Isaiah 43

1 And now, thus said YHWH, Your Creator, O Jacob, and your Fashioner, O Israel: Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you, I have called on your name—you [are] 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 you pass into waters, I [am] with you, And into floods, they do not overflow you, When you go into fire, you are not burned, And a flame does not burn against you.

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—your God YHWH, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior, I have appointed Egypt your atonement, Cush and Seba in your stead.

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 you were precious in My eyes, You were honored, and I have loved you, And I appoint men in your stead, And peoples instead of your 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 Do not be afraid, for I [am] with you, I bring in your seed from the east, And I gather you 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 am saying to the north, “Give up,” And to the south, “Do not restrain.” Bring in My sons from afar, 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 Everyone who is called by My Name, Even for My glory I have created him, I have formed him, indeed, I have made him.

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

8 He brought out a blind people who have eyes, And deaf ones who have ears.

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

9 All the nations have been gathered together, And the peoples are assembled, Who among them declares this, And causes us to hear former things? They give their witnesses, And they are declared righteous, And they hear and say, “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, a declaration of YHWH, And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you know and give credence to Me, And understand that I [am] He, Before Me there was no God formed, And after Me there is none.

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 [am] YHWH, And besides Me there is no savior.

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

12 I declared, and saved, and proclaimed, And there is no stranger with you, And you [are] My witnesses, a declaration of YHWH, 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 Even from the day I [am] He, And there is no deliverer from My hand, I work, and who turns it back?

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

14 Thus said YHWH, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I have sent to Babylon for your sake, And caused bars to descend—all of them, And the Chaldeans, whose song [is] in the ships.

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] YHWH, your Holy One, Creator of Israel, your King.”

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

16 Thus said YHWH, Who is giving a way in the sea, And a path in the strong waters.

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

17 Who is bringing forth chariot and horse, A force, even a strong one: “They lie down together—they do not rise, They have been extinguished, They have been quenched as flax.”

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 Do not remember former things, And do not consider ancient things.

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

19 Behold, I am doing a new thing, now it springs up, Do you not know it? Indeed, I put a way in a wilderness, In a desolate place—floods.

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 beast of the field honors Me, Dragons and daughters of an ostrich, For I have given waters in a wilderness, Floods in a desolate place, To give drink to My people—My chosen.

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 I have formed this people for Myself, They recount My praise.

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

22 And you have not called Me, O Jacob, For you have been wearied of Me, O Israel,

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

23 You have not brought to Me, The lamb of your burnt-offerings, And [with] your sacrifices you have not honored Me, I have not caused you to serve with a present, Nor wearied you 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 You have not bought Me sweet cane with money, And have not filled Me [with] the fat of your sacrifices, Only—you have caused Me to serve with your sins, You have wearied Me with your 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 [am] He who is blotting out Your transgressions for My own sake, And I do not remember your sins.

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 Cause Me to remember—we are judged together, Declare that you may 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 Your first father sinned, And your interpreters transgressed against Me,

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

28 And I defile princes of the sanctuary, And I give Jacob to destruction, and Israel to revilings!

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