Isaiah 43
43
God Is Always With His People
1Jacob, the Lord created you. Israel, he made you, and now he says, “Don’t be afraid. I saved you. I named you. You are mine. 2When you have troubles, I am with you. When you cross rivers, you will not be hurt. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not hurt you. 3That’s because I, the Lord, am your God. I, the Holy One of Israel, am your Savior. I gave Egypt to pay for you. I gave Ethiopia and Seba to make you mine. 4You are precious to me, and I have given you a special place of honor. I love you. That’s why I am willing to trade others, to give up whole nations, to save your life.
5“So don’t be afraid, because I am with you. I will gather your children and bring them to you. I will gather them from the east and from the west. 6I will tell the north: Give my people to me. I will tell the south: Don’t keep my people in prison. Bring my sons and daughters to me from the faraway places. 7Bring to me all the people who are mine—the people who have my name. I made them for myself. I made them, and they are mine.
8“Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind. Bring out the people who have ears but are deaf.#43:8 blind … deaf This probably means the Israelites who would not believe God. See Isa. 6:9-10. 9All people and all nations should also be gathered together. Which of their gods said this would happen? Which of their gods would tell what happened in the beginning? They should bring their witnesses. The witnesses should speak the truth. This will show they are right.”
10The Lord says, “You people are my witnesses and the servant I chose. I chose you so that you would help people believe me. I chose you so that you would understand that ‘I Am He’—I am the true God. There was no God before me, and there will be no God after me. 11I myself am the Lord, and there is no other Savior. 12I am the one who spoke to you, saved you, and told you those things. It was not some stranger who was with you. You are my witnesses, and I am God.” (This is what the Lord himself said.) 13“I have always been God. When I do something, no one can change what I have done. And no one can save people from my power.”
14The Lord, the Holy One of Israel, saves you, and he says, “I will send armies to Babylon for you. Many people will be captured. Those Chaldeans will be taken away in their own boats. (They are so proud of those boats.)#43:14 I will send … boats Or with minor changes to the Hebrew, “I will send someone against Babylon to break open the gates, and the shouts of victory from the Chaldeans will be changed to crying.” 15I am the Lord your Holy One. I made Israel. I am your King.”
God Will Save His People Again
16The Lord is making roads through the sea. He is making a path for his people, even through rough waters. The Lord says, 17“Those who fight against me with their chariots, horses, and armies will be defeated. They will never rise again. They will be destroyed. They will be put out like the flame in a lamp. 18So don’t remember what happened in earlier times. Don’t think about what happened a long time ago, 19because I am doing something new! Now you will grow like a new plant. Surely you know this is true. I will even make a road in the desert, and rivers will flow through that dry land. 20The wild animals will thank me. The large animals and birds will honor me when I put water in the desert and make rivers flow through that dry land. I will do this to give water to my chosen people. 21I made them, and they will sing songs of praise to me.
22“Jacob, you did not pray to me. Israel, you became tired of me. 23You have not brought your sheep as sacrifices to me. You have not honored me with your sacrifices. I did not force you to give gifts to me like slaves. I did not force you to burn incense until you became tired. 24So you did not use your money to buy things to honor me. But you did force me to be like your slave. You sinned until the bad things you did made me very tired.
25“I, I am the one who wipes away all your sins. I do this to please myself. I will not remember your sins. 26But you should remember me. Let’s meet together and decide what is right. Tell your story and prove that you are innocent. 27Your first father sinned, and your lawyers#43:27 lawyers Or “speakers,” people who argue a person’s case in court. This might refer to priests or prophets. committed crimes against me. 28I will make your Temple leaders unfit to serve there. I will destroy Jacob.#43:28 destroy Jacob Or “I will make Jacob completely mine.” Bad things will happen to Israel.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Isaiah 43
43
Israel Redeemed
1But now, this is what the Lord, your Creator says, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you [from captivity];
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt [to the Babylonians] as your ransom,
Cush (ancient Ethiopia) and Seba [its province] in exchange for you.
4Because you are precious in My sight,
You are honored and I love you,
I will give other men in return for you and other peoples in exchange for your life.
5Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east [where they are scattered],
And gather you from the west.
6I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My sons from far way
And My daughters from the ends of the earth,
7Everyone who is called by My Name,
Whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
Israel Is God’s Witness
8Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
And the deaf, even though they have ears.
9All the nations have gathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled.
Who among them (the idolaters) can #Lit announce.predict this [that Judah would return from captivity]
And proclaim to us the former events?
Let them provide their witnesses so that they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say [in acknowledgement], “It is the truth.”
10“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
11I, [only] I, am the Lord,
And there is no Savior besides Me.
12I have declared [the future] and saved [the nation] and proclaimed [that I am God],
And there was no strange (alien) god among you;
Therefore you are My witnesses [among the pagans],” declares the Lord,
“That I am God.
13Even from eternity I am He,
And there is no one who can rescue from My hand;
I act, and who can revoke or reverse it?”
Babylon to Be Destroyed
14This is what the Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says,
“For your sake I have sent [one] to Babylon,
And I will bring down all of them as fugitives,
Even the Chaldeans [who reign in Babylon], into the ships #Lit of their rejoicing.over which they rejoiced.
15I am the Lord, your Holy One,
The Creator of Israel, your King.”
16This is what the Lord says,
He who makes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
17He who brings out the chariot and the horse,
The army and the mighty warrior,
(They will lie down together, they will not rise again;
They have been extinguished, they have been put out like a lamp’s wick):
18“Do not remember the former things,
Or ponder the things of the past.
19Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even put a road in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.
20The beasts of the field will honor Me,
Jackals and ostriches,
Because I have given waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
21The people whom I formed for Myself
Will make known My praise.
The Shortcomings of Israel
22“Yet you have not called on Me [in prayer and worship], O Jacob;
But you have grown weary of Me, O Israel.
23You have not brought Me your sheep or goats for your burnt offerings,
Nor honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
Nor wearied you with [demands for offerings of] incense.
24You have not bought Me sweet cane with money,
Nor have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
But you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have wearied Me with your wickedness.
25“I, only I, am He who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins.
26 # Or Report to Me. Remind Me [of your merits with a thorough report], let us plead and argue our case together;
State your position, that you may be proved right.
27Your first father [Jacob] sinned,
And your spokesmen [the priests and the prophets—your mediators] have transgressed against Me.
28So I will #Or pierce.profane the officials of the sanctuary,
And I will consign Jacob to destruction and [I will subject] Israel to defamation and abuse.
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