53

Who has believed our message?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground.

He had no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face.

He was despised,
And we did not esteem Him.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore.

And our sorrows He carried.

He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities,

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

And by His scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray.

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth,

Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,

So He did not open His mouth.

The Lord was pleased to crush Him,

Putting Him to grief

If He would render Himself as a guilt offering.

By His knowledge the Righteous One,

My Servant,

Will justify the many,

And He will bear their iniquities.

Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,

And He will divide the booty with the strong;

Because He poured out Himself to death,

And was numbered with the transgressors;

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,

And interceded for the transgressors.

selections from Isaiah 53 - NAS translation