以赛亚书 43
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
神必眷顾以色列人
43 但是，雅各啊！那创造你的耶和华，
以色列啊！那塑造你的主，现在这样说：
“不要惧怕，因为我救赎了你；
我按着你的名呼召了你；你是属我的。
2 你从水中经过的时候，我必与你同在；
你渡过江河的时候，水必不淹没你；
你从火中行走的时候，必不会烧伤；
火焰也不会在你身上烧起来。
3 因为我是耶和华你的 神，
是以色列的圣者，你的拯救者；
我使埃及作你的赎价，
使古实和示巴作你的替身。
4 因为你在我眼中非常宝贵和贵重，
所以我爱你；
我使别人作你的替身，同别的民族交换你的性命。
5 你不要惧怕，因为我与你同在；
我必把你的后裔从东方领回来，
又从西方招聚你。
6 我要对北方说：‘把他们交出来！’
又对南方说：‘不要拘留他们！’
要把我的众子从远方带回来，
把我的女儿从地极领回来，
7 就是所有按着我的名被召的人，
是我为自己的荣耀创造的，
是我所塑造，所作成的。”
8 你要把那些有眼却看不见，
有耳却听不到的人民领出来。
9 列国都聚集在一起，
万族都集合起来，
他们中间谁能说明这事呢？
谁能把先前的事说给我们听呢？
让他们带出自己的见证人来，好显明自己为义；
让别人听见了，就说：“这是真的。”
10 耶和华说：“你们就是我的见证人，
我所拣选的仆人，
为要使你们知道，并且相信我，
又明白我就是‘那位’；
在我以前没有神被造出来，
在我以后也必没有。
11 唯有我是耶和华；
除我以外，并没有拯救者。
12 我曾预告，我曾拯救，我曾说给你们听，
在你们中间没有别的神。”
耶和华说：“你们是我的见证人，
我就是 神。
13 自头一天以来，我就是‘那位’；
谁也不能救人脱离我的手；
我要行事，谁能拦阻呢？”
预言巴比伦毁灭
14 你们的救赎主、以色列的圣者、耶和华这样说：
“因为你们的缘故，我已经派人到巴比伦去，
我要使所有的迦勒底人都像难民一样下来，
都坐在他们素来自夸的船下来。
15 我就是耶和华，你们的圣者，
是以色列的创造主、你们的王。”
16 耶和华这样说：
他在海中开了一条道，
在大水中辟了一条路；
17 他使战车、马匹、
军兵和勇士都一同出来，
他们都躺下去，不能再起来；
他们都灭没，好象灯火熄灭一样。
18 “你们不要怀念先前的事，
也不要思念古时的事。
神作一件新事
19 “看哪！我要作一件新的事；
现在它要发生了，
难道你们还不知道吗？
我要在旷野开一条道路，
在荒地开挖江河。
20 野地的走兽必尊重我，
野狗和鸵鸟也必这样，
因为我使旷野有水，
使荒地有江河，
好使我拣选的子民有水喝，
21 就是我为自己所造的子民，
好使他们述说赞美我的话。
22 然而，雅各啊！你并没有呼求我。
以色列啊！你竟厌烦我。
23 作燔祭用的羊，你没有带来给我；
也没有用你的祭物来尊敬我；
我没有因献供物使你劳累；
也没有因献乳香使你厌烦。
24 你没有用银子为我买菖蒲，
也没有用祭物的脂肪使我饱足；
相反地，你用你的罪使我劳累，
你用你的罪孽使我厌烦。
神赦罪之恩
25 “唯有我为自己的缘故，涂抹你的过犯，
我也不再记念你的罪。
26 你可以提醒我，我们可以一起辩论；
你尽管细说案情，好使你自显为义。
27 你的祖先犯了罪，
你的代表背叛了我。
28 所以我要辱没圣所里的领袖，
使雅各遭受毁灭，使以色列被凌辱。”
Isaiah 43
New English Translation
The Lord Will Rescue His People
43 Now, this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, O Jacob,
and formed you, O Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect[a] you.
I call you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you;
when you pass[b] through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not harm[c] you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,[d] your deliverer.
I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price,
Ethiopia and Seba[e] in place of you.
4 Since you are precious and special in my sight,[f]
and I love you,
I will hand over people in place of you,
nations in place of your life.
5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
From the east I will bring your descendants;
from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’
and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’
Bring my sons from distant lands,
and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth,
7 everyone who belongs to me,[g]
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed—yes, whom I made.
The Lord Declares His Sovereignty
8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
those who are deaf, even though they have ears!
9 All nations gather together,
the peoples assemble.
Who among them announced this?
Who predicted earlier events for us?[h]
Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;
let them listen and affirm, “It is true.”
10 You are my witnesses,” says the Lord,
“my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may consider[i] and believe in me,
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me,
and none will outlive me.[j]
11 I, I am the Lord,
and there is no deliverer besides me.
12 I decreed and delivered and proclaimed,
and there was no other god among you.
You are my witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.
13 From this day forward I am he;
no one can deliver from my power;[k]
I will act, and who can prevent it?”
The Lord Will Do Something New
14 This is what the Lord says,
your Protector,[l] the Holy One of Israel:[m]
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and make them all fugitives,[n]
turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs.[o]
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,[p]
the one who created Israel, your king.”
16 This is what the Lord says,
the one who made a road through the sea,
a pathway through the surging waters,
17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction,[q]
together with a mighty army.
They fell down,[r] never to rise again;
they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:
18 “Don’t remember these earlier events;[s]
don’t recall these former events.
19 Look, I am about to do something new.
Now it begins to happen![t] Do you not recognize[u] it?
Yes, I will make a road in the wilderness
and paths[v] in the wastelands.
20 The wild animals[w] honor me,
the jackals and ostriches,
because I put water in the wilderness
and streams in the wastelands,
to quench the thirst of my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself,
so they might praise me.[x]
The Lord Rebukes His People
22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob;
you did not long[y] for me, O Israel.
23 You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you with offerings;
I did not make you weary by demanding[z] incense.
24 You did not buy me aromatic reeds;[aa]
you did not present to me[ab] the fat of your sacrifices.
Yet you burdened me with your sins;
you made me weary with your evil deeds.[ac]
25 I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake;
your sins I do not remember.
26 Remind me of what happened. Let’s debate!
You, prove to me that you are right![ad]
27 The father of your nation[ae] sinned;
your spokesmen[af] rebelled against me.
28 So I defiled your holy princes,
and handed Jacob over to destruction,
and subjected[ag] Israel to humiliating abuse.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:1 tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”
- Isaiah 43:2 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 43:2 tn Heb “burn” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV, NLT “consume”; NIV “set you ablaze.”
- Isaiah 43:3 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 43:3 sn Seba is not the same as Sheba in southern Arabia; cf. Gen 1:10; 1 Chr 1:9.
- Isaiah 43:4 tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”
- Isaiah 43:7 tn Heb “everyone who is called by my name” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 43:9 tn Heb “and the former things he was causing us to hear?”
- Isaiah 43:10 tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 43:10 tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
- Isaiah 43:13 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”
- Isaiah 43:14 tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 43:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 43:14 tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
- Isaiah 43:14 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.
- Isaiah 43:15 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 43:17 tn Heb “led out chariots and horses.” The words “to destruction” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
- Isaiah 43:17 tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”
- Isaiah 43:18 tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”
- Isaiah 43:19 tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.”
- Isaiah 43:19 tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.”
- Isaiah 43:19 tn The Hebrew text has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has נתיבות (“paths”).
- Isaiah 43:20 tn Heb “animals of the field.”
- Isaiah 43:21 tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”
- Isaiah 43:22 tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.”
- Isaiah 43:23 tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 43:24 tn That is, “calamus” (so NIV); NCV, TEV, NLT “incense”; CEV “spices.”
- Isaiah 43:24 tn Heb “you did not saturate me”; NASB “Neither have you filled Me.”
- Isaiah 43:24 sn In vv. 22-24 the Lord appears to be condemning his people for failure to bring the proper sacrifices. However, this is problematic. If this refers to the nation’s behavior while in exile, such cultic service was impossible and could hardly be expected by the Lord. If this refers to the nation’s conduct before the exile, it contradicts other passages that depict Israel as bringing excessive sacrifices (see, e.g., Isa 1:11-14; Jer 6:20; Amos 4:4-5; 5:21-23). Rather than being a condemnation of Israel’s failure to bring sacrifices, these verses are better taken as a highly rhetorical comment on the worthlessness of Israel’s religious ritual. They may have brought sacrifices, but not to the Lord, for he did not accept them or even want them. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 127, and R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 91.
- Isaiah 43:26 tn Heb “you, tell in order that you may be right”; NAB “prove your innocence.”
- Isaiah 43:27 tn Heb “your first father.” This could refer to Abraham (see 51:2), but elsewhere in Isaiah he does not appear in a negative light (see 29:22; 41:8; 63:16). A more likely candidate is Jacob/Israel, also referred to as the nation’s “father” elsewhere (see 58:14; 63:16).
- Isaiah 43:27 tn On the meaning of the term לִיץ (lits), see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ. This may refer to the nation’s prophets, priests, and/or kings.
- Isaiah 43:28 tn The word “subjected” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Isaiah 43
King James Version
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.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
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