1Who has believed our message?To whom has Yahweh’s arm been revealed?2For he grew up before him as a tender plant,and as a root out of dry ground.He has no good looks or majesty.When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.3He was despisedand rejected by men,a man of sufferingand acquainted with disease.He was despised as one from whom men hide their face;and we didn’t respect him.
4Surely he has borne our sicknessand carried our suffering;yet we considered him plagued,struck by God, and afflicted.5But he was pierced for our transgressions.He was crushed for our iniquities.The punishment that brought our peace was on him;and by his wounds we are healed.6All we like sheep have gone astray.Everyone has turned to his own way;and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed,yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth.As a lamb that is led to the slaughter,and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent,so he didn’t open his mouth.8He was taken away by oppression and judgment.As for his generation,who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the livingand stricken for the disobedience of my people?9They made his grave with the wicked,and with a rich man in his death,although he had done no violence,nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him.He has caused him to suffer.When you make his soul an offering for sin,he will see his offspring.He will prolong his daysand Yahweh’s pleasure will prosper in his hand.11After the suffering of his soul,he will see the light and be satisfied.My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself;and he will bear their iniquities.12Therefore I will give him a portion with the great.He will divide the plunder with the strong;because he poured out his soul to deathand was counted with the transgressors;yet he bore the sins of manyand made intercession for the transgressors.
What’s happening. Part of the fourth “Servant Song” (Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12), about a mysterious servant of God who suffers and is rejected.
What it means. The servant carries other people’s pain and is punished for their sins: “by his wounds we are healed.” We have all gone astray like sheep, and the Lord laid on him the wrong of us all. The New Testament applies this passage directly to Jesus’ death on the cross (for example, 1 Peter 2:24).