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 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 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.

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 gave Egypt to pay for your freedom; I traded Ethiopia and Seba for you.

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

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, Withhold not: bring my sons from afar, 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.

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

Bring forward 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 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 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.

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 apart from me.

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

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 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 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 This is what the Lord says, the one who makes a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters;

Thus hath said the Lord, who maketh 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.

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

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

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

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

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

But on me hast thou not called, O Jacob; for thou art become 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.

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 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.

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

I, it is I that blot out thy transgressions for my own sake, and thy sins I will not remember.

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

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

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