Isaiah 43
43
1But 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! 2When 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. 3For 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. 4Because 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.
5Don'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. 6I 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. 7Bring back everyone who bears my name, those I created for my honor, those I formed and made.
8Bring back those who have eyes but are blind, those who have ears but are deaf. 9Have 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!’#43:9. This refers back to the previous chapter and the inability of the idols to predict the future, as God has just done. Clearly nobody could meet God's challenge.
10However, 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.#43:10. “I am God”: literally, “I am he.” Also in verse 25. No god preceded me, and none will come after me. 11I, yes I am the Lord, and there is no Savior apart from me. 12I 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. 13I am God from the beginning.#43:13. “I am God from the beginning”: literally, “Before the day was I am he.” No one can snatch anybody from my hand. No one can reverse what I do.
14This 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.#43:14. The Hebrew of the last part of this verse is obscure. 15I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, and your King. 16This is what the Lord says, the one who makes a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters; 17the one who brought out a great army with its horses and chariots and laid them down, never to rise again, snuffed out like a burning wick.
18But don't dwell on the past; don't concentrate on what happened back then. 19Just 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! 20The 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. 21I made this people for myself so that through their praise for me they could make me known.
22But you haven't called on me for help, Jacob. You've grown tired of me, Israel. 23You 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. 24You haven't used your money to buy scented calamus;#43:24. “Calamus”: a sweet-smelling plant used in perfumes and ancient medicines. 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. 25I, yes I am the God who wipes out your sins because of who I am, and who doesn't remember your sins any more. 26Remind me of the evidence so we can come to a decision together! Present your case to prove that you're right! 27Your very first father sinned, and your leaders rebelled against me. 28So I treated the priests of the sanctuary with contempt, and I handed Jacob over to be destroyed, and Israel to be scorned.”
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Isaiah 43
43
1 BUT NOW [in spite of past judgments for Israel's sins], thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are 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 or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.
3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt [to the Babylonians] for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba [a province of Ethiopia] in exchange [for your release].
4 Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east [where they are dispersed] and gather you from the west. [Acts 18:10.]
6 I will say to the north, Give up! and to the south, Keep not back. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth–
7 Even everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, whom I have made.
8 Bring forth the blind people who have eyes and the deaf who have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together and let the peoples be assembled. Who among [the idolaters] could predict this [that Cyrus would be the deliverer of Israel] and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified, or let them hear and acknowledge, It is the truth. [Ps. 123:3, 4.]
10 You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know Me, believe Me and remain steadfast to Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.
12 I have declared [the future] and have saved [the nation in times of danger], and I have shown [that I am God]–when there was no strange and alien god among you; therefore you are My witnesses, says the Lord, that I am God.
13 Yes, from the time of the first existence of day and from this day forth I am He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand. I will work, and who can hinder or reverse it?
14 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent [one] to Babylon, and I will bring down all of them as fugitives, [with] all their nobles, even the Chaldeans, into the ships over which they rejoiced.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus says the Lord, Who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings forth chariot and horse, army and mighty warrior. They lie down together, they cannot rise; they are extinguished, they are quenched like a lampwick:
18 Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
20 The beasts of the field honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen, [Isa. 41:17, 18; 48:21.]
21 The people I formed for Myself, that they may set forth My praise [and they shall do it].
22 Yet you have not called upon Me [much less toiled for Me], O Jacob; but you have been weary of Me, O Israel!
23 You have not brought Me your sheep and goats for burnt offerings, or honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not required you to serve with an offering or treated you as a slave by demanding tribute or wearied you with offering incense.
24 You have not bought Me sweet cane with money, or satiated Me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have only burdened Me with your sins; you have wearied Me with your iniquities.
25 I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put Me in remembrance [remind Me of your merits]; let us plead and argue together. Set forth your case, that you may be justified (proved right).
27 Your first father [Jacob, in particular] sinned, and your teachers [the priests and the prophets–your mediators] transgressed against Me.
28 And so I will profane the chief ones of the sanctuary and will deliver Jacob to the curse (the ban, a solemn anathema or excommunication) and [will subject] Israel to reproaches and reviling.
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation