50 This is what the Lord says:

Where is your mother’s divorce certificate
that I used to send her away?(A)
Or who were My creditors that I sold you to?(B)
Look, you were sold for your iniquities,(C)
and your mother was put away
because of your transgressions.
Why was no one there when I came?
Why was there no one to answer when I called?
Is My hand too short to redeem?(D)
Or do I have no power to deliver?
Look, I dry up the sea by My rebuke;(E)
I turn the rivers into a wilderness;
their fish rot because of lack of water
and die of thirst.
I dress the heavens in black
and make sackcloth their clothing.(F)

The Obedient Servant

The Lord God has given Me
the tongue of those who are instructed(G)
to know how to sustain the weary with a word.
He awakens Me each morning;
He awakens My ear to listen like those being instructed.(H)
The Lord God has opened My ear,
and I was not rebellious;
I did not turn back.(I)
I gave My back to those who beat Me,
and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard.
I did not hide My face from scorn and spitting.(J)
The Lord God will help Me;
therefore I have not been humiliated;
therefore I have set My face like flint,(K)
and I know I will not be put to shame.
The One who vindicates Me is near;(L)
who will contend with Me?
Let us confront each other.[a]
Who has a case against Me?[b]
Let him come near Me!
In truth, the Lord God will help Me;
who will condemn Me?(M)
Indeed, all of them will wear out like a garment;
a moth will devour them.(N)
10 Who among you fears the Lord,
listening to the voice of His Servant?(O)
Who among you walks in darkness,
and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of Yahweh;
let him lean on his God.
11 Look, all you who kindle a fire,
who encircle yourselves with[c] firebrands;
walk in the light of your fire
and in the firebrands you have lit!
This is what you’ll get from My hand:
you will lie down in a place of torment.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 50:8 Lit us stand
  2. Isaiah 50:8 Lit Who is lord of My judgment
  3. Isaiah 50:11 Syr reads who set ablaze

50 Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.

I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.

Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.