Isaiah 43

1 But now this is what the Lord says to Jacob, the one who created you; to Israel, the one who formed you: “Don't be afraid! I have saved you! I have called you by name; you are mine!

But now thus says the LORD that created you, O Jacob, and he that formed you, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are mine.

2 When you walk through the water, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they won't flood over you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you on fire.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you.

3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt to pay for your freedom; I traded Ethiopia and Seba for you.

For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour: I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for you.

4 Because you are so valuable to me, because I honor you, and because I love you, I give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your lives.

Since you were precious in my sight, you have been honourable, and I have loved you: therefore will I give men for you, and people for your life.

5 Don't be afraid, for I am with you! I will bring you and your children from the east and the west, and gather you together.

Fear not: for I am with you: I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west;

6 I will tell the north, ‘Hand them over!’ and the south, ‘Don't stop them!’ Bring my sons back from far away and my daughters from distant lands.

I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

7 Bring back everyone who bears my name, those I created for my honor, those I formed and made.

Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

8 Bring back those who have eyes but are blind, those who have ears but are deaf.

Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.

9 Have all the nations gather together! Have all the peoples assemble! Who among them could have said this, and predict what was going to happen? Have them bring their witnesses to prove that they're right. Then have them listen, and say, ‘It's true!’

Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.

10 However, you are my witnesses, the Lord declares, and my chosen servant, so that you can think about it, and believe me and understand that I am God. No god preceded me, and none will come after me.

All of you are my witnesses, says the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that all of you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

11 I, yes I am the Lord, and there is no Savior apart from me.

I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

12 I predicted what was going to happen, then I saved you, then I announced it—there was no foreign god among you that did this. You are my witnesses that I am God, declares the Lord.

I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore all of you are my witnesses, says the LORD, that I am God.

13 I am God from the beginning. No one can snatch anybody from my hand. No one can reverse what I do.

Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

14 This is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: For your sake I will send attackers against Babylon and bring them down. All the Babylonians will be like fugitives, escaping in the ships they're so proud of.

Thus says the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the 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 This is what the Lord says, the one who makes a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters;

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

17 the one who brought out a great army with it horses and chariots and lay them down, never to rise again, snuffed out like a burning wick.

Which brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.

18 But don't dwell on the past; don't concentrate on what happened back then.

Remember all of you not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

19 Just look at something new I'm going to do now! In fact it's started already. Can't you see it? Yes, I'm making a way through the wilderness, rivers in the desert!

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall all of you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

20 The wild animals will be grateful to me, the jackals and the owls, because I'm providing water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, so my people, my chosen people, can drink.

The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

21 I made this people for myself so that through their praise for me they could make me known.

This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.

22 But you haven't called on me for help, Jacob. You've grown tired of me, Israel.

But you have not called upon me, O Jacob; but you have been weary of me, O Israel.

23 You haven't brought me sheep for burnt offerings; you haven't honored me with your sacrifices. I haven't burdened you by asking for grain offerings; I haven't tired you out by demanding incense.

You have not brought me the small cattle of your burnt offerings; neither have you honoured me with your sacrifices. I have not caused you to serve with an offering, nor wearied you with incense.

24 You haven't used your money to buy scented calamus; you have not pleased me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead you have burdened me with your sins, and tired me out with your guilt.

You have bought me no sweet cane with money, neither have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices: but you have made me to serve with your sins, you have wearied me with your iniquities.

25 I, yes I am the God who wipes out your sins because of who I am, and who doesn't remember your sins any more.

I, even I, am he that blots out your transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember your sins.

26 Remind me of the evidence so we can come to a decision together! Present your case to prove that you're right!

Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare you, that you may be justified.

27 Your very first father sinned, and your leaders rebelled against me.

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

28 So I treated the priests of the sanctuary with contempt, and I handed Jacob over to be destroyed, and Israel to be scorned.”

Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.