Isaiah 53: The Suffering Servant

Isaiah asked, Who has believed our message? The Servant grew up like a tender plant from dry ground, with no beauty that would draw people to him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. Yet Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray... and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Like a lamb, he was silent before those who afflicted him. He was cut off from the land of the living, though he had done no violence. After his suffering he will see the light and be satisfied, and My righteous servant will justify many. He bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors. In the New Testament, Philip explained this passage to an Ethiopian official as being about Jesus (Acts 8:32-35).

Go to worksheets ↓

Bible:

Read Isaiah 53

World English Bible · 12 verses

¹ Who has believed our message? To whom has Yahweh’s arm been revealed?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
² For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
³ He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁴ Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁷ He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he didn’t open his mouth.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁸ He was taken away by oppression and judgment. As for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living and stricken for the disobedience of my people?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁹ They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁰ Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days and Yahweh’s pleasure will prosper in his hand.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹¹ After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹² Therefore I will give him a portion with the great. He will divide the plunder with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org

Worksheets

1Pick a grade below
2Look over the worksheet
3Tap Print worksheet. Print the answer key separately.

Pick a grade:

Answer key (print separately)More print options ↓

Open Preschool on its own page

Isaiah 53 · Preschool

Like Lost Sheep

Name Date

Color the sheep that wandered away. God sent His Servant to bring us back.

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

“All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Isaiah 53:6 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Say: Sometimes sheep wander away. We wander from God too when we do wrong. God loves us and made a way to bring us back. In the New Testament, Jesus is called the good shepherd (John 10:11). Let's practice saying: God brings me back.

Open Grade 4 on its own page

Isaiah 53 · Grade 4

By His Wounds We Are Healed

Name Date

Read and Think

Isaiah 53 is the heart of what many call the fourth Servant Song. It begins, "Who has believed our message?" The Servant grew up "as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground." He did not look like a king. "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease."

People thought God was punishing him for his own sins. But the truth was different: "Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering." "He was pierced for our transgressions." "All we like sheep have gone astray... and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all." In the New Testament, 1 Peter 2:24-25 says Jesus bore our sins and uses the picture of straying sheep.

"As a lamb that is led to the slaughter... so he didn't open his mouth." He "had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth." Yet the chapter ends in victory: "After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied." In the New Testament, Philip explained this passage to an Ethiopian official as being about Jesus (Acts 8:32-35).

Show What You Know

What did people wrongly think about the Servant?
Whose sins did the Servant carry?
Which New Testament passage uses the picture of straying sheep about Jesus?
How does the chapter end?

Think About It

All we like sheep have gone astray. In what ways do people turn to their own way instead of God's?
In the New Testament, Jesus is described as the one who carried our sins (1 Peter 2:24). How should that make us feel about God's love?

Memory Verse

“But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.”

Isaiah 53:5 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

What is the structure of this song?
What does asham mean?

Open Grade 5 on its own page

Isaiah 53 · Grade 5

He Bore the Sins of Many

Name Date

Read and Think

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is the longest of what many call the Servant Songs, arranged in five stanzas of three verses each. It begins and ends with exaltation, framing the suffering in the middle. The speaker "we" confesses a misjudgment: "we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted." In fact, his suffering was substitutionary—"he was pierced for our transgressions," and "The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed."

The center (verses 4-6) is filled with "our" and "we": our sickness, our suffering, our transgressions. "All we like sheep have gone astray" includes everyone. Verse 10 calls his life "an offering for sin" (Hebrew asham, the guilt offering of Leviticus 5). In the New Testament, this chapter is often quoted or echoed about Jesus' death: Matthew 8:17, John 12:38, Acts 8:32-35, Romans 10:16, and 1 Peter 2:22-25.

The Servant is silent "As a lamb that is led to the slaughter." In the New Testament, Jesus was silent before his accusers (Mark 15:4-5), and John the Baptist called him the Lamb of God (John 1:29). He was "cut off out of the land of the living," assigned "his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death." Yet he lives on: "he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days." "My righteous servant will justify many." He "made intercession for the transgressors." In the New Testament, Luke 23:34 records Jesus praying for those who crucified him.

Show What You Know

How is this song structured?
What Hebrew word is used for offering for sin?
Which New Testament verses quote or echo Isaiah 53?
What shows the Servant lives on after being cut off?

Crossword

Across

And by his wounds we are ____.

Down

All we like ____ have gone astray.
The punishment that brought our ____ was on him.
To whom has Yahweh’s ____ been revealed.

Think About It

The we in Isaiah 53 admits they misjudged the Servant. Why might people misjudge Jesus today (John 1:10-11)?
The Servant made intercession for the transgressors. How can we follow his example by praying for people who hurt us?

Memory Verse

“After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities.”

Isaiah 53:11 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

The Servant would see the result of His suffering and be satisfied. How does that change the way you think about costly sacrifice for others?
Who has wronged you that you could ask God to bless?
What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

More print options

Student sheets have no answers on them. The answer key is a separate document for teachers and parents.

This gradeOnly the Preschool sheet

Whole chapterEvery verse of the chapter, in the translation you pickOpen & print

All student sheetsEvery grade, preschool to grade 5Open & print

Answer keyAll grades in one, each grade labeledOpen & print

‹ All Isaiah chapters · All books

Isaiah 53: The Suffering Servant

Read Isaiah 53

Worksheets

Like Lost Sheep

Prayer

Take It Home

Lost Sheep

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

Mini Maze

Draw It

Prayer

Take It Home

God Brings Us Back

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

The Suffering Servant

Prayer

Take It Home

God's Servant Loves Us

Read the Story

Show What You Know

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

All We Like Sheep

Read the Story

Answer the Questions

The Suffering Servant

Prayer

Take It Home

By His Wounds We Are Healed

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

He Bore the Sins of Many

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Crossword

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

More print options