
<3> He will not break even a crushed reed.[389]
He will not put out even a weak flame.
He will bring true justice.
<4> He will not become weak
or be crushed until he has brought justice to the world.
And people in faraway places
will hope for his teachings."
<5> The Lord, the true God, said these things. (He created the sky and spread it out over the earth. He formed the earth and everything it produced. He breathes life into all the people on earth. He gives a spirit to everyone who walks on the earth.)
<6> "I, the Lord, called you to do right.
I will hold your hand and protect you.
You will be the sign that shows
I have an agreement with the people.
You will be a light to shine for all people.
<7> You will open the eyes of the blind,
and they will be able to see.
Many people are in prison;
you will free them.
Many people live in darkness;
you will lead them out of that prison.
<8> "I am the Lord.
My name is Yahweh.
I will not give my glory to another.
I will not let statues take the praise that should be mine.
<9> In the past, I told you what would happen,
and it happened!
Now I am telling you something new,
and I am telling you now, before it happens."
<10> Sing a new song to the Lord,
all you people in faraway countries,
all you people who sail on the seas,
all you animals in the oceans,
all you people in faraway places, praise the Lord!
<11> Deserts and cities, villages of Kedar,[390]
praise the Lord!
People living in Sela, sing for joy!
Sing from the top of your mountain.
<12> Give glory to the Lord.
Praise him all you people in faraway lands!
<13> The Lord will go out like a strong soldier;
he will be like a man ready to fight a war.
He will build up his excitement.
He will shout out loud,
and he will defeat his enemies.
<14> "For a long time I have said nothing.
I controlled myself and didn't say anything.
But now I will cry out like a woman giving birth to a child.
I will breathe very hard and loud.
<15> I will destroy the hills and mountains.
I will dry up all the plants that grow there.
I will change rivers to dry land.
I will dry up pools of water.
<16> Then I will lead the blind
along a path they never knew.
I will lead them to places
they have never been to before.
I will change darkness into light for them.
I will make the rough ground smooth.
I will do these things,
and I will not abandon my people.
<17> But some of the people stopped following me.
They have statues covered with gold,
and they tell the statues,
'You are my gods.'
They trust their false gods,
but they will be disappointed.
<18> "Deaf people, listen to me!
Blind people, look and see!
<19> In all the world, no one is more blind than my servant.[391]
No one is more deaf than my messenger.
No one is more blind than my chosen people, the servant of the Lord.
<20> My servant sees what he should do,
but he does not obey me.
He can hear with his ears,
but he refuses to listen to me."
<21> The Lord wants his servant
to do what is right.
The Lord wants him to honor
his wonderful teachings.[392]
<22> But look at the people.
Other people have defeated them
and have stolen things from them.
All the young men are afraid.
They are locked in the prisons.
People have taken their money from them,
and there is no one to save them.
Other people took their money.
And there was no one to say,
"Give it back!"
<23> If any of you listens to this message, you should listen to what was said before. <24> Who let people defeat Jacob? Who let them take what belonged to Israel? The Lord allowed them to do this. We sinned against the Lord, so he let people take away our wealth. The people did not want to live the way he wanted. They refused to listen to his teaching. <25> So the Lord poured out his anger on them and brought wars to them. It was as if there were fires all around them, but they didn't know what was happening. It was as if they were burning, but they didn't try to understand.
© Copyright 2004 World Bible Translation Center.