< Isaiah 43 >
1 Now this is what the LORD says— He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine!
But now thus says Jehovah who created thee, O Jacob, and he who formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name, Thou are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.
When thou pass through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walk through the fire, thou shall not be burned, nor shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.
For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I have given Egypt as thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead.
4 Because you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you and nations in place of your life.
Since thou have been precious in my sight, and honorable, and I have loved thee, therefore I will give men in thy stead, and peoples instead of thy life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west.
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 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—
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 everyone called by My name and created for My glory, whom I have indeed formed and made.”
everyone who is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made.
8 Bring out a people who have eyes but are blind, and who have ears but are deaf.
Bring forth the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears.
9 All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses to vindicate them, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
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 “You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may consider and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, and after Me none will come.
Ye are my witnesses, says 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, nor shall there be after me.
11 I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no Savior but Me.
I, even I, am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior.
12 I alone decreed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. So you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.
I have declared, and I have saved, and I have shown, and there was no strange god among you. Therefore ye are my witnesses, says Jehovah, and I am God.
13 Even from eternity I am He, and none can deliver out of My hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”
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 says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake, I will send to Babylon and bring them all as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
Thus says 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 the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, and your King.”
I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters,
Thus says Jehovah, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings out the chariots and horses, the armies and warriors together, to lie down, never to rise again; to be extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
who brings 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 “Do not call to mind the former things; pay no attention to the things of old.
Do not remember ye the former things, nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall 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 will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I provide water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people.
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 I formed for Myself will declare My praise.
the people whom I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.
22 But you have not called on Me, O Jacob, because you have grown weary of Me, O Israel.
Yet thou have not called upon me, O Jacob, but thou have been weary of me, O Israel.
23 You have not brought Me sheep for burnt offerings, nor honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, nor wearied you with frankincense.
Thou have not brought me from thy sheep for burnt offerings, nor have thou honored me with thy sacrifices. I have not burdened thee with offerings, nor wearied thee with frankincense.
24 You have not bought Me sweet cane with your silver, nor satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened Me with your sins; you have wearied Me with your iniquities.
Thou have bought me no sweet cane with money, nor have thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices. But thou have burdened me with thy sins. Thou have wearied me with thine iniquities.
25 I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.
I, even I, am he who blots out thy transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember thy sins.
26 Remind Me, let us argue the matter together. State your case, so that you may be vindicated.
Put me in remembrance. Let us plead together. Set thou forth thy case that thou may be justified.
27 Your first father sinned, and your spokesmen rebelled against Me.
Thy first father sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
28 So I will disgrace the princes of your sanctuary, and I will devote Jacob to destruction and Israel to reproach.”
Therefore I will profane the rulers of the sanctuary, and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel a reviling.