Isaiah 43

1 But nowe thus sayeth the Lord, that created thee, O Iaakob: and hee that formed thee, O Israel, Feare not: for I haue redeemed thee: I haue called thee by thy name, thou art mine.

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!

2 When thou passest through the waters, I wil be with thee, and through the floods, that they doe not ouerflowe thee. When thou walkest through the very fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee.

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.

3 For I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of Israel, thy Sauiour: I gaue Egypt for thy ransome, Ethiopia, and Seba for thee.

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.

4 Because thou wast precious in my sight, and thou wast honourable, and I loued thee, therefore will I giue man for thee, and people for thy sake.

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.

5 Feare not, for I am with thee: I will bring thy seede from the East, and gather thee from the West.

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.

6 I will say to the North, Giue: and to the South, Keepe not backe: bring my sonnes from farre, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.

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.

7 Euery one shall be called by my Name: for I created him for my glorie, formed him and made him.

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

8 I will bring foorth the blinde people, and they shall haue eyes, and the deafe, and they shall haue eares.

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

9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this and shewe vs former things? let them bring foorth their witnesses, that they may be iustified: but let them heare, and say, It is truth.

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!’

10 You are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my seruant, whom I haue chosen: therefore yee shall knowe and beleeue me and yee shall vnderstand that I am: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

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.

11 I, euen I am the Lord, and beside me there is no Sauiour.

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

12 I haue declared, and I haue saued, and I haue shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore you are my witnesses, sayeth the Lord, that I am God.

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.

13 Yea, before the day was, I am, and there is none that can deliuer out of mine hand: I will doe it, and who shall let it?

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

14 Thus sayeth the Lord your redeemer, the holy one of Israel, For your sake I haue sent to Babel, and brought it downe: they are all fugitiues, and the Chaldeans crie in the shippes.

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.

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, and your King.

16 Thus sayeth the Lord which maketh a way in the Sea, and a path in the mighty waters.

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

17 When hee bringeth out the charet and horse, the armie and the power lie together, and shall not rise: they are extinct, and quenched as towe.

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.

18 Remember yee not the former things, neither regard the things of olde.

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

19 Behold, I do a new thing: now shall it come foorth: shall you not knowe it? I wil euen make a way in the desert, and floods in the wildernesse.

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!

20 The wilde beastes shall honour mee, the dragons and the ostriches, because I gaue water in the desert, and floods in the wildernesse to giue drinke to my people, euen to mine elect.

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.

21 This people haue I formed for my selfe: they shall shewe foorth my praise.

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

22 And thou hast not called vpon mee, O Iaakob, but thou hast wearied me, O Israel.

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

23 Thou hast not brought me the sheepe of thy burnt offrings, neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I haue not caused thee to serue with an offring, nor wearied thee with incense.

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.

24 Thou boughtest mee no sweete sauour with money, neither hast thou made mee drunke with the fatte of thy sacrifices, but thou hast made mee to serue with thy sinnes, and wearied mee with thine iniquities.

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.

25 I, euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake, and will not remember thy sinnes.

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.

26 Put me in remembrance: let vs be iudged together: count thou that thou maist be iustified.

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

27 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers haue transgressed against me.

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

28 Therefore I haue prophaned the rulers of the Sanctuarie, and haue made Iaakob a curse, and Israel a reproche.

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