But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.”
Parallel translations
- WEB But I said, “I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength in vain for nothing; yet surely the justice due to me is with Yahweh, and my reward with my God.”
- KJV Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
- NKJV Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.’ ”
- NASB But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and futility; Nevertheless, the justice due to Me is with the Lord, And My reward is with My God.”
- NLT I replied, “But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand; I will trust God for my reward.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Servant voices a sense of labor seemingly spent in vain, yet entrusts his cause and reward to God.
Overview
Despite his calling, the Servant feels his work has been fruitless, a note of apparent failure and rejection. Rather than despair, he commits his vindication and recompense to Yahweh. This anticipates Christ, who though despised entrusted Himself to the Father who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23) and was vindicated in resurrection and exaltation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 20
- Isa 35:4Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”
- Gal 4:11I fear for you, that my efforts for you may have been in vain.
- Matt 23:37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!
- Isa 53:10–12Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
- Matt 17:17“O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to Me.”
- Ezek 3:19But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.
- 2 Cor 12:15And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?
- Isa 65:23They will not labor in vain or bear children doomed to disaster; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD—they and their descendants with them.
- Isa 62:11Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the ends of the earth, “Say to Daughter Zion: See, your Savior comes! Look, His reward is with Him, and His recompense goes before Him.”
- Isa 40:10Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and His arm establishes His rule. His reward is with Him, and His recompense accompanies Him.
- 2 Cor 2:15For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
- Luke 24:26Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?”
- John 1:11He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
- Phil 2:9–10Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,
- Lev 26:20and your strength will be spent in vain. For your land will not yield its produce, and the trees of the land will not bear their fruit.
- Heb 12:2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Rom 10:21But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
- Isa 65:2All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations,
- John 17:4–5I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.
- Ps 22:22–31I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the assembly.
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 49:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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