< 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.
And now thus says the Lord God that made you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you [by] your 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.
And if you pass through water, I am with you; and the rivers shall not overflow you: and if you go through fire, you shall not be burnt; the flame shall not burn you.
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, that saves you: I have made Egypt and Ethiopia your ransom, and [given] Soene for you.
4 Since thou hast been precious in my sight, [and] honourable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and peoples for thy life.
Since you became precious in my sight, you have become glorious, and I have loved you: and I will give men for you, and princes for your life.
5 Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
Fear not; for I am with you: I will bring your seed from the east, and will gather you from the west.
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 say to the north, Bring; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from the [land] afar off, 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; I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
[even] all who are called by my name: for I have prepared him for my glory, and I have formed him, and have made him:
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
and I have brought forth the blind people; for [their] eyes are alike blind, and they that have ears are deaf.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
All the nations are gathered together, and princes shall be gathered out of them: who will declare these things? or who will declare to you things from the beginning? let them bring forth their witnesses, and be justified; and let them hear, and declare the truth.
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 there be after me.
Be you my witnesses, and I [too am] a witness, says the Lord God, and my servant whom I have chosen: that you may know, and believe, and understand that I am [he]: before me there was no other God, and after me there shall be none.
11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
I am God; and beside me there is no Saviour.
12 I have declared, and I have saved, and I have shewed, and there was no strange [god] among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and I am God.
I have declared, and have saved; I have reproached, and there was no strange [god] amongst you: you are my witnesses, and I am the Lord God,
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 shall let it?
even from the beginning; and there is none that can deliver out of my hands: I will work, and who shall turn it back?
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 rejoicing.
Thus says the Lord God that redeems you, the Holy One of Israel; for your sakes I will send to Babylon, and I will stir up all that flee, and the Chaldeans shall be bound in ships.
15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
I am the Lord God, your Holy One, who have appointed for Israel your king.
16 Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty water;
17 which 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 flax:
who brought forth chariots and horse, and a mighty multitude: but they have lain down, and shall not rise: they are extinct, as quenched flax.
18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Remember you not the former things, and consider not the ancient things.
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.
Behold, I [will] do new things, which shall presently spring forth, and you shall know them: and I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the dry land.
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, my chosen:
the beasts of the field shall bless me, the owls and young ostriches; for I have given water in the wilderness, and rivers in the dry land, to give drink to my chosen race,
21 the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.
my people whom I have preserved to tell forth my praises.
22 Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
I have not now called you, O Jacob; neither have I made you weary, O 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 made thee to serve with offerings, nor wearied thee with frankincense.
You have not brought me the sheep of your whole burnt offering; neither have you glorified me with your sacrifices. I have not caused you to serve with sacrifices, neither have I wearied you with frankincense.
24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
Neither have you purchased for me victims for silver, neither have I desired the fat of your sacrifices: but you did stand before me in your sins, and in your iniquities.
25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake; and I will not remember thy sins.
I, [even] I, am he that blots out your transgressions for mine own sake, and your sins; and I will not remember [them].
26 Put me in remembrance; let us plead together: set thou forth [thy cause], that thou mayest be justified.
But do you remember, and let us plead [together]: do you first confess your transgressions, that you may be justified.
27 Thy first father sinned, and thine interpreters have transgressed against me.
Your fathers first, and your princes have transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary, and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel a reviling.
And the princes have defiled my sanctuaries: so I gave Jacob [to enemies] to destroy, and Israel to reproach.