Isaiah 43
43
When You’re Between a Rock and a Hard Place
1-4But now, God’s Message,
the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
the One who got you started, Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me!
That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.
5-7“So don’t be afraid: I’m with you.
I’ll round up all your scattered children,
pull them in from east and west.
I’ll send orders north and south:
‘Send them back.
Return my sons from distant lands,
my daughters from faraway places.
I want them back, every last one who bears my name,
every man, woman, and child
Whom I created for my glory,
yes, personally formed and made each one.’”
* * *
8-13Get the blind and deaf out here and ready—
the blind (though there’s nothing wrong with their eyes)
and the deaf (though there’s nothing wrong with their ears).
Then get the other nations out here and ready.
Let’s see what they have to say about this,
how they account for what’s happened.
Let them present their expert witnesses
and make their case;
let them try to convince us what they say is true.
“But you are my witnesses.” God’s Decree.
“You’re my handpicked servant
So that you’ll come to know and trust me,
understand both that I am and who I am.
Previous to me there was no such thing as a god,
nor will there be after me.
I, yes I, am God.
I’m the only Savior there is.
I spoke, I saved, I told you what existed
long before these upstart gods appeared on the scene.
And you know it, you’re my witnesses,
you’re the evidence.” God’s Decree.
“Yes, I am God.
I’ve always been God
and I always will be God.
No one can take anything from me.
I make; who can unmake it?”
You Didn’t Even Do the Minimum
14-15 God, your Redeemer,
The Holy of Israel, says:
“Just for you, I will march on Babylon.
I’ll turn the tables on the Babylonians.
Instead of whooping it up,
they’ll be wailing.
I am God, your Holy One,
Creator of Israel, your King.”
16-21This is what God says,
the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
they lie down and then can’t get up;
they’re snuffed out like so many candles:
“Forget about what’s happened;
don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’
—the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
rivers through the sunbaked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
the people I made especially for myself,
a people custom-made to praise me.
22-24“But you didn’t pay a bit of attention to me, Jacob.
You so quickly tired of me, Israel.
You wouldn’t even bring sheep for offerings in worship.
You couldn’t be bothered with sacrifices.
It wasn’t that I asked that much from you.
I didn’t expect expensive presents.
But you didn’t even do the minimum—
so stingy with me, so closefisted.
Yet you haven’t been stingy with your sins.
You’ve been plenty generous with them—and I’m fed up.
25“But I, yes I, am the one
who takes care of your sins—that’s what I do.
I don’t keep a list of your sins.
26-28“So, make your case against me. Let’s have this out.
Make your arguments. Prove you’re in the right.
Your original ancestor started the sinning,
and everyone since has joined in.
That’s why I had to disqualify the Temple leaders,
repudiate Jacob and discredit Israel.”
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Isaiah 43: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Isaiah 43
43
The Restorer of Israel
1But now thus says Yahweh,
he who created you, Jacob,
and he who formed you, Israel:
“You must not fear, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by your name; you are mine.#Literally “to me you”
2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
and through the rivers, they shall not flow over you.
When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not scorch#Or “burn” you.
3For I am Yahweh, your God,
the holy one of Israel, your savior.
I give you Egypt as ransom,
Cush and Seba in place of you.
4Because you are precious in my eyes,
you are honored, and I myself love you,
and I give people in place of you,
and nations in place of your life.
5You must not fear,
for I am with you.
I will bring your offspring#Literally “seed” from the east,
and I will gather you from the west.
6I will say to the north, ‘Give!’
and to the south, ‘You must not withhold!’
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 formed,
indeed whom I made.”
8Bring out the people blind yet#Or “and” with eyes,
and deaf, though#Or “and” they have ears.
9Let all the nations gather together,
and let the peoples assemble.
Who among them has declared this,
and declared#Literally “caused to hear” the former things to us?
Let them bring#Or “give” their witnesses, that#Or “and” they may be in the right,
and let them hear and say, “It is true!”
10“You are my witnesses,” declares#Literally “declaration of” Yahweh,
“and my servant whom I have chosen
so that you may know and believe in#Literally “to” me
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me#Literally “my face”,
and none shall be after me.
11I myself am Yahweh,
and there is no savior besides me!
12I myself declared and saved,
and I proclaimed.#Literally “caused to hear” And there was no strange god#Literally “stranger” among you.
And you are my witnesses,” declares#Literally “declaration of” Yahweh,
“and I am God.
13Indeed, from this day I am the one,
and no one can deliver from my hand.
I perform,#Or “make” and who can cancel it?”#Literally “bring it back”
Yahweh Rescues His People
14Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer,
the holy one of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon,
and I will cause all of them to fall down as fugitives,
and the Chaldeans,#Literally “Chaldea” their rejoicing on the ships.
15I am Yahweh, your holy one,
the creator of Israel, your king.”
16Thus says Yahweh, who makes#Literally “gives” a way in the sea
and a path in the mighty waters,
17who brings out chariot and horse,
army and mighty one.
Together they lie down;
they cannot rise.
They are extinguished,
quenched like a wick.
18“You must not remember the former things,
and you not must consider the former things.
19Look! I am about to do a new thing! Now it sprouts!
Do you not perceive#Or “know” it?
Indeed, I will make#Literally “put” a way in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert.
20The animals of the field will honor me,
jackals and daughters of the ostrich,
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give a drink to my chosen people,
21this people whom I formed for myself,
so they might make known#Literally “count out” my praise.
22But#Or “And” you did not call me, Jacob;
for you have become weary of me, Israel.
23You have not brought me your sheep for a burnt offering
nor#Or “and” honored me with your sacrifice.
I have not made you serve with offerings,#Hebrew “offering”
nor have I made you weary with frankincense.
24You have not bought me spice reed with money
or#Or “and” satisfied me with the fat of sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have made me weary with your iniquities.
25I, I am the one who blots out your transgressions for my sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
26Take me to court; let us enter into judgment together.
You, make an account#Literally “count up” so that you may be in the right.
27Your first ancestor#Or “father” sinned,
and your representatives#Literally “scoffers” or “spokesmen” transgressed against me.
28And I profaned the princes of the sanctuary,
and I gave Jacob to destruction, and Israel to reviling.
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