Isaiah 43

1 But now this is what Yahweh says, he who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel: “Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine.

But now, says the Lord your Maker, O Jacob, and your life-giver, O Israel: have no fear, for I have taken up your cause; naming you by your name, I have made you mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned, and the flames will not destroy you.

When you go through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not go over you: when you go through the fire, you will not be burned; and the flame will have no power over you.

3 For I am Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your saviour; I have given Egypt as a price for you, Ethiopia and Seba for you.

4 Since you are precious and special in my sight, I love you; therefore I will give people in exchange for you, and other peoples in exchange for your life.

Because of your value in my eyes, you have been honoured, and loved by me; so I will give men for you, and peoples for your life.

5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west.

Have no fear, for I am with you: I will take your seed from the east, and get you together from the west;

6 I will say to the north, 'Hand them over;' and to the south, 'Do not hold any back;' Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth,

I will say to the north, Give them up; and to the south, Do not keep them back; send back my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth;

7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yes, whom I have made.

Every one who is named by my name, and whom I have made for my glory, who has been formed and designed by me.

8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, and the deaf, even though they have ears.

Send out the blind people who have eyes, and those who have ears, but they are shut.

9 All the nations gather together, and the peoples assemble. Who among them could have declared this and announced to us earlier events? Let them bring their witnesses to prove themselves right, let them listen and affirm, 'It is true.'

Let all the nations come together, and let the peoples be present: who among them is able to make this clear, and give us word of earlier things? let their witnesses come forward, so that they may be seen to be true, and that they may give ear, and say, It is true.

10 You are my witnesses,” declares Yahweh, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe in me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no god formed, and there will be none after me.

You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have taken for myself: so that you may see and have faith in me, and that it may be clear to you that I am he; before me there was no God formed, and there will not be after me.

11 I, I am Yahweh, and there is no savior but me.

I, even I, am the Lord; and there is no saviour but me.

12 I have declared, saved, and proclaimed, and there is no other god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares Yahweh, “I am God.

I gave the word, and made it clear, and there was no strange god among you: for this reason you are my witnesses, says the Lord.

13 From this day on I am he, and no one can rescue anyone from my hand. I act, and who can turn it back?”

From time long past I am God, and from this day I am he: there is no one who is able to take you out of my hand: when I undertake a thing, by whom will my purpose be changed?

14 This is what Yahweh says, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I send to Babylon and lead them all down as fugitives, turning the Babylonians' expressions of joy into songs of lamentation.

The Lord, who has taken up your cause, the Holy One of Israel, says, Because of you I have sent to Babylon, and made all their seers come south, and the Chaldaeans whose cry is in the ships.

15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”

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

16 This is what Yahweh says (who opened a way through the sea and a path in the mighty waters,

This is the word of the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, and a road through the deep waters;

17 who led out the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty host. They fell down together; they will never rise again; they are extinguished, quenched like a burning wick.)

Who sends out the war-carriages and the horses, the army with all its force; they have come down, they will not get up again; like a feebly burning light they are put out.

18 “Do not think about these former things, nor consider the things of long ago.

Give no thought to the things which are past; let the early times go out of your minds.

19 Look, I am about to do a new thing; now it begins to happen; do you not perceive it? I will make a road in the desert and streams of water in the wilderness.

See, I am doing a new thing; now it is starting; will you not take note of it? I will even make a way in the waste land, and rivers in the dry country.

20 The wild animals of the field will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, for my chosen people to drink,

The beasts of the field will give me honour, the jackals and the ostriches: because I send out waters in the waste land, and rivers in the dry country, to give drink to the people whom I have taken for myself:

21 this people whom I formed for myself, that they might recount my praises.

Even the people whom I made to be the witnesses of my praise.

22 But you have not called on me, Jacob; you have become tired of me, Israel.

But you have made no prayer to me, O Jacob: and you have given no thought to me, O Israel.

23 You have not brought me any of your sheep as burnt offerings, or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with grain offerings, nor wearied you with demands for incense.

You have not made me burned offerings of sheep, or given me honour with your offerings of beasts; I did not make you servants to give me an offering, and I did not make you tired with requests for perfumes.

24 You have bought me no sweet-smelling cane with money, neither have you poured out to me the fat of your sacrifices; but you have burdened me with your sins, you have wearied me with your evil deeds.

You have not got me sweet-smelling plants with your money, or given me pleasure with the fat of your offerings: but you have made me a servant to your sins, and you have made me tired with your evil doings.

25 I, yes, I, am he who blots out your offenses for my own sake; and I will not call to mind your sins any longer.

I, even I, am he who takes away your sins; and I will no longer keep your evil doings in mind.

26 Remind me of what happened. Let us debate together; present your cause, that you may be proved innocent.

Put me in mind of this; let us take up the cause between us: put forward your cause, so that you may be seen to be in the right.

27 Your first father sinned, and your leaders have transgressed against me.

Your first father was a sinner, and your guides have gone against my word.

28 Therefore I will defile the holy officials; I will hand Jacob over to complete destruction, and Israel to abusive humiliation.”

Your chiefs have made my holy place unclean, so I have made Jacob a curse, and Israel a thing of shame.