Isaiah 42

Bishops^{(i) 1} Behold this is my seruaunt vpon whom I leane, my elect in who my soule is pacified: I haue geuen my spirite vpon him, that he may shewe foorth iudgement among the gentiles ² He shall not be an outcryer, nor lift vp his voyce, his voyce shall not be hearde in the streetes ³ And a broosed reede shall he not breake, and the smoking flaxe shall he not quench: but faythfully and truely shall he geue iudgement ⁴ He shall not be pensiue nor carefull, that he may restore righteousnesse vnto the earth: and the gentiles also shall loke for his lawes ⁵ For thus saith God the Lorde vnto hym, euen he that made the heauens and spread them abroade, and set foorth the earth with her increase, whiche geueth breath vnto the people that is in it, and spirite to them that dwell therein ⁶ I the Lorde haue called thee in righteousnesse, and wyll holde thee by the hande, and wyll also defende thee, and geue thee for a couenaunt of the people, to be the light of the gentiles ⁷ That thou mayest open the eyes of the blinde, let out the prisoners from their bondes, and them that sit in darknesse out of the dungeon house ⁸ Euen I am the Lord, and this is my name: and my glory wyll I geue to none other, neither mine honour to grauen images ⁹ Beholde olde thinges are come to passe, and newe thinges do I declare, and or euer they come I tell you of them ¹⁰ Sing vnto the Lorde a newe song of thankesgeuing, blowe out his prayse from the ende of the worlde: they that be vpon the sea, and all that is therein prayse hym, the Isles and they that dwell in them ¹¹ Let the wildernesse with the cities lift vp her voyce, the townes also that they of Cedar dwell in: let them be glad that sit vpon rockes of stone, and let them crye downe from the high mountaines ¹² Ascribing glory vnto the Lorde, and magnifiyng hym among the gentiles ¹³ The Lorde shall come foorth lyke a giaunt, and take a stomacke to him like a freshe man of warre: he shall roare and crye, and ouercome his enemies ¹⁴ I haue long holden my peace [saith the Lorde] I haue ben styll and refrained my selfe, but now I wyll crie like a trauayling woman, and at once wyll I destroy and deuour ¹⁵ I wyll make waste both mountaine and hill, and drye vp euery greene thing that groweth theron: I wyll drye vp the fluddes to become Ilandes, and drinke vp the riuers ¹⁶ I wyll bryng the blinde into a streete that they know not, and leade them into a foote path that they are ignoraunt in: I shall make darknesse light before them, and the thing that is crooked to be straight: These things haue I done vnto them, and not forsaken them ¹⁷ They are fallen backe, yea and let them be ashamed earnestly that hope in idols, and say to the moulten images, ye are our gods ¹⁸ Heare O ye deafe men, and sharpen your eyes to see O ye blinde ¹⁹ Who is blinde but my seruaunt? or so deafe as my messenger whom I sent vnto them? for who is so blinde as the perfect man, and so blinde as the Lords seruaunt ²⁰ Thou hast seene much, and kepest nothing: the eares are open, and no man heareth ²¹ The Lorde is mercyfull vnto them for his righteousnesse sake, that his word might be magnified and praysed ²² But the people them selues is robbed and troden vnder the foote, chayned in dungeons, and they all I say, are shut into prison houses: they be caryed away captiue, and no man doth loose them: they be troden vnder foote, and no man doth labour to bryng them agayne ²³ But who is he among you that pondereth this, that considereth it, and taketh it for a warning in tyme to come ²⁴ Who gaue Iacob to be troden vnder foote, and Israel to be spoyled? Did not the Lorde? Because we haue sinned against hym, and haue had no delight to walke in his wayes, neither ben obedient vnto his lawe ²⁵ Therfore he hath powred vpon hym his wrathfull displeasure and strong battayle, and hath fired hym on euery side, yet wyll he not vnderstand: he burneth hym vp, yet sinketh it not into his heart