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Isaiah 43-44
New King James Version
Isaiah 43-44
New King James Version
The Redeemer of Israel
43 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, (A)for I have redeemed you;
(B)I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 (C)When you pass through the waters, (D)I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you (E)walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
(F)I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have (G)loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
5 (H)Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And (I)gather you from the west;
6 I will say to the (J)north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 Everyone who is (K)called by My name,
Whom (L)I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
8 (M)Bring out the blind people who have eyes,
And the (N)deaf who have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
And let the people be assembled.
(O)Who among them can declare this,
And show us former things?
Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified;
Or let them hear and say, “It is truth.”
10 “You(P) are My witnesses,” says the Lord,
(Q)“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and (R)believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.
11 I, even I, (S)am the Lord,
And besides Me there is no savior.
12 I have declared and saved,
I have proclaimed,
And there was no (T)foreign god among you;
(U)Therefore you are My witnesses,”
Says the Lord, “that I am God.
13 (V)Indeed before the day was, I am He;
And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand;
I work, and who will (W)reverse it?”
14 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon,
And bring them all down as fugitives—
The Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
The Creator of Israel, your (X)King.”
16 Thus says the Lord, who (Y)makes a way in the sea
And a (Z)path through the mighty waters,
17 Who (AA)brings forth the chariot and horse,
The army and the power
(They shall lie down together, they shall not rise;
They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
18 “Do(AB) not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a (AC)new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
(AD)I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
20 The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because (AE)I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
21 (AF)This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My (AG)praise.
Pleading with Unfaithful Israel
22 “But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob;
And you (AH)have been weary of Me, O Israel.
23 (AI)You have not brought Me the sheep for your burnt offerings,
Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not caused you to serve with grain offerings,
Nor wearied you with incense.
24 You have bought Me no sweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
But you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have (AJ)wearied Me with your iniquities.
25 “I, even I, am He who (AK)blots out your transgressions (AL)for My own sake;
(AM)And I will not remember your sins.
26 Put Me in remembrance;
Let us contend together;
State your case, that you may be [a]acquitted.
27 Your first father sinned,
And your [b]mediators have transgressed against Me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary;
(AN)I will give Jacob to the curse,
And Israel to reproaches.
God’s Blessing on Israel
44 “Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant,
And Israel whom I have chosen.
2 Thus says the Lord who made you
And formed you from the womb, who will help you:
‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant;
And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,
And floods on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,
And My blessing on your offspring;
4 They will spring up among the grass
Like willows by the watercourses.’
5 One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
Another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
Another will write with his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
And name himself by the name of Israel.
There Is No Other God
6 “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
(AO)‘I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.
7 And (AP)who can proclaim as I do?
Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me,
Since I appointed the ancient people.
And the things that are coming and shall come,
Let them show these to them.
8 Do not fear, nor be afraid;
(AQ)Have I not told you from that time, and declared it?
(AR)You are My witnesses.
Is there a God besides Me?
Indeed (AS)there is no other Rock;
I know not one.’ ”
Idolatry Is Foolishness
9 (AT)Those who make an image, all of them are useless,
And their precious things shall not profit;
They are their own witnesses;
(AU)They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
10 Who would form a god or mold an image
(AV)That profits him nothing?
11 Surely all his companions would be (AW)ashamed;
And the workmen, they are mere men.
Let them all be gathered together,
Let them stand up;
Yet they shall fear,
They shall be ashamed together.
12 (AX)The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals,
Fashions it with hammers,
And works it with the strength of his arms.
Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails;
He drinks no water and is faint.
13 The craftsman stretches out his rule,
He marks one out with chalk;
He fashions it with a plane,
He marks it out with the compass,
And makes it like the figure of a man,
According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house.
14 He cuts down cedars for himself,
And takes the cypress and the oak;
He [c]secures it for himself among the trees of the forest.
He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it.
15 Then it shall be for a man to burn,
For he will take some of it and warm himself;
Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread;
Indeed he makes a god and worships it;
He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
16 He burns half of it in the fire;
With this half he eats meat;
He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
He even warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm,
I have seen the fire.”
17 And the rest of it he makes into a god,
His carved image.
He falls down before it and worships it,
Prays to it and says,
“Deliver me, for you are my god!”
18 (AY)They do not know nor understand;
For (AZ)He has [d]shut their eyes, so that they cannot see,
And their hearts, so that they cannot (BA)understand.
19 And no one (BB)considers in his heart,
Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say,
“I have burned half of it in the fire,
Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals;
I have roasted meat and eaten it;
And shall I make the rest of it an abomination?
Shall I fall down before a block of wood?”
20 He feeds on ashes;
(BC)A deceived heart has turned him aside;
And he cannot deliver his soul,
Nor say, “Is there not a (BD)lie in my right hand?”
Israel Is Not Forgotten
21 “Remember these, O Jacob,
And Israel, for you are My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant;
O Israel, you will not be (BE)forgotten by Me!
22 (BF)I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions,
And like a cloud, your sins.
Return to Me, for (BG)I have redeemed you.”
23 (BH)Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into singing, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And (BI)glorified Himself in Israel.
Judah Will Be Restored
24 Thus says the Lord, (BJ)your Redeemer,
And (BK)He who formed you from the womb:
“I am the Lord, who makes all things,
(BL)Who stretches out the heavens [e]all alone,
Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
25 Who (BM)frustrates the signs (BN)of the babblers,
And drives diviners mad;
Who turns wise men backward,
(BO)And makes their knowledge foolishness;
26 (BP)Who confirms the word of His servant,
And performs the counsel of His messengers;
Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’
To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’
And I will raise up her waste places;
27 (BQ)Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry!
And I will dry up your rivers’;
28 Who says of (BR)Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd,
And he shall perform all My pleasure,
Saying to Jerusalem, (BS)“You shall be built,”
And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:26 justified
- Isaiah 43:27 interpreters
- Isaiah 44:14 Lit. appropriates
- Isaiah 44:18 Lit. smeared over
- Isaiah 44:24 By Himself
Isaiah 43-44
New International Version
Isaiah 43-44
New International Version
Israel’s Only Savior
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)
God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness
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)
Israel the Chosen
44 “But now listen, Jacob, my servant,(CP)
Israel, whom I have chosen.(CQ)
2 This is what the Lord says—
he who made(CR) you, who formed you in the womb,(CS)
and who will help(CT) you:
Do not be afraid,(CU) Jacob, my servant,(CV)
Jeshurun,[e](CW) whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water(CX) on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;(CY)
I will pour out my Spirit(CZ) on your offspring,
and my blessing(DA) on your descendants.(DB)
4 They will spring up like grass(DC) in a meadow,
like poplar trees(DD) by flowing streams.(DE)
5 Some will say, ‘I belong(DF) to the Lord’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand,(DG) ‘The Lord’s,’(DH)
and will take the name Israel.
The Lord, Not Idols
6 “This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King(DI) and Redeemer,(DJ) the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;(DK)
apart from me there is no God.(DL)
7 Who then is like me?(DM) Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let them foretell(DN) what will come.
8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim(DO) this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God(DP) besides me?
No, there is no other Rock;(DQ) I know not one.”
9 All who make idols(DR) are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.(DS)
Those who would speak up for them are blind;(DT)
they are ignorant, to their own shame.(DU)
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,(DV)
which can profit nothing?(DW)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;(DX)
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.(DY)
12 The blacksmith(DZ) takes a tool
and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
he forges it with the might of his arm.(EA)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.(EB)
13 The carpenter(EC) measures with a line
and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,(ED)
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.(EE)
14 He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine,(EF) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(EG) for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships(EH) it;
he makes an idol and bows(EI) down to it.
16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.(EJ)”
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.(EK)
He prays(EL) to it and says,
“Save(EM) me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand(EN) nothing;
their eyes(EO) are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19 No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding(EP) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;(EQ)
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable(ER) thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”(ES)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;(ET) a deluded(EU) heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?(EV)”
21 “Remember(EW) these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.(EX)
I have made you, you are my servant;(EY)
Israel, I will not forget you.(EZ)
22 I have swept away(FA) your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return(FB) to me,
for I have redeemed(FC) you.”
23 Sing for joy,(FD) you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
shout aloud, you earth(FE) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,(FF)
you forests and all your trees,(FG)
for the Lord has redeemed(FH) Jacob,
he displays his glory(FI) in Israel.
Jerusalem to Be Inhabited
I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,(FM)
who spreads out the earth(FN) by myself,
25 who foils(FO) the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,(FP)
who overthrows the learning of the wise(FQ)
and turns it into nonsense,(FR)
26 who carries out the words(FS) of his servants
and fulfills(FT) the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem,(FU) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
and of their ruins,(FV) ‘I will restore them,’(FW)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up(FX) your streams,’
28 who says of Cyrus,(FY) ‘He is my shepherd
and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,(FZ) “Let it be rebuilt,”
and of the temple,(GA) “Let its foundations(GB) be laid.”’
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:3 That is, the upper Nile region
- Isaiah 43:14 Or Chaldeans
- Isaiah 43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of
- Isaiah 43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
- Isaiah 44:2 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.