The Suffering Servant
Isaiah 53
The servant is described as despised, without beauty, a man acquainted with suffering who bore the griefs and was wounded for the sins of others, led like a sheep to the slaughter without opening his mouth. Though he was cut off and given a burial among the wicked, it is said that the Lord's will would be accomplished through him, and that he would justify many by bearing their sins.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Thomson 1808Septuagint
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
KJV 1769Masoretic
JPS 1917Masoretic
1
ThomsonO LORD, who hath believed this report of ours, and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been made manifest?
BrentonO Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
GreekΚύριε τίς ἐπίστευσε τῇ ἀκοῇ ἡμῶν; καὶ ὁ βραχίων Κυρίου τίνι ἀπεκαλύφθη;
KJVWho hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
JPS'Who would have believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2
ThomsonWe have made proclamation as a child before him: as a root in a thirsty soil, he hath no appearance nor glory. We have seen him; and he hath neither appearance nor beauty:
BrentonWe brought a report as of a child before him; he is as a root in a thirsty land: he has no form nor comeliness; and we saw him, but he had no form nor beauty.
GreekἈνηγγείλαμεν ὡς παιδίον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, ὡς ῥίζα ἐν γῇ διψώσῃ· οὐκ ἔστιν εἶδος αὐτῷ, οὐδὲ δόξα· καὶ εἴδομεν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος·
KJVFor he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
JPSFor he shot up right forth as a sapling, And as a root out of a dry ground; He had no form nor comeliness, that we should look upon him, Nor beauty that we should delight in him.
3
Thomson—
BrentonBut his form was ignoble, and inferior to that of the children of men; he was a man in suffering, and acquainted with the bearing of sickness, for his face is turned from us: he was dishonoured, and not esteemed.
GreekἈλλὰ τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἄτιμον, καὶ ἐκλεῖπον παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων· ἄνθρωπος ἐν πληγῇ ὢν, καὶ εἰδὼς φέρειν μαλακίαν, ὅτι ἀπέστραπται τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, ἠτιμάσθη, καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσθη.
KJVHe is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
JPSHe was despised, and forsaken of men, A man of pains, and acquainted with disease, And as one from whom men hide their face: He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4
ThomsonThis man beareth away our sins; and for us he is in sorrow: and we considered him as being in trouble and under a stroke and in affliction.
BrentonHe bears our sins, and is pained for us: yet we accounted him to be in trouble, and in suffering, and in affliction.
GreekΟὗτος τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν φέρει, καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ὀδυνᾶται, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐλογισάμεθα αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐν πόνῳ, καὶ ἐν πληγῇ, καὶ ἐν κακώσει.
KJV—
JPS—
5
ThomsonBut he was wounded for our sins, and afflicted for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him; by his bruises we are healed.
BrentonBut he was wounded on account of our sins, and was bruised because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his bruises we were healed.
GreekΑὐτὸς δὲ ἐτραυματίσθη διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, καὶ μεμαλάκισται διὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν· παιδεία εἰρήνης ἡμῶν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν, τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἰάθημεν.
KJVBut he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
JPSBut he was wounded because of our transgressions, He was crushed because of our iniquities: The chastisement of our welfare was upon him, And with his stripes we were healed.
6
ThomsonWe all like sheep had strayed; every man wandered in his way: and the Lord delivered him up for our sins:
BrentonAll we as sheep have gone astray; every one has gone astray in his way; and the Lord gave him up for our sins.
GreekΠάντες ὡς πρόβατα ἐπλανήθημεν· ἄνθρωπος τῇ ὁδῷ αὐτοῦ ἐπλανήθη· καὶ Κύριος παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν.
KJVAll we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
JPSAll we like sheep did go astray, We turned every one to his own way; And the LORD hath made to light on him The iniquity of us all.
7
Thomsonand he, on account of his affliction, openeth not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to be slaughtered. And as a sheep before its shearer is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
BrentonAnd he, because of his affliction, opens not his mouth: he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth.
GreekΚαὶ αὐτὸς διὰ τὸ κεκακῶσθαι οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ· ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος ἄφωνος, οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα.
KJVHe was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
JPSHe was oppressed, though he humbled himself And opened not his mouth; As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, And as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb; Yea, he opened not his mouth.
8
ThomsonIn this humiliation his legal trial was taken away. Who can describe the [evil] generation of men among whom he lived? Because his life is taken from the earth—for the transgressions of my people he is led to death,—
BrentonIn his humiliation his judgment was taken away: who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken away from the earth: because of the iniquities of my people he was led to death.
GreekἘν τῇ ταπεινώσει ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ᾔρθη, τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ, ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνομιῶν τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἤχθη εἰς θάνατον.
KJVHe was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
JPSBy oppression and judgment he was taken away, And with his generation who did reason? For he was cut off out of the land of the living, For the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due.
9
Thomsontherefore I will appoint the wicked for his tomb, and the rich for his death, because he committed no iniquity, nor practised guile with his mouth.
BrentonAnd I will give the wicked for his burial, and the rich for his death; for he practised no iniquity, nor craft with his mouth.
GreekΚαὶ δώσω τοὺς πονηροὺς ἀντὶ τῆς ταφῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοὺς πλουσίους ἀντὶ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ· ὅτι ἀνομίαν οὐκ ἐποίησεν, οὐδὲ δόλον ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ.
KJVAnd he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
JPSAnd they made his grave with the wicked, And with the rich his tomb; Although he had done no violence, Neither was any deceit in his mouth.’
10
ThomsonAnd the Lord determined to purify him from this blow: if there shall be given up an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed.
BrentonThe Lord also is pleased to purge him from his stroke. If ye can give an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed:
GreekΚαὶ Κύριος βούλεται καθαρίσαι αὐτὸν τῆς πληγῆς· ἐὰν δῶτε περὶ ἁμαρτίας, ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν ὄψεται σπέρμα μακρόβιον·
KJVYet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
JPSYet it pleased the LORD to crush him by disease; To see if his soul would offer itself in restitution, That he might see his seed, prolong his days, And that the purpose of the LORD might prosper by his hand:
11
ThomsonMoreover, it is the determination of the Lord to take away the trouble of his soul—to shew him light and inform him with understanding—to justify the righteous one who is serving many well. And he shall bear away their sins;
Brentonthe Lord also is pleased to take away from the travail of his soul, to shew him light, and to form him with understanding; to justify the just one who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins.
Greekκαὶ βούλεται Κύριος ἀφελεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ πόνου τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, δεῖξαι αὐτῷ φῶς, καὶ πλάσαι τῇ συνέσει, δικαιῶσαι δίκαιον εὖ δουλεύοντα πολλοῖς, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν αὐτὸς ἀνοίσει.
KJVHe shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
JPSOf the travail of his soul he shall see to the full, even My servant, Who by his knowledge did justify the Righteous One to the many, And their iniquities he did bear.
12
Thomsontherefore he shall inherit much and divide the spoils of the strong. His soul was delivered up to death and he was numbered among transgressors and bore away the sins of many, and on account of their iniquities was delivered up.
BrentonTherefore he shall inherit many, and he shall divide the spoils of the mighty; because his soul was delivered to death: and he was numbered among the transgressors; and he bore the sins of many, and was delivered because of their iniquities.
GreekΔιατοῦτο αὐτὸς κληρονομήσει πολλοὺς, καὶ τῶν ἰσχυρῶν μεριεῖ σκῦλα· ἀνθʼ ὧν παρεδόθη εἰς θάνατον ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀνόμοις ἐλογίσθη, καὶ αὐτὸς ἁμαρτίας πολλῶν ἀνήνεγκε, καὶ διὰ τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῶν παρεδόθη.
KJVTherefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
JPSTherefore will I divide him a portion among the great, And he shall divide the spoil with the mighty; Because he bared his soul unto death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet he bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.