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 hath said the Lord 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; mine art thou.

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.

Whenever thou passest through the waters, I am with thee; and through the rivers, —they shall not overflow thee: whenever thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be scorched; neither shall the flame burn on 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 ransom, Cush and Seba in place of 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 art precious in my eyes, art honorable, and I indeed do love thee: therefore will I give men in place of thee, and nations instead of thy soul.

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; from the east will I bring thy seed, and from the west will I gather thee.

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, Withhold not: 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.”

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

Bring forward the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that 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 people be assembled: who among them can announce this? and cause us to hear former things? let them bring forth 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, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: in order that ye may know and believe me, and understand, that I am he; before me there was no god formed, and after me there will be none.

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

I, I am the Lord; 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 myself have announced it, and I have saved, and I have let it be heard, and there was no strange [god] among you; and ye 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?”

Yea, from the [first] day am I he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: if I will work, is there one that 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 hath said the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, For your sake did I send to Babylon, and in swift vessels brought I them all down, and the Chaldeans, in the ships of their joyful song.

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

I am the Lord, the 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 hath said the Lord, who maketh 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 bringeth forth chariot and horse, army and power: together shall they lie down, they shall not rise up again; they are extinct, like a wick are they quenched.

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

Remember not the former things, and ancient events regard no more.

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 shall it spring forth; will ye not acknowledge it? I will even make in the wilderness a way, and in the desert rivers.

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 monsters and the ostriches; because I give waters in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my elect;

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

This people which I have formed for myself; my praise shall they relate.

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

But on me hast thou not called, O Jacob; for thou art become 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 hast not brought unto me the lamb of thy burnt-offerings; and with thy sacrifices hast thou not honored me: I have not troubled thee with meat-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 hast not bought for me sweet cane, and with the fat of thy sacrifices hast thou not satisfied me; but thou hast troubled me 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, it is I that blot out thy transgressions for my own sake, and thy sins I will not remember.

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: relate thou, in order that thou mayest be justified.

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

Thy first father did sin, and they that plead for thee 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 do I profane the holy princes, and I give up Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.