"Here is my servant, the one I support. 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.
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.)
"I, the Lord, was right to call you. I will hold your hand and protect you. You will be the sign of my agreement with the people. You will be a light for the other nations.
Sing a new song to the Lord; everywhere on earth praise him, all you who sail on the seas, everything in the sea, and all you people in faraway places!
The Lord will go out like a strong soldier. Like a man going into battle, he will be full of excitement. He will shout with a loud cry, and he will defeat his enemies.
"For a long time I have said nothing. I have controlled myself and kept quiet. But now I will cry out like a woman giving birth. My breathing is getting faster and louder.
Then I will lead the blind along a path they never knew to places where they have never been before. I will change darkness into light for them. I will make the rough ground smooth. I will do all these things for them. I will not abandon my people.
But some of the people have left me. They say to their gold statues, 'You are my gods.' They trust in their false gods, but they will be disappointed and shamed.
In all the world, no one is more blind than my servant. No one is more deaf than my messenger. No one is more blind than my chosen people, the servant of the Lord.
But look at his people. Others have defeated them and stolen from them. The young men are afraid. They are locked in prisons. People have taken advantage of them, and there is no one to protect them. Others take their money, and there is no one to say, "Give it back!"
Who let people defeat Jacob? Who let them take what belonged to Israel? The Lord allowed them to do this. We sinned against him, 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.
So he poured out his anger on them and brought wars against 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.