Isaiah 42

42 ¹“Look my servant—Jesus—wey I dey hold up, di one wey I choose, wey my soul dey take joy. I don put my Spirit for im top; e go bring justice come di nations. ^a a v1 Matthew take dis Servant wey Spirit anoint apply am straight to Jesus — e quote dis verses about im healing ministry for Matt 12:18-21. Di Servant for Isaiah im four Servant Songs na Jesus, di true Israel. ²E no go shout or raise im voice, or make people hear am for street. ³E no go break reed wey don bend, or quench wick wey dey burn small small; with faithfulness e go bring justice come. ⁴E no go tire or make dem crush am until e don set justice for di earth; and di lands wey dey near sea dey wait for im teaching.”

⁵Na dis our Papa talk—im wey create di heavens and stretch dem comot, wey spread di earth and everything wey dey comot from am, wey dey give breath to di people wey dey on top am and spirit to dem wey dey waka inside am:

⁶“Na me be your Papa; for correct-and-holy way I don call you; I go hold your hand and dey watch over you; I go make you Covenant for di people, light to di nations, ⁷to open blind eyes, to bring di prisoners comot from di dungeon—dem wey dey sidon for darkness inside di prison house.

⁸“Na me be your Papa; na dat na my name; my glory I no go give anoda person, my praise too I no go give idol wey dem carve. ⁹See, di tings wey happen before don come true, and new tings I dey declare now; before dem sprout comot, I dey tell you about dem.”

Sing New Song

¹⁰Sing new song to our Papa, im praise from di end of di earth—una wey dey go down to di sea, and everything wey full am, di lands wey dey near sea and di people wey dey stay dia. ¹¹Make di wilderness and im cities raise dem voice, di villages wey Kedar dey stay; make di people of Sela sing for joy, make dem shout from di top of di mountains. ¹²Make dem give glory to our Papa, and declare im praise for di lands wey dey near sea. ¹³Our Papa dey comot like warrior; like man of war e dey wake up im zeal; e dey shout, e dey cry loud, e dey win against im enemies.

¹⁴For long time I keep quiet; I stay still and hold myself. Now I go cry out like woman wey dey born pikin; I go gasp and dey breath fast fast. ¹⁵I go destroy mountains and hills and dry up all di plants wey dey dia; I go turn di rivers to islands, and dry up di pools. ¹⁶And I go lead di blind people for road wey dem no know; I go guide dem for paths wey dem never know. I go turn di darkness wey dey front dem to light, and di rough places to level ground. Dis na di tings wey I go do, and I no go forsake dem. ¹⁷Dem go turn back and shame go catch dem well well—dem wey dey trust idol wey dem carve, wey dey tell image wey dem melt make, “Una na our gods.”

Eyes Wey No Go See

¹⁸Una wey be deaf, hear; and una wey be blind, look, so dat una fit see. ¹⁹Who blind pass my servant, or deaf like di messenger wey I send? Who blind like di one wey dey for peace with me, blind like di servant of our Papa? ^b b v19 Dem call Israel here as di servant — di people wey dem call make dem carry our Papa im witness, but dem blind and deaf to dat calling. Before now for dis same chapter (verses 1-9), di Servant na Jesus — di true Israel wey do wetin Israel no fit do. ²⁰You don see plenty tings, but you no dey observe dem; your ears dey open, but you no dey hear.

²¹Our Papa happy, because of im correct-and-holy way, to make im teaching big and make am get glory. ²²But dis na people wey dem rob and loot, all of dem dem trap for holes and hide dem inside prisons. Dem don turn to loot wey nobody dey to rescue, property wey dem carry, wey nobody dey to talk say, “Give am back!”

²³Who among una go listen to dis, go pay attention and hear wetin dey come? ²⁴Who give Jacob to di one wey dey rob, and Israel to di looters? No be our Papa, wey we don sin against am? Dem no gree waka for im ways, and dem no gree obey im teaching. ²⁵So e pour di heat of im anger on dem and di fury of war. E burn against dem for all side, but dem no understand; e burn dem, but dem no take am put for heart.