Isaiah 43

1 But now, says the Lord your Maker, O Jacob, and your life-giver, O Israel: have no fear, for I have taken up your cause; naming you by your name, I have made you mine.

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!

2 When you go through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not go over you: when you go through the fire, you will not be burned; and the flame will have no power over you.

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.

3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your saviour; I have given Egypt as a price for you, Ethiopia and Seba for you.

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.

4 Because of your value in my eyes, you have been honoured, and loved by me; so I will give men for you, and peoples for your life.

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.

5 Have no fear, for I am with you: I will take your seed from the east, and get you together from the west;

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west.

6 I will say to the north, Give them up; and to the south, Do not keep them back; send back my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth;

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—

7 Every one who is named by my name, and whom I have made for my glory, who has been formed and designed by me.

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

8 Send out the blind people who have eyes, and those who have ears, but they are shut.

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

9 Let all the nations come together, and let the peoples be present: who among them is able to make this clear, and give us word of earlier things? let their witnesses come forward, so that they may be seen to be true, and that they may give ear, and say, It is true.

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.”

10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have taken for myself: so that you may see and have faith in me, and that it may be clear to you that I am he; before me there was no God formed, and there will not be after me.

“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.

11 I, even I, am the Lord; and there is no saviour but me.

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

12 I gave the word, and made it clear, and there was no strange god among you: for this reason you are my witnesses, says the Lord.

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.

13 From time long past I am God, and from this day I am he: there is no one who is able to take you out of my hand: when I undertake a thing, by whom will my purpose be changed?

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

14 The Lord, who has taken up your cause, the Holy One of Israel, says, Because of you I have sent to Babylon, and made all their seers come south, and the Chaldaeans whose cry is in the ships.

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.

15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Maker of Israel, your King.

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

16 This is the word of the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, and a road through the deep waters;

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

17 Who sends out the war-carriages and the horses, the army with all its force; they have come down, they will not get up again; like a feebly burning light they are put out.

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:

18 Give no thought to the things which are past; let the early times go out of your minds.

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

19 See, I am doing a new thing; now it is starting; will you not take note of it? I will even make a way in the waste land, and rivers in the dry country.

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.

20 The beasts of the field will give me honour, the jackals and the ostriches: because I send out waters in the waste land, and rivers in the dry country, to give drink to the people whom I have taken for myself:

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.

21 Even the people whom I made to be the witnesses of my praise.

The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.

22 But you have made no prayer to me, O Jacob: and you have given no thought to me, O Israel.

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

23 You have not made me burned offerings of sheep, or given me honour with your offerings of beasts; I did not make you servants to give me an offering, and I did not make you tired with requests for perfumes.

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.

24 You have not got me sweet-smelling plants with your money, or given me pleasure with the fat of your offerings: but you have made me a servant to your sins, and you have made me tired with your evil doings.

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.

25 I, even I, am he who takes away your sins; and I will no longer keep your evil doings in mind.

I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.

26 Put me in mind of this; let us take up the cause between us: put forward your cause, so that you may be seen to be in the right.

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

27 Your first father was a sinner, and your guides have gone against my word.

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

28 Your chiefs have made my holy place unclean, so I have made Jacob a curse, and Israel a thing of shame.

So I will disgrace the princes of your sanctuary, and I will devote Jacob to destruction and Israel to reproach.”