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 Jehovah, Thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Fashioner, O Israel, Be not afraid, for I have redeemed thee, I have called on thy 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 into waters, I [am] with thee, And into floods, they do not overflow thee, When thou goest into fire, thou art not burnt, And a flame doth not burn against 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 — Jehovah thy God, The Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour, I have appointed Egypt thine atonement, Cush and Seba in thy 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 thou wast precious in Mine eyes, Thou wast honoured, and I have loved thee, And I appoint men in thy stead, And peoples instead of 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.
Be not afraid, for I [am] with thee, From the east I bring in thy seed, And from the west I gather thee.
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, 'Restrain not.' 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].’
Every one who is called by My name, Even for My honour I have created him, I have formed him, yea, 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 declareth this, And former things causeth us to hear? 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.
Ye [are] My witnesses, an affirmation of Jehovah, And My servant whom I have chosen, So that ye 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 — 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 — I declared, and saved, and proclaimed, And there is no stranger with you, And ye [are] My witnesses, an affirmation of Jehovah, 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 doth turn 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 Jehovah, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: 'For your sake I have sent to Babylon, 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] Jehovah, 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 Jehovah, Who is giving in the sea a way, And in the strong waters a path.
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: 'Together they lie down — they rise not, They have been extinguished, As flax they have been quenched.'
18 But do not think [only] about what happened in the past, long ago [DOU].
Remember not former things, And ancient things consider not.
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.
Lo, I am doing a new thing, now it springeth up, Do ye not know it? Yea, I put in a wilderness a way, 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;
Honour me doth the beast of the field, Dragons and daughters of an ostrich, For I have given in a wilderness waters, 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.
This people I have formed for Myself, My praise they recount.
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 Me thou hast not called, O Jacob, For thou hast 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.
Thou hast not brought in to Me, The lamb of thy burnt-offerings, And [with] thy sacrifices thou hast not honoured Me, I have not caused thee to serve with a present, Nor wearied thee 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).
Thou hast not bought for Me with money sweet cane, And [with] the fat of thy sacrifices hast not filled Me, Only — thou hast caused Me to serve with thy sins, Thou hast 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 [am] He who is blotting out Thy transgressions for Mine own sake, And thy sins I do not remember.
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 thou that thou mayest 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.
Thy first father sinned, And thine 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 pollute princes of the sanctuary, And I give Jacob to destruction, and Israel to revilings!
