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’s Only Savior
1Now this is what the Lord says—
He who created you, O Jacob,
and He who formed you, O Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; you are Mine!
2When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you go through the rivers,
they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be scorched;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush #43:3 That is, the upper Nile region and Seba in your place.
4Because you are precious and honored in My sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you
and nations in place of your life.
5Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east
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 afar,
and My daughters from the ends of the earth—
7everyone called by My name and created for My glory,
whom I have indeed formed and made.”
8Bring out a people who have eyes but are blind,
and who have ears but are deaf.
9All the nations gather together
and the peoples assemble.
Who among them can declare this,
and proclaim to us the former things?
Let them present their witnesses to vindicate them,
so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and My servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may consider and believe Me
and understand that I am He.
Before Me no god was formed,
and after Me none will come.
11I, yes I, am the Lord,
and there is no Savior but Me.
12I alone decreed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“that I am God.
13Even from eternity I am He,
and none can deliver out of My hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”
A Way in the Wilderness
14Thus says the Lord your Redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake, I will send to Babylon
and bring them all as fugitives,
even the Chaldeans,#43:14 That is, the Babylonians
in the ships in which they rejoice.
15I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, and your King.”
16Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea
and a path through the surging waters,
17who brings out the chariots and horses,
the armies and warriors together,
to lie down, never to rise again;
to be extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
18“Do not call to mind the former things;
pay no attention to the things of old.
19Behold, I am about to do something new;
even now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
20The beasts of the field will honor Me,
the jackals #43:20 Or serpents or dragons and the ostriches,#43:20 Literally and daughters of an ostrich or and daughters of an owl
because I provide water in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert,
to give drink to My chosen people.
21The people I formed for Myself
will declare My praise.
Israel’s Unfaithfulness
(Judges 2:10–15; Jeremiah 2:23–37)
22But you have not called on Me, O Jacob,
because you have grown weary of Me, O Israel.
23You have not brought Me sheep for burnt offerings,
nor honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
nor wearied you with frankincense.
24You have not bought Me sweet cane with your silver,
nor satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened Me with your sins;
you have wearied Me with your iniquities.
25I, yes I, am He
who blots out your transgressions for My own sake
and remembers your sins no more.
26Remind Me, let us argue the matter together.
State your case, so that you may be vindicated.
27Your first father sinned,
and your spokesmen rebelled against Me.
28So I will disgrace the princes of your sanctuary,
and I will devote Jacob to destruction #43:28 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering. and Israel to reproach.”
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The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain.