What God's Servant Did for Us

1 Has anyone believed us

or seen the mighty power

of the Lord in action?

2Like a young plant or a root

that sprouts in dry ground,

the servant grew up

obeying the Lord.

He wasn't some handsome king.

Nothing about the way he looked

made him attractive to us.

3He was hated and rejected;

his life was filled with sorrow

and terrible suffering.

No one wanted to look at him.

We despised him and said,

“He is a nobody!”

4He suffered and endured

great pain for us,

but we thought his suffering

was punishment from God.

5 He was wounded and crushed

because of our sins;

by taking our punishment,

he made us completely well.

6 All of us were like sheep

that had wandered off.

We had each gone our own way,

but the Lord gave him

the punishment we deserved.

7 He was painfully abused,

but he did not complain.

He was silent like a lamb

being led to the butcher,

as quiet as a sheep

having its wool cut off.

8He was condemned to death

without a fair trial.

Who could have imagined

what would happen to him?

His life was taken away

because of the sinful things

my people+ had done.

9 He wasn't dishonest or violent,

but he was buried in a tomb

among cruel, rich people.+

10The Lord decided his servant

would suffer as a sacrifice

to take away the sin

and guilt of others.

Now the servant will live

to see his own descendants.+

He did everything

the Lord had planned.

11By suffering, the servant

will learn the true meaning

of obeying the Lord.

Although he is innocent,

he will take the punishment

for the sins of others,

so that many of them

will no longer be guilty.

12 The Lord will reward him

with honor and power

for sacrificing his life.

Others thought he was a sinner,

but he suffered for our sins

and asked God to forgive us.