Isaiah 41:21-24

New International Version

²¹“Present your case,^(A)” says the Lord.
    “Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.^(B)
²²“Tell us, you idols,
    what is going to happen.^(C)
Tell us what the former things^(D) were,
    so that we may consider them
    and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,^(E)
²³    tell us what the future holds,
    so we may know^(F) that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,^(G)
    so that we will be dismayed^(H) and filled with fear.
²⁴But you are less than nothing^(I)
    and your works are utterly worthless;^(J)
    whoever chooses you is detestable.^(K)

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Isaiah 43:1-19

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)
²When 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)
³For 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)
⁴Since 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.
⁵Do 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)
⁶I 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)—
⁷everyone who is called by my name,^(AB)
    whom I created^(AC) for my glory,^(AD)
    whom I formed and made.^(AE)”

⁸Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,^(AF)
    who have ears but are deaf.^(AG)
⁹All 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)
¹¹I, even I, am the Lord,^(AO)
    and apart from me there is no savior.^(AP)
¹²I 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

¹⁴This 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.
¹⁵I am the Lord,^(AZ) your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator,^(BA) your King.^(BB)”

¹⁶This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,^(BC)
¹⁷who 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.
¹⁹See, 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)

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Footnotes

Isaiah 43:3 That is, the upper Nile region
Isaiah 43:14 Or Chaldeans

Isaiah 65:1-16

New International Version

Judgment and Salvation

65 “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
    I was found by those who did not seek me.^(A)
To a nation^(B) that did not call on my name,^(C)
    I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
²All day long I have held out my hands
    to an obstinate people,^(D)
who walk in ways not good,
    pursuing their own imaginations^(E)—
³a people who continually provoke me
    to my very face,^(F)
offering sacrifices in gardens^(G)
    and burning incense^(H) on altars of brick;
⁴who sit among the graves^(I)
    and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;
who eat the flesh of pigs,^(J)
    and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;
⁵who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me,
    for I am too sacred^(K) for you!’
Such people are smoke^(L) in my nostrils,
    a fire that keeps burning all day.

⁶“See, it stands written before me:
    I will not keep silent^(M) but will pay back^(N) in full;
    I will pay it back into their laps^(O)—
⁷both your sins^(P) and the sins of your ancestors,”^(Q)
    says the Lord.
“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains
    and defied me on the hills,^(R)
I will measure into their laps
    the full payment^(S) for their former deeds.”

⁸This is what the Lord says:

“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes^(T)
    and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,
    there is still a blessing in it,’
so will I do in behalf of my servants;^(U)
    I will not destroy them all.
⁹I will bring forth descendants^(V) from Jacob,
    and from Judah those who will possess^(W) my mountains;
my chosen^(X) people will inherit them,
    and there will my servants live.^(Y)
¹⁰Sharon^(Z) will become a pasture for flocks,^(AA)
    and the Valley of Achor^(AB) a resting place for herds,
    for my people who seek^(AC) me.

¹¹“But as for you who forsake^(AD) the Lord
    and forget my holy mountain,^(AE)
who spread a table for Fortune
    and fill bowls of mixed wine^(AF) for Destiny,
¹²I will destine you for the sword,^(AG)
    and all of you will fall in the slaughter;^(AH)
for I called but you did not answer,^(AI)
    I spoke but you did not listen.^(AJ)
You did evil in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”^(AK)

¹³Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“My servants will eat,^(AL)
    but you will go hungry;^(AM)
my servants will drink,^(AN)
    but you will go thirsty;^(AO)
my servants will rejoice,^(AP)
    but you will be put to shame.^(AQ)
¹⁴My servants will sing^(AR)
    out of the joy of their hearts,
but you will cry out^(AS)
    from anguish of heart
    and wail in brokenness of spirit.
¹⁵You will leave your name
    for my chosen ones to use in their curses;^(AT)
the Sovereign Lord will put you to death,
    but to his servants he will give another name.^(AU)
¹⁶Whoever invokes a blessing^(AV) in the land
    will do so by the one true God;^(AW)
whoever takes an oath in the land
    will swear^(AX) by the one true God.
For the past troubles^(AY) will be forgotten
    and hidden from my eyes.

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Jeremiah 3:1-15

New International Version

3 “If a man divorces^(A) his wife
    and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
    Would not the land be completely defiled?^(B)
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers^(C)—
    would you now return to me?”^(D)
declares the Lord.
²“Look up to the barren heights^(E) and see.
    Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside^(F) you sat waiting for lovers,
    sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land^(G)
    with your prostitution^(H) and wickedness.
³Therefore the showers have been withheld,^(I)
    and no spring rains^(J) have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen^(K) look of a prostitute;
    you refuse to blush with shame.^(L)
⁴Have you not just called to me:
    ‘My Father,^(M) my friend from my youth,^(N)
⁵will you always be angry?^(O)
    Will your wrath continue forever?’
This is how you talk,
    but you do all the evil you can.”

Unfaithful Israel

⁶During the reign of King Josiah,^(P) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless^(Q) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree^(R) and has committed adultery^(S) there. ⁷I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister^(T) Judah saw it.^(U) ⁸I gave faithless Israel^(V) her certificate of divorce^(W) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;^(X) she also went out and committed adultery. ⁹Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land^(Y) and committed adultery^(Z) with stone^(AA) and wood.^(AB) ¹⁰In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return^(AC) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,^(AD)” declares the Lord.^(AE)

¹¹The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous^(AF) than unfaithful^(AG) Judah.^(AH) ¹²Go, proclaim this message toward the north:^(AI)

“‘Return,^(AJ) faithless^(AK) Israel,’ declares the Lord,
    ‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’^(AL) declares the Lord,
    ‘I will not be angry^(AM) forever.
¹³Only acknowledge^(AN) your guilt—
    you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods^(AO)
    under every spreading tree,^(AP)
    and have not obeyed^(AQ) me,’”
declares the Lord.

¹⁴“Return,^(AR) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.^(AS) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. ¹⁵Then I will give you shepherds^(AT) after my own heart,^(AU) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

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Jeremiah 4:1-3

New International Version

4 “If you, Israel, will return,^(A)
    then return to me,”
declares the Lord.
“If you put your detestable idols^(B) out of my sight
    and no longer go astray,
²and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
    you swear,^(C) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’^(D)
then the nations will invoke blessings^(E) by him
    and in him they will boast.^(F)”