7-9 He was beaten, he was tortured,
    but he didn’t say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
    and like a sheep being sheared,
    he took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
    and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
    beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
    threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he’d never hurt a soul
    or said one word that wasn’t true.

10 Still, it’s what God had in mind all along,
    to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
    so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
    And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.

11-12 Out of that terrible travail of soul,
    he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
    will make many “righteous ones,”
    as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly—
    the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch,
    because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
    he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

Read full chapter

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,(A)
    and with the rich(B) in his death,
though he had done no violence,(C)
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.(D)

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will(E) to crush(F) him and cause him to suffer,(G)
    and though the Lord makes[a] his life an offering for sin,(H)
he will see his offspring(I) and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper(J) in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,(K)
    he will see the light(L) of life[b] and be satisfied[c];
by his knowledge[d] my righteous servant(M) will justify(N) many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.(O)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 53:10 Hebrew though you make
  2. Isaiah 53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have the light of life.
  3. Isaiah 53:11 Or (with Masoretic Text) 11 He will see the fruit of his suffering / and will be satisfied
  4. Isaiah 53:11 Or by knowledge of him