a Voice out of heaven

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water;
and behold, the heavens were opened,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
and behold, a voice out of the heavens said,
"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

"Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;

My chosen one in whom My soul delights

I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the nations.

"He will not cry out or raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.
"A bruised reed He will not break
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth justice.
"He will not be disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law."

Thus says God YHWH,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and its offspring,
Who gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it,

"I am the YHWH, I have called You in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.

"I am YHWH, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to graven images.

"Behold, the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you."

Sing to YHWH a new song,
Sing His praise from the end of the earth!
You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it
You islands, and those who dwell on them.
Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices,
The settlements where Kedar inhabits
Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud,
Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains.
Let them give glory to YHWH
And declare His praise in the coastlands.
YHWH will go forth like a warrior,
He will arouse His zeal like a man of war
He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry
He will prevail against His enemies.

I have kept silent for a long time,
I have kept still
and restrained Myself.
now like a woman in labor
I will groan,
I will both gasp and pant.
"I will lay waste the mountains and hills
And wither all their vegetation;
I will make the rivers into coastlands
And dry up the ponds.
"I will lead the blind by a way they do not know,
In paths they do not know I will guide them
I will make darkness into light before them
And rugged places into plains

These are the things I will do,
And I will not leave them undone."

They will be turned back and be utterly put to shame,
Who trust in idols,
Who say to molten images,
"You are our gods."

Hear, you deaf!
And look, you blind, that you may see.
Who is blind but My servant,
Or so deaf as My messenger whom I send?
Who is so blind as he that is at peace with Me,
Or so blind as the servant of YHWH?
You have seen many things,
but you do not observe them;
Your ears are open,
but none hears.

YHWH was pleased for His righteousness' sake
To make the law great and glorious.
But this is a people plundered and despoiled;
All of them are trapped in caves,
Or are hidden away in prisons;
They have become a prey with none to deliver them,
And a spoil, with none to say, "Give them back!"

Who among you will give ear to this?
Who will give heed and listen hereafter?
Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to plunderers?

Was it not YHWH, against whom we have sinned,
And in whose ways they were not willing to walk,
And whose law they did not obey?
So He poured out on him the heat of His anger
And the fierceness of battle;
And it set him aflame all around,
Yet he did not recognize it;
And it burned him, but he paid no attention.

But now, thus says YHWH, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
"For I am YHWH your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your place.
"Since you are precious in My sight,
Since you are honored and I love you,
I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.
"Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
And gather you from the west.
"I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
And to the south, 'Do not hold them back '
Bring My sons from afar
And My daughters from the ends of the earth,
Everyone who is called by My name,
And whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed, even whom I have made."

Bring out the people who are blind,
even though they have eyes,
And the deaf,
even though they have ears.
All the nations have gathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled
Who among them can declare this
And proclaim to us the former things?
Let them present their witnesses that they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say, "It is true."
"You are My witnesses," declares YHWH,
"And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
"I, even I, am YHWH,
And there is no Savior besides Me.
"It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses," declares YHWH,
"And I am God.
"Even from eternity I am He,
And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;
I act and who can reverse it?"

Thus says YHWH your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
"For your sake I have sent to Babylon,
And will bring them all down as fugitives,
Even the Chaldeans, into the ships in which they rejoice.
"I am YHWH, your Holy One,
The Creator of Israel, your King."

Thus says YHWH,
Who makes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
Who brings forth the chariot and the horse,
The army and the mighty man
(They will lie down together and not rise again;
They have been quenched and extinguished like a wick):
"Do not call to mind the former things,
Or ponder things of the past.
"Behold, I will do something new,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.
"The beasts of the field will glorify Me
the jackals and the ostriches,
Because I have given waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My chosen people.
"The people whom I formed for Myself
Will declare My praise.

"Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob;
But you have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,
Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices
I have not burdened you with offerings,
Nor wearied you with incense.
"You have bought Me not sweet cane with money,
Nor have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
Rather you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have wearied Me with your iniquities.
"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins.
"Put Me in remembrance, let us argue our case together;
State your cause, that you may be proved right.
"Your first forefather sinned,
And your spokesmen have transgressed against Me.
"So I will pollute the princes of the sanctuary,
And I will consign Jacob to the ban and Israel to revilement.
"But now listen, O Jacob, My servant,
And Israel, whom I have chosen:
Thus says YHWH who made you
And formed you from the womb, who will help you,
'Do not fear, O Jacob My servant;
And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
'For I will pour out water on the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;
And they will spring up among the grass
Like poplars by streams of water.'
"This one will say, 'I am YHWH's;
And that one will call on the name of Jacob;
And another will write on his hand, 'Belonging to YHWH,'
And will name Israel's name with honor.

"Thus says YHWH, the King of Israel and His Redeemer, YHWH of hosts:
'I am the first and I am the last,
And there is no God besides Me.
Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it;
Yes, let him recount it to Me in order,
From the time that I established the ancient nation.
And let them declare to them the things that are coming
And the events that are going to take place.
'Do not tremble and do not be afraid;
Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it?
And you are My witnesses
Is there any God besides Me,
Or is there any other Rock?
I know of none.'"