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Who has believed what we've been saying? Who has seen the Lord's saving power?
2 His servant grew up like a tender young plant.
He grew like a root coming up out of dry ground.
He didn't have any beauty or majesty that made us notice him.
There wasn't anything special about the way he looked that drew us to him.
3 People looked down on him. They didn't accept him.
He knew all about pain and suffering.
He was like someone people turn their faces away from.
We looked down on him. We didn't have any respect for him.
4 He suffered the things we should have suffered.
He took on himself the pain that should have been ours.
But we thought God was punishing him.
We thought God was wounding him and making him suffer.
5 But the servant was pierced because we had sinned.
He was crushed because we had done what was evil.
He was punished to make us whole again.
His wounds have healed us.
6 All of us are like sheep. We have wandered away from God.
All of us have turned to our own way.
And the Lord has placed on his servant
the sins of all of us.
7 He was treated badly and made to suffer.
But he didn't open his mouth.
He was led away like a lamb to be killed.
Sheep are silent while their wool is being cut off.
In the same way, he didn't open his mouth.
8 He was arrested and sentenced to death.
Then he was taken away.
He was cut off from this life.
He was punished for the sins of my people.
Who among those who were living at that time
tried to stop what was happening?
9 He was given a grave with those who were evil.
But his body was buried in the tomb of a rich man.
He was killed even though he hadn't harmed anyone.
And he had never lied to anyone.
10 The Lord says, ‘It was my plan to crush him
and cause him to suffer.
I made his life an offering to pay for sin.
But he will see all his children after him.
In fact, he will continue to live.
My plan will be brought about through him.
11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life.
And he will be satisfied.
My godly servant will make many people godly
because of what he will accomplish.
He will be punished for their sins.
12 So I will give him a place of honour among those who are great.
He will be rewarded just like others who win the battle.
That's because he was willing to give his life as a sacrifice.
He was counted among those who had committed crimes.
He took the sins of many people on himself.
And he gave his life for those who had done what is wrong.’
49:1–53:12 The messages of Isaiah 49:1–6; 50:4–9 and 52:13–53:12 talked more about God's servant. It isn't known for sure who this servant was at the time of these prophecies. It may have been the prophet Isaiah. It may have been someone who helped God's people while they were in exile. God set the servant apart to do God's work. That work was to bring Jacob's family line back to God. This meant that the servant would help God's people live the way God wanted them to. They would truly live as God's people and be faithful to him. It also meant that the servant would help them return from exile to their land. The servant's work was also to be a light for the Gentiles. This way everyone on earth would know God. Everyone would trust God to be their Saviour. The servant didn't do his work by using violence. He was gentle and spoke the words God taught him. His words were like a sword. He was treated badly. He suffered and was put to death because of the sins of God's people. He was willing for this to happen even though he hadn't done anything wrong. In this way he became a sin offering for God's people. Suffering in this way is different from the pattern that Job's friends had noticed. They had noticed that people who did foolish and sinful things were made to suffer. God's servant was suffering even though he hadn't done sinful and foolish things. He was suffering in order to help God's people. God's servant showed that suffering for others can lead to their salvation. This helped Jesus' followers understand the work that Jesus did when he died on the cross. Many New Testament writers used words from these chapters about God's servant to describe Jesus.