Esias 43

1 And now thus says the Lord God that made you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel, Fear not: 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 And if you pass through water, I am with you; and the rivers shall not overflow you: and if you go through fire, you shall not be burned; the flame shall not burn 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 the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, that saves you: I have made Egypt and Ethiopia your ransom, and [given] Soene 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 became precious in my sight, you have become glorious, and I have loved you: and I will give men for you, and princes 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 Fear not; for I am with you: I will bring your seed from the east, and will 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, Bring; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from the [land] afar off, and my daughters from the ends 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 [even] all who are called by my name: for I have prepared him for my glory, and I have formed him, and have made him:

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 and I have brought forth the blind people; for [their] eyes are alike blind, and they that have ears are deaf.

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

9 All the nations are gathered together, and princes shall be gathered out of them: who will declare these things? or who will declare to you things from the beginning? let them bring forth their witnesses, and be justified; and let them hear, and declare the truth.

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 Be you my witnesses, and I [too am] a witness, says the Lord God, and my servant whom I have chosen: that you may know, and believe, and understand that I am [he]: before me there was no other God, and after me there shall be none.

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 am God; and beside me there is no Saviour.

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

12 I have declared, and have saved; I have reproached, and there was no strange [god] among you: you are my witnesses, and I am the Lord 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 even from the beginning; and there is none that can deliver out of my hands: I will work, and who shall 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 Thus says the Lord God that redeems you, the Holy One of Israel; for your sakes I will send to Babylon, and I will stir up all that flee, and the Chaldeans shall be bound in ships.

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 the Lord God, your Holy One, who have appointed for Israel your king.

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

16 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty water;

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

17 who brought forth chariots and horse, and a mighty multitude: but they have lain down, and shall not rise: they are extinct, as quenched flax.

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 Remember you not the former things, and consider not the ancient things.

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

19 Behold, I [will] do new things, which shall presently spring forth, and you shall know them: and I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the dry land.

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 beasts of the field shall bless me, the owls and young ostriches; for I have given water in the wilderness, and rivers in the dry land, to give drink to my chosen race,

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 my people whom I have preserved to tell forth my praises.

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

22 I have not now called you, O Jacob; neither have I made you weary, O 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 the sheep of your whole burnt offering; neither have you glorified me with your sacrifices. I have not caused you to serve with sacrifices, neither have I wearied you with frankincense.

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 Neither have you purchased for me victims for silver, neither have I desired the fat of your sacrifices: but you did stand before me in your sins, and in your iniquities.

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, [even] I, am he that blots out your transgressions for mine own sake, and your sins; and I will not remember [them].

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

26 But do you remember, and let us plead [together]: do you first confess your transgressions, that you may be justified.

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 fathers first, and your princes have transgressed against me.

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

28 And the princes have defiled my sanctuaries: so I gave Jacob [to enemies] to destroy, and Israel to reproach.

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