Disaster will overtake you; you will not know how to charm it away. ¹  Destruction will fall on you; you will not be able to appease it. Calamity will strike you suddenly, before you recognize it. ² 

They will not be hungry or thirsty; the sun’s oppressive heat will not beat down on them, ¹  for one who has compassion on them will guide them; he will lead them to springs of water.

He sprouted up like a twig before God, ¹  like a root out of parched soil; ²  he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, ³  no special appearance that we should want to follow him. ⁴ 

Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, ¹  no eye has seen any God besides you, who intervenes for those who wait for him.

“I made myself available to those who did not ask for me; ¹  I appeared to those who did not look for me. ²  I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ to a nation that did not invoke ³  my name.

An ox recognizes its owner, a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food; ¹  but Israel does not recognize me, ²  my people do not understand.”

The people did not return to the one who struck them, they did not seek reconciliation ¹  with the Lord who commands armies.

He will take delight in obeying the Lord. ¹  He will not judge by mere appearances, ²  or make decisions on the basis of hearsay. ³ 

Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; ¹  they have no compassion on a person’s offspring, ²  they will not ³  look with pity on children.

You will be shocked and amazed! ¹  You are totally blind! ²  They are drunk, ³  but not because of wine; they stagger, ⁴  but not because of beer.

A fool will no longer be called honorable; a deceiver will no longer be called principled.

They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, “Don’t respond to him.”

Indeed ¹  Sheol does not give you thanks; death does not ²  praise you. Those who descend into the pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.

A crushed reed he will not break, a dim wick he will not extinguish; ¹  he will faithfully make just decrees. ² 

He will not grow dim or be crushed ¹  before establishing justice on the earth; the coastlands ²  will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” ³ 

They do not comprehend or understand, for their eyes are blind and cannot see; their minds do not discern. ¹ 

Israel will be delivered once and for all by the Lord; ¹  you will never again be ashamed or humiliated. ² 

I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away; I am bringing my salvation near, ¹  it does not wait. I will save Zion; ²  I will adorn Israel with my splendor.” ³ 

You have heard; now look at all the evidence! ¹  Will you not admit that what I say is true? ²  From this point on I am announcing to you new events that are previously unrevealed and you do not know about. ³ 

Now they come into being, ¹  not in the past; before today you did not hear about them, so you could not say, ‘Yes, ²  I know about them.’