Isaiah 43

1 But now thus saith 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, 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 will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon 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 Saviour; I have given Egypt as thy ransom, 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 Since thou art precious in My sight, and honourable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and peoples for thy life.

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 Fear not, for I am with thee; I will bring thy seed 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: 'Give up,' and to the south: 'Keep not back, bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the end 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 Every one that is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him.'

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

8 The blind people that have eyes shall be brought forth, and the deaf that have ears.

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

9 All the nations are gathered together, and the peoples are assembled; who among them can declare this, and announce to us former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; and let them hear, 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 Ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He; before Me there was no God formed, neither shall any 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, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no saviour.

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

12 I have declared, and I have saved, and I have announced, and there was no strange god among you; therefore ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, and 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, since the day was I am He, and there is none that can deliver out of My hand; I will work, and who can reverse it?

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

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

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 saith the LORD, who 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 Who bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power — they lie down together, they shall not rise, they are extinct, they are quenched as a wick:

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 ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

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

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

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 beasts of the field shall honour Me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, 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 The people which I formed for Myself, that they might tell of My praise.

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

22 Yet thou hast not called upon Me, O Jacob, neither hast thou wearied thyself about 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 small cattle of thy burnt-offerings; neither hast thou honoured Me with thy sacrifices. I have not burdened thee with a meal-offering, nor wearied thee with frankincense.

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 hast bought Me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou satisfied Me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast burdened Me with thy sins, thou hast wearied Me 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, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake; and thy sins I will not remember.

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 us plead together; declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.

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 sinned, and thine intercessors have transgressed against Me.

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

28 Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and I have given Jacob to condemnation, and Israel to reviling.

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