Isaiah 43
43
The Lord Has Rescued His People
1Descendants of Jacob,
I, the Lord, created you
and formed your nation.
Israel, don't be afraid.
I have rescued you.
I have called you by name;
now you belong to me.
2When you cross deep rivers,
I will be with you,
and you won't drown.
When you walk through fire,
you won't be burned
or scorched by the flames.
3I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
the God who saves you.
I gave up Egypt, Ethiopia,#43.3 Ethiopia: See the note at 11.11.
and the region of Seba#43.3 Seba: A region in southwest Arabia. Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba probably stood for all that was known of Africa in biblical times.
in exchange for you.
4To me, you are very dear,
and I love you.
That's why I gave up nations
and people to rescue you.
5Don't be afraid! I am with you.
From both east and west
I will bring you together.
6I will say to the north
and to the south,
“Free my sons and daughters!
Let them return
from distant lands.
7They are my people—
I created each of them
to bring honor to me.”
The Lord Alone Is God
The Lord said:
8Bring my people together.
They have eyes and ears,
but they can't see or hear.
9Tell everyone of every nation
to gather around.
None of them can honestly say,
“We told you so!”
If someone heard them say this,
then tell us about it now.
10My people, you are my witnesses
and my chosen servant.
I want you to know me,
to trust me, and understand
that I alone am God.
I have always been God;
there can be no others.
11I alone am the Lord;
only I can rescue you.
12I promised to save you,
and I kept my promise.
You are my witnesses
that no other god did this.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
13I am God now and forever.
No one can snatch you from me
or stand in my way.
The Lord Will Prepare the Way
14I, the Lord, will rescue you!
I am Israel's holy God,
and this is my promise:
For your sake, I will send
an army against Babylon
to drag its people away,
crying as they go.#43.14 crying as they go: Or “in their glorious ships.”
15I am the Lord, your holy God,
Israel's Creator and King.
16I am the one who cut a path
through the mighty ocean.
17I sent an army to chase you
with chariots and horses;
now they lie dead,
unable to move.
They are like an oil lamp
with the flame snuffed out.
Forget the Past
The Lord said:
18Forget what happened long ago!
Don't think about the past.
19I am creating something new.
There it is! Do you see it?
I have put roads in deserts,
streams#43.19 streams: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls “paths.” in thirsty lands.
20Every wild animal honors me,
even jackals#43.20 jackals: Desert animals related to wolves, but smaller. and owls.
I provide water in deserts—
streams in thirsty lands
for my chosen people.
21I made them my own nation,
so they would praise me.
22I, the Lord, said to Israel:
You have become weary of me,
but not from worshiping me.
23You have not honored me
by sacrificing sheep
or other animals.
And I have not burdened you
with demands for sacrifices
or sweet-smelling incense.
24You have not brought
delicious spices for me
or given me the best part
of your sacrificed animals.
Instead, you burden me down
with your terrible sins.
25But I wipe away your sins
because of who I am.
And so, I will forget
the wrongs you have done.
26Meet me in court!
State your case and prove
that you are right.
27Your earliest ancestor#43.27 earliest ancestor: Jacob, also known as Israel.
and all your leaders#43.27 leaders: Probably prophets, but perhaps also priests and kings.
rebelled against me.
28That's why I don't allow
your priests to serve me;
I let Israel be destroyed
and your people disgraced.
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Isaiah 43: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 43
43
1But now, thus said יהוה, your Creator, O Ya‛aqoḇ, and He who formed you, O Yisra’ĕl, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name, you are Mine.
2“When you pass through the waters, I am with you; and through rivers, they do not overflow you. When you walk through fire, you are not scorched, and a flame does not burn you.
3“For I am יהוה your Elohim, the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl, your Saviour; I gave Mitsrayim for your ransom, Kush and Seḇa in your place.
4“Since you were precious in My eyes, you have been esteemed, and I have loved you. And I give men in your place, and peoples for your life.
5“Do not fear, for I am with you. I shall bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west.
6“I shall say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth –
7all those who are called by My Name, whom I have created, formed, even made for My esteem.”
8He shall bring out a blind people who have eyes, and deaf ones who have ears.
9All the nations shall be assembled, and the peoples be gathered. Who among them declares this, and show us former events? Let them give their witnesses, to be declared right; or let them hear and say, “It is truth.”
10“You are My witnesses,” declares יהוה, “And My servant whom I have chosen, so that you know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no Ěl formed, nor after Me there is none.
11“I, I am יהוה, and besides Me there is no saviour.
12“I, I have declared and saved, and made known, and there was no foreign mighty one among you. And you are My witnesses,” declares יהוה, “that I am Ěl.
13“Even from the day I am He, and no one delivers out of My hand. I work, and who turns it back?”
14Thus said יהוה, your Redeemer, the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl, “For your sake I shall send to Baḇel, and bring them all down as fugitives, even the Kasdim, who rejoice in their ships.
15“I am יהוה, your Set-apart One, Creator of Yisra’ĕl, your Sovereign.”
16Thus said יהוה, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters,
17who brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power (they lie down together, they do not rise, they have been extinguished, they have been quenched like a wick):
18“Do not remember the former events, nor consider the events of old.
19“See, I am doing what is new, let it now spring forth. Do you not know it? I am even making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
20“The beast of the field esteems Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I have given waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen,
21this people I have formed for Myself, let them relate My praise.
22“But you have not called on Me, O Ya‛aqoḇ, for you have been weary of Me, O Yisra’ĕl.
23“You have not brought Me the sheep for your ascending offerings, nor have you esteemed Me with your slaughterings. I have not caused you to serve with grain offerings, nor wearied you with incense.
24“You have not bought Me sweet cane with silver, nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your slaughterings. You have only burdened Me with your sins, you have wearied Me with your crookednesses.
25“I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and remember your sins no more.
26“Remind Me, let us enter into judgment, together; relate, that you might be declared right.
27“Your first father sinned, and your interpreters have transgressed against Me.
28“So I have profaned the chief ones of the set-apart place, and I have delivered up Ya‛aqoḇ to the curse, and Yisra’ĕl to scorn.
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