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!

And now thus saith the Lord God that made thee, O Jacob, and formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee [by] thy name; thou art 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.

And if thou pass through water, I am with thee; and the rivers shall not overflow thee: and if thou go through fire, thou shalt not be burned; the flame shall not burn 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 the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, that saves thee: I have made Egypt and Ethiopia thy ransom, and [given] Soene for thee.

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 becamest precious in my sight, thou hast become glorious, and I have loved thee: and I will give men for thee, and princes for 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 will 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, Bring; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from the [land] afar off, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

7 everyone called by My name and created for My glory, whom I have indeed formed and made.”

[even] all who are called by my name: for I have prepared him for my glory, and I have formed him, and have made him:

8 Bring out a people who have eyes but are blind, and who have ears but are deaf.

and I have brought forth the blind people; for [their] eyes are alike blind, and they that have ears are deaf.

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.”

All the nations are gathered together, and princes shall be gathered out of them: who will declare these things? or who will declare to you things from the beginning? let them bring forth their witnesses, and be justified; and let them hear, and declare the 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.

Be ye my witnesses, and I [too am] a witness, saith the Lord God, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know, and believe, and understand that I am [he]: before me there was no other God, and after me there shall be none.

11 I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no Savior but Me.

I am God; and beside me there is no Saviour.

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 have saved; I have reproached, and there was no strange [god] among you: ye are my witnesses, and I am the Lord God,

13 Even from eternity I am He, and none can deliver out of My hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”

even from the beginning; and there is none that can deliver out of my hands: I will work, and who shall turn it back?

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 saith the Lord God that redeems you, the Holy One of Israel; for your sakes I will send to Babylon, and I will stir up all that flee, and the Chaldeans shall be bound in ships.

15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, and your King.”

I am the Lord God, your Holy One, who have appointed for Israel your king.

16 Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters,

Thus saith the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty water;

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 brought forth chariots and horse, and a mighty multitude: but they have lain down, and shall not rise: they are extinct, as quenched flax.

18 “Do not call to mind the former things; pay no attention to the things of old.

Remember ye not the former things, and consider not the ancient things.

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 new things, which shall presently spring forth, and ye shall know them: and I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the dry land.

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 bless me, the owls and young ostriches; for I have given water in the wilderness, and rivers in the dry land, to give drink to my chosen race,

21 The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.

my people whom I have preserved to tell forth my praises.

22 But you have not called on Me, O Jacob, because you have grown weary of Me, O Israel.

I have not now called thee, O Jacob; neither have I made thee weary, 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 hast not brought me the sheep of thy whole-burnt-offering; neither hast thou glorified me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with sacrifices, neither have I 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.

Neither hast thou purchased for me victims for silver, neither have I desired the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou didst stand before me in thy sins, and in 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 that blots out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and thy sins; and I will not remember [them].

26 Remind Me, let us argue the matter together. State your case, so that you may be vindicated.

But do thou remember, and let us plead [together]: do thou first confess thy transgressions, that thou mayest be justified.

27 Your first father sinned, and your spokesmen rebelled against Me.

Your fathers first, and your princes 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.”

And the princes have defiled my sanctuaries: so I gave Jacob [to enemies] to destroy, and Israel to reproach.