< 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 that created thee, O Jacob, and formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, and 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.
When thou shalt pass through the waters, I will be with thee, and the rivers shall not cover thee: when thou shalt walk in the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, and the flames shall not burn in 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, thy Saviour: I have given Egypt for thy atonement, Ethiopia and Saba 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 honourable in my eyes, thou art glorious: I have loved thee, and I will give men for thee, and people 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 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 afar, 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.”
And every one that calleth upon my name, I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, and made him.
8 Bring out a people who have eyes but are blind, and who have ears but are deaf.
Bring forth the people that are blind, and have eyes: that are deaf, and 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.”
All the nations are assembled together, and the tribes are gathered: who among you can declare this, and shall make us hear the former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, let them be justified, and 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.
You are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that you may know, and believe me, and understand that I myself am. Before me there was no God formed, and after me there shall be none.
11 I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no Savior but Me.
I am, I am the Lord: and there is no saviour besides me.
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 made it heard, and there was no strange one among you. You are my witnesses, saith the Lord, 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?”
And from the beginning I am the same, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall turn it away?
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 your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their bars, and the Chaldeans glorying in their ships.
15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, and your King.”
I am the Lord 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 saith the Lord, who made 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 brought forth the chariot and the horse, the army and the strong: they lay down to sleep together, and they shall not rise again: they are broken as flax, and are extinct.
18 “Do not call to mind the former things; pay no attention to the things of old.
Remember not former things, and look not on 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 do new things, and now they shall spring forth, verily you shall know them: I will 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 beast of the field shall glorify me, the dragons and the ostriches: because I have given waters in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, to my chosen.
21 The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.
This people have I formed for myself, they shall shew forth my praise.
22 But you have not called on Me, O Jacob, because you have grown weary of Me, O Israel.
But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, neither hast thou laboured about 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 hast not offered me the ram of thy holocaust, nor hast thou glorified me with thy victims: I have not caused thee to serve with oblations, nor wearied thee with incense.
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 hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy victims. But thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thy iniquities.
25 I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.
I am, I am he that blot out thy iniquities 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, and let us plead together: tell if thou hast any thing to justify thyself.
27 Your first father sinned, and your spokesmen rebelled against Me.
Thy brat 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.”
And I have profaned the holy princes, I have given Jacob to slaughter, and Israel to reproach.

< Isaiah 43 >