Isaiæ 43

1 et nunc haec dicit Dominus creans te Iacob et formans te Israhel noli timere quia redemi te et vocavi nomine tuo meus es tu

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.

2 cum transieris per aquas tecum ero et flumina non operient te cum ambulaveris in igne non conbureris et flamma non ardebit in te

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,

3 quia ego Dominus Deus tuus Sanctus Israhel salvator tuus dedi propitiationem tuam Aegyptum Aethiopiam et Saba pro te

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.

4 ex quo honorabilis factus es in oculis meis et gloriosus ego dilexi te et dabo homines pro te et populos pro anima tua

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.

5 noli timere quoniam tecum ego sum ab oriente adducam semen tuum et ab occidente congregabo te

Do not be afraid, because I am with you. [Some day] I will gather your descendants from the east and from the west.

6 dicam aquiloni da et austro noli prohibere adfer filios meos de longinquo et filias meas ab extremis terrae

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.

7 et omnem qui invocat nomen meum in gloriam meam creavi eum et formavi eum et feci eum

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].’

8 educ foras populum caecum et oculos habentem surdum et aures ei sunt

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.

9 omnes gentes congregatae sunt simul et collectae sunt tribus quis in vobis adnuntiet istud et quae prima sunt audire nos faciat dent testes eorum et iustificentur et audiant et dicant vere

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].”

10 vos testes mei dicit Dominus et servus meus quem elegi ut sciatis et credatis mihi et intellegatis quia ego ipse sum ante me non est formatus deus et post me non erit

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.

11 ego sum ego sum Dominus et non est absque me salvator

I, [only] I, am Yahweh, and there is no other one who can save you.

12 ego adnuntiavi et salvavi auditum feci et non fuit in vobis alienus vos testes mei dicit Dominus et ego Deus

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.

13 et ab initio ego ipse et non est qui de manu mea eruat operabor et quis avertet illud

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.”

14 haec dicit Dominus redemptor vester Sanctus Israhel propter vos emisi Babylonem et detraxi vectes universos et Chaldeos in navibus suis gloriantes

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.

15 ego Dominus Sanctus vester creans Israhel Rex vester

I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the one who caused Israel to become a nation, and the one who is really your king.

16 haec dicit Dominus qui dedit in mari viam et in aquis torrentibus semitam

I am Yahweh, the one who opened a path through the water, making a road through the [Red] Sea.

17 qui eduxit quadrigam et equum agmen et robustum simul obdormierunt nec resurgent contriti sunt quasi linum et extincti sunt

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.

18 ne memineritis priorum et antiqua ne intueamini

But do not think [only] about what happened in the past, long ago [DOU].

19 ecce ego facio nova et nunc orientur utique cognoscetis ea ponam in deserto viam et in invio flumina

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.

20 glorificabit me bestia agri dracones et strutiones quia dedi in deserto aquas flumina in invio ut darem potum populo meo electo meo

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;

21 populum istum formavi mihi laudem meam narrabit

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.

22 non me invocasti Iacob nec laborasti in me Israhel

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.

23 non obtulisti mihi arietem holocausti tui et victimis tuis non glorificasti me non te servire feci in oblatione nec laborem tibi praebui in ture

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.

24 non emisti mihi argento calamum et adipe victimarum tuarum non inebriasti me verumtamen servire me fecisti in peccatis tuis praebuisti mihi laborem in iniquitatibus tuis

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).

25 ego sum ego sum ipse qui deleo iniquitates tuas propter me et peccatorum tuorum non recordabor

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.

26 reduc me in memoriam et iudicemur simul narra si quid habes ut iustificeris

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]?

27 pater tuus primus peccavit et interpretes tui praevaricati sunt in me

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.

28 et contaminavi principes sanctos dedi ad internicionem Iacob et Israhel in blasphemiam

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.”