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
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.