Isaiah 43

1 But now, you people of Israel, listen to Yahweh, the one who established your nation. The one who caused you to become a nation [DOU] says this: “Do not be afraid, because I previously rescued you. I enabled you to have a personal relationship with me [MTY], and you belong to me.

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.

2 When you [experience dangerous situations], and [you feel like] [MET] you are crossing deep rivers, I will be with you. When you have very big troubles/difficulties, you will [LIT] be able to endure them. When [people try to kill you like they tried to kill Daniel’s three friends by] throwing them in a fire, you will not [die, just like Daniel’s three friends were not] burned up,

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.

3 because I am Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel, the one who rescues you. I will enable [the army of the emperor of Persia] to conquer Egypt instead of conquering you; similarly I will enable them to conquer Ethiopia, and Seba [in Arabia], in order that you can be saved.

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

4 I will cause other countries to be conquered, instead of your country; I will trade them for you, in order that you will not be killed, because you are very precious [DOU] to me and because I love you.

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.

5 Do not be afraid, because I am with you. [Some day] I will gather your descendants from the east and from the west.

Do not be afraid, for I [am] with you, I bring in your seed from the east, And I gather you from the west.

6 I will command the [rulers of the nations to] the north and to the south, ‘Allow all the people of Israel to return [to their country], from the most distant places on the earth.

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.

7 Allow all those who belong to me [MTY] to return, because I have caused them to become a nation in order that they would honor me; I am the one who has done that [DOU].’

Everyone who is called by My Name, Even for My glory I have created him, I have formed him, indeed, I have made him.

8 Summon the people who have eyes but [it is as though] they are blind; summon those who have ears but [because they do not listen to me, it is as though] they are deaf.

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

9 Gather people of all nations together, ones from all people-groups, [and ask them this]: ‘Has any of their idols foretold the things that are happening now? And can any of them predict what will happen in the future?’ Then bring people who will testify and say ‘I heard them predict things, and what they predicted was what happened,’ [but they will be lying].”

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.”

10 But Yahweh says, “You people of Israel (are my witnesses/know what I have done), and you are the ones who serve me. I chose you in order that you would know me, believe in me, and understand that I am the only one who is [truly] God. There is no other [true] God. There was no other [true] God previously, and there will never be another [true] God.

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.

11 I, [only] I, am Yahweh, and there is no other one who can save you.

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

12 I said that I would rescue [your ancestors], and then I rescued them, and I proclaimed [that I had done it]. No foreign god among you did that! And you are witnesses that only I, Yahweh, am God.

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.

13 I am God, the one who has existed forever and who will exist forever; no one can snatch people from my hand, and no one can alter/change what I have done.”

Even from the day I [am] He, And there is no deliverer from My hand, I work, and who turns it back?

14 Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, is the one who rescues you; and this is what he says: “For your sake, I will send [an army] to [attack] Babylon. They will force the people of that city to flee in ships which they have been proud of.

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.

15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the one who caused Israel to become a nation, and the one who is really your king.

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

16 I am Yahweh, the one who opened a path through the water, making a road through the [Red] Sea.

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

17 Then I summoned the great army [of Egypt] to come with all their chariots and horses. [But when they tried to pursue my people], I caused the waves to flow over them [and they drowned]; their lives ended [like the light of a candle ends when someone] [MET] snuffs out the wick.

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.”

18 But do not think [only] about what happened in the past, long ago [DOU].

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

19 Instead, consider the new thing that I am going to do. I have already started to do it; can you see it? I am going to make a road through the desert. And I will cause there to be streams in the wasteland/desert.

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.

20 The jackals/wolves and owls and other wild creatures will thank me for giving them water in the desert. I will cause streams to appear in the dry desert in order that my people, the ones whom I have chosen, will have water;

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.

21 I will do that for the people whom I have created [and chosen] to belong to me, and [some day] they will cause many others to praise me.

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

22 But now, you descendants of Jacob, you refuse to request my help. It seems that you people of Israel have become tired of worshiping me.

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

23 You have not brought to me sheep or goats for offerings that will be completely burned [on the altar]; you have not honored me by [bringing to me any] sacrifices, even though the offerings of grain and incense [that I asked you] to bring to me were not a burden to you.

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.

24 You have bought for me fragrant reeds, and you have brought me the fat from your sacrifices. But these have not pleased me, because you have burdened me by all the sins that you have committed, and made me weary because of all (your iniquities/the wrong things that you have done).

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.

25 I am the one who is able to forgive you for all your sins; I am the only one who can do that, with the result that I will never think about them again.

I [am] He who is blotting out Your transgressions for My own sake, And I do not remember your sins.

26 Tell me what I have done that you do not like. Do you think that when you state your case, you will prove that you (are innocent/have done nothing wrong) [IRO]?

Cause Me to remember—we are judged together, Declare that you may be justified.

27 No, [what has happened is that] the first ancestor of you Israelis sinned [against me], and since then, all your leaders have rebelled against me.

Your first father sinned, And your interpreters transgressed against Me,

28 That is why I have caused your priests to be disgraced; and I have allowed others to destroy you people of Israel and caused you to be despised.”

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