Isaiah 43
43
Don’t fear
1But now, says the LORD—
the one who created you, Jacob,
the one who formed you, Israel:
Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are mine.
2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
when through the rivers, they won’t sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you won’t be scorched
and flame won’t burn you.
3I am the LORD your God,
the holy one of Israel, your savior.
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your place.
4Because you are precious in my eyes,
you are honored, and I love you.
I give people in your place,
and nations in exchange for your life.
5Don’t fear,
I am with you.
From the east I’ll bring your children;
from the west I’ll gather you.
6I’ll say to the north, “Give them back!”
and to the south, “Don’t detain them.”
Bring my sons from far away,
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
7everyone who is called by my name
and whom I created for my glory,
whom I have formed and made.
8Bring out the blind people who have eyes,
the deaf ones who have ears.
9All the nations are gathered together;
the peoples are assembled.
Which of them announced this?
Who predicted to us the past events?
Let them bring their witnesses as a defense;
let them hear and say, “It’s true!”
10You are my witnesses, says the LORD,
my servant, whom I chose,
so that you would know and believe me
and understand that I am the one.
Before me no god was formed;
after me there has been no other.
11I, I am the LORD,
and there is no savior besides me.
12I announced, I saved, I proclaimed,
not some stranger among you.
You are my witnesses, says the LORD,
and I am God.
13From the dawn of time, I am the one.
No one can escape my power.
I act, and who can undo it?
Don’t remember
14The LORD your redeemer,
the holy one of Israel, says,
For your sake, I have sent an army#43.14 Heb lacks an army. to Babylon,
and brought down all the bars,
turning the Chaldeans’ singing into a lament.#43.14 Heb uncertain
15I am the LORD, your holy one,
Israel’s creator, your king!
16The LORD says—who makes a way in the sea
and a path in the mighty waters,
17who brings out chariot and horse,
army and battalion;
they will lie down together and will not rise;
they will be extinguished, extinguished like a wick.
18Don’t remember the prior things;
don’t ponder ancient history.
19Look! I’m doing a new thing;
now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the desert,
paths#43.19 DSS (1QIsaa); MT streams in the wilderness.
20The beasts of the field,
the jackals and ostriches, will honor me,
because I have put water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness
to give water to my people,
my chosen ones,
21this people whom I formed for myself,
who will recount my praise.
22But you didn’t call out to me, Jacob;
you were tired of me, Israel.
23You didn’t bring me lambs for your entirely burned offering;
you didn’t honor me with your sacrifices.
I didn’t make you worship with offerings;
I didn’t weary you with frankincense.
24You didn’t buy spices for me with your money,
or satisfy me with the fat of your sacrifices.
Instead, you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied me with your evil actions.
25I, I am the one who wipes out your rebellious behavior for my sake. I won’t remember your sin.
26Summon me, and let’s go to trial together;
you tell your story so that you may be vindicated!
27Your first ancestor sinned,
and your officials rebelled against me.
28So I made the holy officials impure,
handed over Jacob to destruction and Israel to abuse.
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Isaiah 43: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 43
43
God Promises to Rescue his People
1Israel, the LORD who created you says,
“Do not be afraid — I will save you.
I have called you by name — you are mine.
2When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you;
your troubles will not overwhelm you.
When you pass through fire, you will not be burnt;
the hard trials that come will not hurt you.
3For I am the LORD your God,
the holy God of Israel, who saves you.
I will give up Egypt to set you free;
I will give up Ethiopia#43.3 Ethiopia: See Word List. and Seba.
4I will give up whole nations to save your life,
because you are precious to me
and because I love you and give you honour.
5Do not be afraid — I am with you!
“From the distant east and the farthest west,
I will bring your people home.
6I will tell the north to let them go
and the south not to hold them back.
Let my people return from distant lands,
from every part of the world.
7They are my own people,
and I created them to bring me glory.”
Israel is the LORD's Witness
8God says,
“Summon my people to court.
They have eyes, but they are blind;
they have ears, but they are deaf!
9Summon the nations to come to the trial.
Which of their gods can predict the future?
Which of them foretold what is happening now?
Let these gods bring in their witnesses
to prove that they are right,
to testify to the truth of their words.
10“People of Israel, you are my witnesses;
I chose you to be my servant,
so that you would know me and believe in me
and understand that I am the only God.
Besides me there is no other god;
there never was and never will be.
11“I alone am the LORD,
the only one who can save you.
12I predicted what would happen,
and then I came to your aid.
No foreign god has ever done this;
you are my witnesses.
13I am God and always will be.
No one can escape from my power;
no one can change what I do.”
Escape from Babylon
14Israel's holy God, the LORD who saves you, says,
“To save you, I will send an army against Babylon;
I will break down the city gates,
and the shouts of her people will turn into crying.
15I am the LORD, your holy God.
I created you, Israel, and I am your king.”
16Long ago the LORD made a road through the sea,
a path through the swirling waters.
17He led a mighty army to destruction,
an army of chariots and horses.
Down they fell, never to rise,
snuffed out like the flame of a lamp!
18But the LORD says,
“Do not cling to events of the past
or dwell on what happened long ago.
19Watch for the new thing I am going to do.
It is happening already — you can see it now!
I will make a road through the wilderness
and give you streams of water there.
20Even the wild animals will honour me;
jackals and ostriches will praise me
when I make rivers flow in the desert
to give water to my chosen people.
21They are the people I made for myself,
and they will sing my praises!”
Israel's Sin
22The LORD says,
“But you were tired of me, Israel;
you did not worship me.
23You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep;
you did not honour me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you by demanding offerings
or wear you out by asking for incense.
24You didn't buy incense for me
or satisfy me with the fat of your animals.
Instead you burdened me with your sins;
you wore me out with the wrongs you committed.
25And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins,
and I do this because of who I am.
I will not hold your sins against you.
26“Let us go to court; bring your accusation!
Present your case to prove you are in the right!
27Your earliest ancestor#43.27 your earliest ancestor: A reference either to Jacob or to Abraham, or possibly to Adam. sinned;
your leaders sinned against me,
28and your rulers profaned#43.28 One ancient translation your rulers profaned; Hebrew I profaned the rulers of. my sanctuary.
So I brought destruction on Israel;
I let my own people be insulted.”
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.