Isaiah 43

1 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.

And now thus says the Lord who created you, O Jacob, and who formed you, O Israel: Do not be afraid. For I have redeemed you, and I have called you by your name. You are mine.

2 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.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not cover you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, and the flames will not scorch you.

3 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.

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have presented Egypt as your atonement, Ethiopia and Seba on your behalf.

4 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.

Since then, you have become honorable in my eyes, and glorious. I have loved you, and I will present men on behalf of you, and people on behalf of your life.

5 Fear not, for I am with thee; from the east will I bring thy seed, and from the west will I gather thee.

Fear not, for I am with you. I will lead your offspring from the East, and I will gather you from the West.

6 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;

I will say to the North, “Release him,” and to the South, “Do not turn him away.” Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.

7 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.

And each one who calls upon my name, I have created for my glory. I have formed him, and I have made him.

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

Lead forth the people who are blind and have eyes, who are deaf and have ears.

9 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.

All the nations have been assembled together, and the tribes have been collected. Who among you will announce this, and who will cause us to listen to the things that are first? Let them present their witnesses. Let them act justly, and listen, and say: “It is true.”

10 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.

You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and you are my servant, whom I have chosen, so that you may know, and may believe in me, and so that you may understand that I am the same. Before me, there was no god formed, and after me there will be none.

11 I, I am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.

I am. I am the Lord. And there is no savior apart from me.

12 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.

I have announced, and I have saved. I have caused it to be heard. And there was no stranger among you. You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and I am God.

13 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?

And from the beginning, I am the same. And there is no one who can rescue from my hand. I act, and who can turn it aside?

14 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.

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake, I sent to Babylon, and tore down all their bars, with the Chaldeans who glory in their ships.

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

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

16 Thus hath said the Lord, who maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;

Thus says the Lord, who gave you a way through the sea and a path through the torrent of waters,

17 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.

who led out the chariot and the horse, the column of robust troops. They went to sleep together, and they will not arise. They have been crushed like flax, and they have been extinguished.

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

You need not call to mind the past, nor consider the things of antiquity.

19 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.

Behold, I am accomplishing new things. And presently, they will spring forth. With certainty, you will know them. I will make a way in the desert, and rivers in an impassible place.

20 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;

The wild beasts of the field will glorify me, with the serpents and the ostriches. For I have brought waters to the desert, rivers to inaccessible places, in order to give drink to my people, to my elect.

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

This is the people whom I have formed for myself. They will speak my praise.

22 But on me hast thou not called, O Jacob; for thou art become weary of me, O Israel.

But you have not called upon me, O Jacob, nor have you struggled for me, O Israel.

23 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.

You have not offered me the ram of your holocaust, and you have not glorified me with your victims. I have not burdened you with oblations, nor have I wearied you with incense.

24 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.

You have bought me no sweet cane with money, and you have not inebriated me with the fat of your victims. Yet truly, you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.

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

I am. I am the very One who wipes away your iniquities for my own sake. And I will not remember your sins.

26 Put me in remembrance; let us plead together: relate thou, in order that thou mayest be justified.

Call me to mind, and let us go to judgment together. If you have anything to justify yourself, explain it.

27 Thy first father did sin, and they that plead for thee transgressed against me.

Your first father sinned, and your interpreters have betrayed me.

28 Therefore do I profane the holy princes, and I give up Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.

And so, I have defiled the holy leaders. I have handed over Jacob to slaughter, and Israel to calumny.