Isaiah 43

1 But now thus saith Jehovah that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine.2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.3 For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour; I have given Egypt as thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead.4 Since thou hast been precious in my sight, and honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men in thy stead, and peoples instead of thy life.5 Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth;7 every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made.8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, It is truth.10 Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.11 I, even I, am Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour.12 I have declared, and I have saved, and I have showed; and there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and I am God.13 Yea, since the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who can hinder it?14 Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring down all of them as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing.15 I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.16 Thus saith Jehovah, who maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;17 who bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as a wick):18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.20 The beasts of the field shall honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen,21 the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.22 Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.23 Thou hast not brought me of thy sheep for burnt-offerings; neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices. I have not burdened thee with offerings, nor wearied thee with frankincense.24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast burdened me with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake; and I will not remember thy sins.26 Put me in remembrance; let us plead together: set thou forth thy cause, that thou mayest be justified.27 Thy first father sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel a reviling.

ISAIAH 43

The [Lord] Has Rescued //His People

1 Descendants of Jacob,
I, the [Lord], created you
and formed your nation.
Israel, don't be afraid.
I have rescued you.
I have called you by name;
now you belong to me.

2 When you cross deep rivers,
I will be with you,
and you won't drown.
When you walk through fire,
you won't be burned
or scorched by the flames.

3 I am the [Lord], your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
the God who saves you.
I gave up Egypt, Ethiopia, t
and the region of Sebat
in exchange for you.

4 To me, you are very dear,
and I love you.
That's why I gave up nations
and people to rescue you.

5 Don't be afraid! I am with you.
From both east and west
I will bring you together.

6 I will say to the north
and to the south,
“Free my sons and daughters!
Let them return
from distant lands.

7 They are my people—
I created each of them
to bring honor to me.”

The [Lord] Alone Is God

The [Lord] said:

8 Bring my people together.
They have eyes and ears,
but they can't see or hear.

9 Tell everyone of every nation
to gather around.
None of them can honestly say,
“We told you so!”
If someone heard them say this,
then tell us about it now.

10 My people, you are my witnesses
and my chosen servant.
I want you to know me,
to trust me, and understand
that I alone am God.
I have always been God;
there can be no others.

11 I alone am the [Lord];
only I can rescue you.

12 I promised to save you,
and I kept my promise.
You are my witnesses
that no other god did this.
I, the [Lord], have spoken.

13 I am God now and forever.
No one can snatch you from me
or stand in my way.

The [Lord] //Will Prepare the Way

14 I, the [Lord], will rescue you!
I am Israel's holy God,
and this is my promise:
For your sake, I will send
an army against Babylon
to drag its people away,
crying as they go.t

15 I am the [Lord], your holy God,
Israel's Creator and King.

16 I am the one who cut a path
through the mighty ocean.

17 I sent an army to chase you
with chariots and horses;
now they lie dead,
unable to move.
They are like an oil lamp
with the flame snuffed out.

Forget the Past

The [Lord] said:

18 Forget what happened long ago!
Don't think about the past.

19 I am creating something new.
There it is! Do you see it?
I have put roads in deserts,
streamst in thirsty lands.

20 Every wild animal honors me,
even jackalst and owls.
I provide water in deserts—
streams in thirsty lands
for my chosen people.

21 I made them my own nation,
so they would praise me.

22 I, the [Lord], said to Israel:
You have become weary of me,
but not from worshiping me.

23 You have not honored me
by sacrificing sheep
or other animals.
And I have not burdened you
with demands for sacrifices
or sweet-smelling incense.

24 You have not brought
delicious spices for me
or given me the best part
of your sacrificed animals.
Instead, you burden me down
with your terrible sins.

25 But I wipe away your sins
because of who I am.
And so, I will forget
the wrongs you have done.

26 Meet me in court!
State your case and prove
that you are right.

27 Your earliest ancestort
and all your leaderst
rebelled against me.

28 That's why I don't allow
your priests to serve me;
I let Israel be destroyed
and your people disgraced.