43 Israelites, descendants of Jacob, the Lord created you, and he made you who you are. Now he says this to you:
‘Do not be afraid,
I have rescued you to belong to me.
I have called you by your name,
so now you are mine.
2 When you go through deep water,
I will be with you.
When you cross dangerous rivers,
you will not drown.
When you walk through fire,
it will not burn you.
The flames will not destroy you. [ a ]
3 I am the Lord , your God,
so I will rescue you.
I am Israel's Holy God, your Saviour.
I gave Egypt as the price to buy you back.
I gave Ethiopia and Seba to their enemies,
so that you could be free.
4 You are very valuable to me.
You are my special people, and I love you.
So I will give other people to their enemies,
to keep your lives safe.
Other nations will pay the price,
instead of you.
5 I am with you,
so do not be afraid.
I will bring your descendants from the east.
I will also bring you together from the west.
6 I will say to people in the north,
“Give them back!”
And I will say to people in the south,
“Do not stop them!”
Bring my sons from places that are far away.
Bring my daughters from the ends of the earth.
7 Bring back everyone who belongs to me.
I created them,
so that they would bring honour to me.
I made them who they are.
Yes, I made them!
8 So bring the people to me.
They have eyes, but they are blind!
They have ears, but they are deaf!
9 Tell the people of all nations to come together.
Did any of their gods tell us what would happen?
If anyone heard them speak the truth,
they should bring those people to this court.
Then they can tell us that they were right.
People could say, “They spoke the truth.” ’
10 The Lord says to his people,
‘You are the people who must say that I am right.
I have chosen you as my servant.
I chose you so that you may know me,
and also believe in me.
Then you would understand that I am the true God.
There has never been any other god except me,
and there never will be.
11 I am the Lord , I alone.
There is no other saviour, except me.
12 I promised to save you,
and I did what I said I would do.
I told everyone what I had done.
There was no foreign god among you,
who did that for you.
So you are the people who must say
that I am the only true God.’
That is what the Lord says.
13 ‘Today and every day, I am God.
If I hold you in my hand,
nobody can take you away from my power.
When I do something,
nobody can change it.’
14 The Lord is your Redeemer, Israel's Holy God. He says this:
‘I will send an army to attack Babylon,
so that you, my people, will be safe.
I will cause all the Babylonians to run away.
They were proud of their great ships,
but now they will use them to escape from their enemies.
15 I am the Lord , your Holy God.
I am the one who created Israel.
I am your King.’
16 The Lord is the one who made a road through the sea for you to cross. You went on a dry path in the middle of the deep water. 17 He led the enemy's great army, with their chariots and their horses, to chase you. They all fell down and the water drowned them. Their lives finished, like the flame of a lamp that stops burning.
18 The Lord did all that for you, but now he says,
‘Forget those things that happened a long time ago.
Do not think about past events.
19 Look! Now I will do something that is new!
It is already beginning to happen.
Surely, you can recognize it.
Yes, I will make a road through the desert.
I will make streams in the wilderness.
20 The wild animals in the desert praise me,
including the jackals and the owls.
They praise me because I put water in the desert,
and streams in the wilderness.
I am giving water to the people that I have chosen,
so that they will not be thirsty.
21 They are the people that I made for myself,
so that they would praise me aloud.
22 But you Israelites, Jacob's descendants,
you did not call to me to help you.
You became tired of serving me.
23 You did not bring sheep to me as burnt offerings.
You did not make sacrifices to me,
to show that you respect me.
I did not make it difficult for you,
when I asked you to bring offerings to me.
When I asked you to burn incense to worship me,
that should not have made you tired.
24 You did not buy any spices
to offer them to me.
You did not bring me the fat from your sacrifices
to make me happy.
Instead, you have made it difficult for me,
because of all your sins.
All the evil things that you do
have caused me to become very tired.
25 But I am the one who removes your sins
when you do not obey me.
I, the Lord , do that, because of who I am.
I do not hold your sins in my mind.
26 So let us talk together about what has happened.
Show me why you think that you are right!
27 Your first ancestor did not obey me. [ b ]
Your leaders and teachers turned against me.
28 So I caused the priests of your temple
to become ashamed.
I caused enemies to destroy Israel.
I let them insult Jacob's descendants.’
43 Jacob, 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. 2 When 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. 3 That’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. 4 You 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. 6 I 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. 7 Bring 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. [ a ] 9 All 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.”
10 The 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. 11 I myself am the Lord , and there is no other Savior. 12 I 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.”
14 The 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.) [ b ] 15 I am the Lord your Holy One. I made Israel. I am your King.”
16 The 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. 18 So don’t remember what happened in earlier times. Don’t think about what happened a long time ago, 19 because 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. 20 The 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. 21 I 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. 23 You 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. 24 So 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. 26 But you should remember me. Let’s meet together and decide what is right. Tell your story and prove that you are innocent. 27 Your first father sinned, and your lawyers [ c ] committed crimes against me. 28 I will make your Temple leaders unfit to serve there. I will destroy Jacob. [ d ] Bad things will happen to Israel.
43 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord , and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord ; and beside me there is no saviour.
12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord , that I am God.
13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
14 Thus saith the Lord , your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.
15 I am the Lord , your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus saith the Lord , which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
23 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
26 Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
27 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.
43 But now, this is what the Lord says, He who is your ( A ) Creator, Jacob,
And He who ( B ) formed you, Israel:
“Do not ( C ) fear, for I have ( D ) redeemed you;
I have ( E ) called you by name; you are ( F ) Mine!
2 When you ( G ) pass through the waters, ( H ) I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you ( I ) walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3 For ( J ) I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your ( K ) Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
[ a ] ( L ) Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Since you are ( M ) precious in My sight,
Since you are ( N ) honored and I ( O ) love you,
I will give other people in your place and other nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for ( P ) I am with you;
I will bring ( Q ) your offspring from the east,
And ( R ) gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the ( S ) north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My ( T ) sons from afar
And My daughters from the ( U ) ends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is ( V ) called by My name,
And whom I have ( W ) created for My ( X ) glory,
( Y ) Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
8 Bring out the people who are ( Z ) blind, even though they have eyes,
And those who are deaf, even though they have ears.
9 All the nations have ( AA ) gathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled.
Who among them can ( AB ) declare this
And proclaim to us the former things?
Let them present ( AC ) their witnesses so ( AD ) that they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are ( AE ) My witnesses,” declares the Lord ,
“And ( AF ) My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that ( AG ) I am He.
( AH ) Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
11 I, only I, am the Lord ,
And there is no ( AI ) savior ( AJ ) besides Me.
12 It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no ( AK ) strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord ,
“And I am God.
13 Even [ b ] ( AL ) from eternity ( AM ) I am He,
And there is ( AN ) no one who can rescue from My hand;
( AO ) I act, and who can reverse it?”
14 This is what the Lord your ( AP ) Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says:
“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,
And will bring them all down as fugitives,
[ c ] Even the ( AQ ) Chaldeans, into the ( AR ) ships [ d ] over which they rejoice.
15 I am the Lord , your Holy One,
( AS ) The Creator of Israel, your ( AT ) King.”
16 This is what the Lord says,
He who ( AU ) makes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings out the ( AV ) chariot and the horse,
The army and the mighty man
(They will lie down together and not rise again;
They have been ( AW ) extinguished, and have gone out like a wick):
18 “ ( AX ) Do not call to mind the former things,
Or consider things of the past.
19 Behold, I am going to do something ( AY ) new,
Now it will spring up;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even ( AZ ) make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.
20 The animals of the field will glorify Me,
The ( BA ) jackals and the ostriches,
Because I have ( BB ) given waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My chosen people.
21 The people whom ( BC ) I formed for Myself
( BD ) Will declare My praise.
22 “Yet you have not called on Me, Jacob;
But you have become ( BE ) weary of Me, Israel.
23 You have ( BF ) not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,
Nor have you ( BG ) honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not ( BH ) burdened you with [ e ] offerings,
Nor wearied you with ( BI ) incense.
24 You have not bought Me [ f ] ( BJ ) sweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
Rather, you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have ( BK ) wearied Me with your wrongdoings.
25 “I, I alone , am the one who ( BL ) wipes out your wrongdoings ( BM ) for My own sake,
And I will ( BN ) not remember your sins.
26 [ g ] Meet Me in court, ( BO ) let’s argue our case together;
State your cause , ( BP ) so that you may be proved right.
27 Your ( BQ ) first [ h ] forefather sinned,
And your [ i ] ( BR ) spokesmen have rebelled against Me.
28 So I will profane the [ j ] officials of the sanctuary,
And I will turn Jacob over to ( BS ) destruction and Israel to ( BT ) abuse.
43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created ( A ) you, Jacob,
he who formed ( B ) you, Israel: ( C )
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed ( D ) you;
I have summoned you by name; ( E ) you are mine. ( F )
2 When you pass through the waters, ( G )
I will be with you; ( H )
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, ( I )
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze. ( J )
3 For I am the Lord your God, ( K )
the Holy One ( L ) of Israel, your Savior; ( M )
I give Egypt ( N ) for your ransom,
Cush [ a ] ( O ) and Seba ( P ) in your stead. ( Q )
4 Since you are precious and honored ( R ) in my sight,
and because I love ( S ) you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, ( T ) for I am with you; ( U )
I will bring your children ( V ) from the east
and gather ( W ) you from the west. ( X )
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ( Y ) ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters ( Z ) from the ends of the earth ( AA ) —
7 everyone who is called by my name, ( AB )
whom I created ( AC ) for my glory, ( AD )
whom I formed and made. ( AE ) ”
8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, ( AF )
who have ears but are deaf. ( AG )
9 All the nations gather together ( AH )
and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold ( AI ) this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are my witnesses, ( AJ ) ” declares the Lord ,
“and my servant ( AK ) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know ( AL ) and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god ( AM ) was formed,
nor will there be one after me. ( AN )
11 I, even I, am the Lord , ( AO )
and apart from me there is no savior. ( AP )
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god ( AQ ) among you.
You are my witnesses, ( AR ) ” declares the Lord , “that I am God.
13 Yes, and from ancient days ( AS ) I am he. ( AT )
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?” ( AU )
14 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, ( AV ) the Holy One ( AW ) of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
and bring down as fugitives ( AX ) all the Babylonians, [ b ] ( AY )
in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord , ( AZ ) your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator, ( BA ) your King. ( BB ) ”
16 This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters, ( BC )
17 who drew out ( BD ) the chariots and horses, ( BE )
the army and reinforcements together, ( BF )
and they lay ( BG ) there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: ( BH )
18 “Forget the former things; ( BI )
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing! ( BJ )
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness ( BK )
and streams in the wasteland. ( BL )
20 The wild animals ( BM ) honor me,
the jackals ( BN ) and the owls,
because I provide water ( BO ) in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people I formed ( BP ) for myself ( BQ )
that they may proclaim my praise. ( BR )
22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
you have not wearied ( BS ) yourselves for [ c ] me, Israel. ( BT )
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings, ( BU )
nor honored ( BV ) me with your sacrifices. ( BW )
I have not burdened ( BX ) you with grain offerings
nor wearied you with demands ( BY ) for incense. ( BZ )
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus ( CA ) for me,
or lavished on me the fat ( CB ) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied ( CC ) me with your offenses. ( CD )
25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions, ( CE ) for my own sake, ( CF )
and remembers your sins ( CG ) no more. ( CH )
26 Review the past for me,
let us argue the matter together; ( CI )
state the case ( CJ ) for your innocence.
27 Your first father ( CK ) sinned;
those I sent to teach ( CL ) you rebelled ( CM ) against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
I consigned Jacob to destruction [ d ] ( CN )
and Israel to scorn. ( CO )
