Isaiah 43

1 But now this is what the Lord says to Jacob, the one who created you; to Israel, the one who formed you: “Don't be afraid! I have saved you! I have called you by name; you are mine!

And now thus says the Lord who created you, O Jacob, and who formed you, O Israel: Do not be afraid. For I have redeemed you, and I have called you by your name. You are mine.

2 When you walk through the water, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they won't flood over you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you on fire.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not cover you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, and the flames will not scorch you.

3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt to pay for your freedom; I traded Ethiopia and Seba for you.

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have presented Egypt as your atonement, Ethiopia and Seba on your behalf.

4 Because you are so valuable to me, because I honor you, and because I love you, I give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your lives.

Since then, you have become honorable in my eyes, and glorious. I have loved you, and I will present men on behalf of you, and people on behalf of your life.

5 Don't be afraid, for I am with you! I will bring you and your children from the east and the west, and gather you together.

Fear not, for I am with you. I will lead your offspring from the East, and I will gather you from the West.

6 I will tell the north, ‘Hand them over!’ and the south, ‘Don't stop them!’ Bring my sons back from far away and my daughters from distant lands.

I will say to the North, “Release him,” and to the South, “Do not turn him away.” Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.

7 Bring back everyone who bears my name, those I created for my honor, those I formed and made.

And each one who calls upon my name, I have created for my glory. I have formed him, and I have made him.

8 Bring back those who have eyes but are blind, those who have ears but are deaf.

Lead forth the people who are blind and have eyes, who are deaf and have ears.

9 Have all the nations gather together! Have all the peoples assemble! Who among them could have said this, and predict what was going to happen? Have them bring their witnesses to prove that they're right. Then have them listen, and say, ‘It's true!’

All the nations have been assembled together, and the tribes have been collected. Who among you will announce this, and who will cause us to listen to the things that are first? Let them present their witnesses. Let them act justly, and listen, and say: “It is true.”

10 However, you are my witnesses, the Lord declares, and my chosen servant, so that you can think about it, and believe me and understand that I am God. No god preceded me, and none will come after me.

You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and you are my servant, whom I have chosen, so that you may know, and may believe in me, and so that you may understand that I am the same. Before me, there was no god formed, and after me there will be none.

11 I, yes I am the Lord, and there is no Savior apart from me.

I am. I am the Lord. And there is no savior apart from me.

12 I predicted what was going to happen, then I saved you, then I announced it—there was no foreign god among you that did this. You are my witnesses that I am God, declares the Lord.

I have announced, and I have saved. I have caused it to be heard. And there was no stranger among you. You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and I am God.

13 I am God from the beginning. No one can snatch anybody from my hand. No one can reverse what I do.

And from the beginning, I am the same. And there is no one who can rescue from my hand. I act, and who can turn it aside?

14 This is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: For your sake I will send attackers against Babylon and bring them down. All the Babylonians will be like fugitives, escaping in the ships they're so proud of.

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake, I sent to Babylon, and tore down all their bars, with the Chaldeans who glory in their ships.

15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, and your King.

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

16 This is what the Lord says, the one who makes a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters;

Thus says the Lord, who gave you a way through the sea and a path through the torrent of waters,

17 the one who brought out a great army with it horses and chariots and lay them down, never to rise again, snuffed out like a burning wick.

who led out the chariot and the horse, the column of robust troops. They went to sleep together, and they will not arise. They have been crushed like flax, and they have been extinguished.

18 But don't dwell on the past; don't concentrate on what happened back then.

You need not call to mind the past, nor consider the things of antiquity.

19 Just look at something new I'm going to do now! In fact it's started already. Can't you see it? Yes, I'm making a way through the wilderness, rivers in the desert!

Behold, I am accomplishing new things. And presently, they will spring forth. With certainty, you will know them. I will make a way in the desert, and rivers in an impassible place.

20 The wild animals will be grateful to me, the jackals and the owls, because I'm providing water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, so my people, my chosen people, can drink.

The wild beasts of the field will glorify me, with the serpents and the ostriches. For I have brought waters to the desert, rivers to inaccessible places, in order to give drink to my people, to my elect.

21 I made this people for myself so that through their praise for me they could make me known.

This is the people whom I have formed for myself. They will speak my praise.

22 But you haven't called on me for help, Jacob. You've grown tired of me, Israel.

But you have not called upon me, O Jacob, nor have you struggled for me, O Israel.

23 You haven't brought me sheep for burnt offerings; you haven't honored me with your sacrifices. I haven't burdened you by asking for grain offerings; I haven't tired you out by demanding incense.

You have not offered me the ram of your holocaust, and you have not glorified me with your victims. I have not burdened you with oblations, nor have I wearied you with incense.

24 You haven't used your money to buy scented calamus; you have not pleased me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead you have burdened me with your sins, and tired me out with your guilt.

You have bought me no sweet cane with money, and you have not inebriated me with the fat of your victims. Yet truly, you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.

25 I, yes I am the God who wipes out your sins because of who I am, and who doesn't remember your sins any more.

I am. I am the very One who wipes away your iniquities for my own sake. And I will not remember your sins.

26 Remind me of the evidence so we can come to a decision together! Present your case to prove that you're right!

Call me to mind, and let us go to judgment together. If you have anything to justify yourself, explain it.

27 Your very first father sinned, and your leaders rebelled against me.

Your first father sinned, and your interpreters have betrayed me.

28 So I treated the priests of the sanctuary with contempt, and I handed Jacob over to be destroyed, and Israel to be scorned.”

And so, I have defiled the holy leaders. I have handed over Jacob to slaughter, and Israel to calumny.