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 saith Jehovah, that created thee, O Jacob, That formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by name; thou art 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 thou passest through waters, I will be with thee; And through rivers, they shall not overflow thee; When thou walkest through fire, thou shalt not be burned, And the flame shall not consume 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 Jehovah, thy God, The Holy One of Israel, thy saviour. I will give Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for 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.

Because thou art precious in my sight, Because thou art honored, and I love thee, Therefore will I give men for thee, And nations for thy 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 thee! I will bring thy children from the East, And gather thee 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 them up!” And to the South, “Withhold them 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, That I have created for my glory, That I have formed and made!”

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

Bring forth the blind people, having eyes, And the deaf, having 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 the kingdoms be assembled! Who among them hath declared this, And can show us former predictions? Let them produce their witnesses that they are right; That men may hear, and say, It is true!

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 Jehovah, And my servant whom I have chosen, That ye may know and believe me, And understand that I am He. Before me was no god formed, And after me there shall be none.

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

I, I am Jehovah, And besides 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; I made it known, when there was no strange god among you; Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, 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.

Even from the beginning of time I have been He, And none can rescue from my hand; I undertake, and who can hinder?

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 saith Jehovah, Your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sakes have I sent to Babylon, And caused all her fugitives, And the Chaldeans, to descend to the ships of their delight.

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

I, Jehovah, am 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 saith Jehovah, —He that made 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.

That caused the chariot and the horse, the army and the forces, to march forth; There they lay down together; they rose no more; They were extinguished; they were quenched like a torch; —

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

Remember not the former things; The things of old 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 do a new thing; Now shall it spring forth; yea, ye shall see it. Behold, I make a way in the wilderness, And streams 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 beasts of the forest shall honor me, The jackals and the ostriches; For I make rivers in the wilderness And streams 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, which I have formed for myself Shall make known my praise.

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

Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, So as to have wearied thyself for 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 me thy lambs for a burnt-offering, Nor honored me with thy sacrifices; I have not burdened thee with oblations, Nor wearied thee 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.

Thou hast bought me no sweet-smelling reed with silver, Neither hast thou satisfied me with the fat of thy sacrifices; With thy sins hast thou burdened me, And wearied me with thine 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, I myself, blot out thy transgressions for my own sake, And will not remember thy 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; Speak that thou mayst justify thyself.

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

Thy forefathers sinned, And thy teachers were rebellious 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 have I profaned the princes of the sanctuary, And given up Jacob to a curse, And Israel to reproach.