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.
But now thus saith Jehovah, that created thee, O Jacob, That formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by name; thou art 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 thou passest through waters, I will be with thee; And through rivers, they shall not overflow thee; When thou walkest through fire, thou shalt not be burned, And the flame shall not consume thee.
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 am Jehovah, thy God, The Holy One of Israel, thy saviour. I will give Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee;
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.
Because thou art precious in my sight, Because thou art honored, and I love thee, Therefore will I give men for thee, And nations for thy 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.
Fear not, for I am with thee! I will bring thy children from the East, And gather thee 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 will say to the North, “Give them up!” And to the South, “Withhold them not! Bring my sons from afar, And my daughters from the ends 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].’
Every one that is called by my name, That I have created for my glory, That I have formed and made!”
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.
Bring forth the blind people, having eyes, And the deaf, having 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].”
Let all the nations be gathered together, And the kingdoms be assembled! Who among them hath declared this, And can show us former predictions? Let them produce their witnesses that they are right; That men may hear, and say, It is true!
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.
Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, And my servant whom I have chosen, That ye may know and believe me, And understand that I am He. Before me was no god formed, And after me there shall be none.
11 I, [only] I, am Yahweh, and there is no other one who can save you.
I, I am Jehovah, And besides me there is no saviour.
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 have declared and have saved; I made it known, when there was no strange god among you; Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, That 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 beginning of time I have been He, And none can rescue from my hand; I undertake, and who can hinder?
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 saith Jehovah, Your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sakes have I sent to Babylon, And caused all her fugitives, And the Chaldeans, to descend to the ships of their delight.
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, Jehovah, am your Holy One, The 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 saith Jehovah, —He that made a way in the sea, And a path in the mighty 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.
That caused the chariot and the horse, the army and the forces, to march forth; There they lay down together; they rose no more; They were extinguished; they were quenched like a torch; —
18 But do not think [only] about what happened in the past, long ago [DOU].
Remember not the former things; The things of old regard no more!
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 do a new thing; Now shall it spring forth; yea, ye shall see it. Behold, I make a way in the wilderness, And streams in the desert;
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 beasts of the forest shall honor me, The jackals and the ostriches; For I make rivers in the wilderness And streams in the desert, 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.
This people, which I have formed for myself Shall make known 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.
Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, So as to have wearied thyself for 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.
Thou hast not brought me thy lambs for a burnt-offering, Nor honored me with thy sacrifices; I have not burdened thee with oblations, Nor wearied thee with incense;
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).
Thou hast bought me no sweet-smelling reed with silver, Neither hast thou satisfied me with the fat of thy sacrifices; With thy sins hast thou burdened me, And wearied me with thine 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, I myself, blot out thy transgressions for my own sake, And will not remember thy 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]?
Put me in remembrance; let us plead together; Speak that thou mayst justify thyself.
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.
Thy forefathers sinned, And thy teachers were rebellious 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.”
Therefore have I profaned the princes of the sanctuary, And given up Jacob to a curse, And Israel to reproach.
