Isaiah 43

1 And now thus says the Lord who created you, O Jacob, and who formed you, O Israel: Do not be afraid. For I have redeemed you, and I have called you by your name. You are mine.

But now thus says the LORD who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel: "Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not cover you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, and the flames will not scorch you.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and the flame will not scorch you.

3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have presented Egypt as your atonement, Ethiopia and Seba on your behalf.

For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.

4 Since then, you have become honorable in my eyes, and glorious. I have loved you, and I will present men on behalf of you, and people on behalf of your life.

Since you have been precious and honored in my sight, and I have loved you; therefore I will give people in your place, and nations instead of your life.

5 Fear not, for I am with you. I will lead your offspring from the East, and I will gather you from the West.

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

6 I will say to the North, “Release him,” and to the South, “Do not turn him away.” Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.

I will tell the north, 'Give them up.' and tell the south, 'Do not hold them back. Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the farthest parts of the earth—

7 And each one who calls upon my name, I have created for my glory. I have formed him, and I have made him.

everyone who is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yes, whom I have made.'"

8 Lead forth the people who are blind and have eyes, who are deaf and have ears.

Bring out the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears.

9 All the nations have been assembled together, and the tribes have been collected. Who among you will announce this, and who will cause us to listen to the things that are first? Let them present their witnesses. Let them act justly, and listen, 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, "That is true."

10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and you are my servant, whom I have chosen, so that you may know, and may believe in me, and so that you may understand that I am the same. Before me, there was no god formed, and after me there will be none.

"You are my witnesses," says the LORD, "With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me.

11 I am. I am the Lord. And there is no savior apart from me.

I, I am the LORD; and besides me there is no savior.

12 I have announced, and I have saved. I have caused it to be heard. And there was no stranger among you. You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and I am God.

I have declared, I have saved, and I have shown; and there was no strange god among you. Therefore you are my witnesses," says the LORD, "and I am God.

13 And from the beginning, I am the same. And there is no one who can rescue from my hand. I act, and who can turn it aside?

Yes, since the day was I am he; and there is no one who 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 sent to Babylon, and tore down all their bars, with the Chaldeans who glory in their ships.

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake, I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring all of them down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing.

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

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

16 Thus says the Lord, who gave you a way through the sea and a path through the torrent of waters,

Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;

17 who led out the chariot and the horse, the column of robust troops. They went to sleep together, and they will not arise. They have been crushed like flax, and they have been extinguished.

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 like a wick):

18 You need not call to mind the past, nor consider the things of antiquity.

"Do not remember the former things, and do not consider the things of old.

19 Behold, I am accomplishing new things. And presently, they will spring forth. With certainty, you will know them. I will make a way in the desert, and rivers in an impassible place.

Look, I will do a new thing. It springs forth now. Do you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

20 The wild beasts of the field will glorify me, with the serpents and the ostriches. For I have brought waters to the desert, rivers to inaccessible places, in order to give drink to my people, to my elect.

The animals of the field shall honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen,

21 This is the people whom I have formed for myself. They will speak my praise.

the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.

22 But you have not called upon me, O Jacob, nor have you struggled for me, O Israel.

Yet you have not called on me, Jacob; but you have been weary of me, Israel.

23 You have not offered me the ram of your holocaust, and you have not glorified me with your victims. I have not burdened you with oblations, nor have I wearied you with incense.

You have not brought me of your sheep for burnt offerings; neither have you honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, nor wearied you with frankincense.

24 You have bought me no sweet cane with money, and you have not inebriated me with the fat of your victims. Yet truly, you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.

You have bought me no sweet cane with money, nor have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices; but you have burdened me with your sins. You have wearied me with your iniquities.

25 I am. I am the very One who wipes away your iniquities for my own sake. And I will not remember your sins.

I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.

26 Call me to mind, and let us go to judgment together. If you have anything to justify yourself, explain it.

Put me in remembrance. Let us plead together. Set forth your case, that you may be justified.

27 Your first father sinned, and your interpreters have betrayed me.

Your first father sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against me.

28 And so, I have defiled the holy leaders. I have handed over Jacob to slaughter, and Israel to calumny.

Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel a reviling."