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Isaiah 40-43
The Message
Isaiah 40-43
The Message
Messages of Comfort
Prepare for God’s Arrival
40 1-2 “Comfort, oh comfort my people,”
says your God.
“Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem,
but also make it very clear
That she has served her sentence,
that her sin is taken care of—forgiven!
She’s been punished enough and more than enough,
and now it’s over and done with.”
3-5 Thunder in the desert!
“Prepare for God’s arrival!
Make the road straight and smooth,
a highway fit for our God.
Fill in the valleys,
level off the hills,
Smooth out the ruts,
clear out the rocks.
Then God’s bright glory will shine
and everyone will see it.
Yes. Just as God has said.”
6-8 A voice says, “Shout!”
I said, “What shall I shout?”
“These people are nothing but grass,
their love fragile as wildflowers.
The grass withers, the wildflowers fade,
if God so much as puffs on them.
Aren’t these people just so much grass?
True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade,
but our God’s Word stands firm and forever.”
9-11 Climb a high mountain, Zion.
You’re the preacher of good news.
Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Jerusalem.
You’re the preacher of good news.
Speak loud and clear. Don’t be timid!
Tell the cities of Judah,
“Look! Your God!”
Look at him! God, the Master, comes in power,
ready to go into action.
He is going to pay back his enemies
and reward those who have loved him.
Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock,
gathering the lambs in his arms,
Hugging them as he carries them,
leading the nursing ewes to good pasture.
The Creator of All You Can See or Imagine
12-17 Who has scooped up the ocean
in his two hands,
or measured the sky between his thumb and little finger,
Who has put all the earth’s dirt in one of his baskets,
weighed each mountain and hill?
Who could ever have told God what to do
or taught him his business?
What expert would he have gone to for advice,
what school would he attend to learn justice?
What god do you suppose might have taught him what he knows,
showed him how things work?
Why, the nations are but a drop in a bucket,
a mere smudge on a window.
Watch him sweep up the islands
like so much dust off the floor!
There aren’t enough trees in Lebanon
nor enough animals in those vast forests
to furnish adequate fuel and offerings for his worship.
All the nations add up to simply nothing before him—
less than nothing is more like it. A minus.
18-20 So who even comes close to being like God?
To whom or what can you compare him?
Some no-god idol? Ridiculous!
It’s made in a workshop, cast in bronze,
Given a thin veneer of gold,
and draped with silver filigree.
Or, perhaps someone will select a fine wood—
olive wood, say—that won’t rot,
Then hire a woodcarver to make a no-god,
giving special care to its base so it won’t tip over!
21-24 Have you not been paying attention?
Have you not been listening?
Haven’t you heard these stories all your life?
Don’t you understand the foundation of all things?
God sits high above the round ball of earth.
The people look like mere ants.
He stretches out the skies like a canvas—
yes, like a tent canvas to live under.
He ignores what all the princes say and do.
The rulers of the earth count for nothing.
Princes and rulers don’t amount to much.
Like seeds barely rooted, just sprouted,
They shrivel when God blows on them.
Like flecks of chaff, they’re gone with the wind.
25-26 “So—who is like me?
Who holds a candle to me?” says The Holy.
Look at the night skies:
Who do you think made all this?
Who marches this army of stars out each night,
counts them off, calls each by name
—so magnificent! so powerful!—
and never overlooks a single one?
27-31 Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
or, whine, Israel, saying,
“God has lost track of me.
He doesn’t care what happens to me”?
Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind.
Do You Feel Like a Lowly Worm?
41 “Quiet down, far-flung ocean islands. Listen!
Sit down and rest, everyone. Recover your strength.
Gather around me. Say what’s on your heart.
Together let’s decide what’s right.
2-3 “Who got things rolling here,
got this champion from the east on the move?
Who recruited him for this job,
then rounded up and corralled the nations
so he could run roughshod over kings?
He’s off and running,
pulverizing nations into dust,
leaving only stubble and chaff in his wake.
He chases them and comes through unscathed,
his feet scarcely touching the path.
4 “Who did this? Who made it happen?
Who always gets things started?
I did. God. I’m first on the scene.
I’m also the last to leave.
5-7 “Far-flung ocean islands see it and panic.
The ends of the earth are shaken.
Fearfully they huddle together.
They try to help each other out,
making up stories in the dark.
The godmakers in the workshops
go into overtime production, crafting new models of no-gods,
Urging one another on—‘Good job!’ ‘Great design!’—
pounding in nails at the base
so that the things won’t tip over.
8-10 “But you, Israel, are my servant.
You’re Jacob, my first choice,
descendants of my good friend Abraham.
I pulled you in from all over the world,
called you in from every dark corner of the earth,
Telling you, ‘You’re my servant, serving on my side.
I’ve picked you. I haven’t dropped you.’
Don’t panic. I’m with you.
There’s no need to fear for I’m your God.
I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you.
I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.
11-13 “Count on it: Everyone who had it in for you
will end up out in the cold—
real losers.
Those who worked against you
will end up empty-handed—
nothing to show for their lives.
When you go out looking for your old adversaries
you won’t find them—
Not a trace of your old enemies,
not even a memory.
That’s right. Because I, your God,
have a firm grip on you and I’m not letting go.
I’m telling you, ‘Don’t panic.
I’m right here to help you.’
14-16 “Do you feel like a lowly worm, Jacob?
Don’t be afraid.
Feel like a fragile insect, Israel?
I’ll help you.
I, God, want to reassure you.
The God who buys you back, The Holy of Israel.
I’m transforming you from worm to harrow,
from insect to iron.
As a sharp-toothed harrow you’ll smooth out the mountains,
turn those tough old hills into loamy soil.
You’ll open the rough ground to the weather,
to the blasts of sun and wind and rain.
But you’ll be confident and exuberant,
expansive in The Holy of Israel!
17-20 “The poor and homeless are desperate for water,
their tongues parched and no water to be found.
But I’m there to be found, I’m there for them,
and I, God of Israel, will not leave them thirsty.
I’ll open up rivers for them on the barren hills,
spout fountains in the valleys.
I’ll turn the baked-clay badlands into a cool pond,
the waterless waste into splashing creeks.
I’ll plant the red cedar in that treeless wasteland,
also acacia, myrtle, and olive.
I’ll place the cypress in the desert,
with plenty of oaks and pines.
Everyone will see this. No one can miss it—
unavoidable, indisputable evidence
That I, God, personally did this.
It’s created and signed by The Holy of Israel.
21-24 “Set out your case for your gods,” says God.
“Bring your evidence,” says the King of Jacob.
“Take the stand on behalf of your idols, offer arguments,
assemble reasons.
Spread out the facts before us
so that we can assess them ourselves.
Ask them, ‘If you are gods, explain what the past means—
or, failing that, tell us what will happen in the future.
Can’t do that?
How about doing something—anything!
Good or bad—whatever.
Can you hurt us or help us? Do we need to be afraid?’
They say nothing, because they are nothing—
sham gods, no-gods, fool-making gods.
25-29 “I, God, started someone out from the north and he’s come.
He was called out of the east by name.
He’ll stomp the rulers into the mud
the way a potter works the clay.
Let me ask you, Did anyone guess that this might happen?
Did anyone tell us earlier so we might confirm it
with ‘Yes, he’s right!’?
No one mentioned it, no one announced it,
no one heard a peep out of you.
But I told Zion all about this beforehand.
I gave Jerusalem a preacher of good news.
But around here there’s no one—
no one who knows what’s going on.
I ask, but no one can tell me the score.
Nothing here. It’s all smoke and hot air—
sham gods, hollow gods, no-gods.”
God’s Servant Will Set Everything Right
42 1-4 “Take a good look at my servant.
I’m backing him to the hilt.
He’s the one I chose,
and I couldn’t be more pleased with him.
I’ve bathed him with my Spirit, my life.
He’ll set everything right among the nations.
He won’t call attention to what he does
with loud speeches or gaudy parades.
He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt
and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant,
but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right.
He won’t tire out and quit. He won’t be stopped
until he’s finished his work—to set things right on earth.
Far-flung ocean islands
wait expectantly for his teaching.”
The God Who Makes Us Alive with His Own Life
5-9 God’s Message,
the God who created the cosmos, stretched out the skies,
laid out the earth and all that grows from it,
Who breathes life into earth’s people,
makes them alive with his own life:
“I am God. I have called you to live right and well.
I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe.
I have set you among my people to bind them to me,
and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations,
To make a start at bringing people into the open, into light:
opening blind eyes,
releasing prisoners from dungeons,
emptying the dark prisons.
I am God. That’s my name.
I don’t franchise my glory,
don’t endorse the no-god idols.
Take note: The earlier predictions of judgment have been fulfilled.
I’m announcing the new salvation work.
Before it bursts on the scene,
I’m telling you all about it.”
10-16 Sing to God a brand-new song,
sing his praises all over the world!
Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause,
with all the far-flung islands joining in.
Let the desert and its camps raise a tune,
calling the Kedar nomads to join in.
Let the villagers in Sela round up a choir
and perform from the tops of the mountains.
Make God’s glory resound;
echo his praises from coast to coast.
God steps out like he means business.
You can see he’s primed for action.
He shouts, announcing his arrival;
he takes charge and his enemies fall into line:
“I’ve been quiet long enough.
I’ve held back, biting my tongue.
But now I’m letting loose, letting go,
like a woman who’s having a baby—
Stripping the hills bare,
withering the wildflowers,
Drying up the rivers,
turning lakes into mudflats.
But I’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way,
who can’t see where they’re going.
I’ll be a personal guide to them,
directing them through unknown country.
I’ll be right there to show them what roads to take,
make sure they don’t fall into the ditch.
These are the things I’ll be doing for them—
sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute.”
17 But those who invested in the no-gods
are bankrupt—dead broke.
You’ve Seen a Lot, but Looked at Nothing
18-25 Pay attention! Are you deaf?
Open your eyes! Are you blind?
You’re my servant, and you’re not looking!
You’re my messenger, and you’re not listening!
The very people I depended upon, servants of God,
blind as a bat—willfully blind!
You’ve seen a lot, but looked at nothing.
You’ve heard everything, but listened to nothing.
God intended, out of the goodness of his heart,
to be lavish in his revelation.
But this is a people battered and cowed,
shut up in attics and closets,
Victims licking their wounds,
feeling ignored, abandoned.
But is anyone out there listening?
Is anyone paying attention to what’s coming?
Who do you think turned Jacob over to the thugs,
let loose the robbers on Israel?
Wasn’t it God himself, this God against whom we’ve sinned—
not doing what he commanded,
not listening to what he said?
Isn’t it God’s anger that’s behind all this,
God’s punishing power?
Their whole world collapsed but they still didn’t get it;
their life is in ruins but they don’t take it to heart.
When You’re Between a Rock and a Hard Place
43 1-4 But 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.’”
* * *
8-13 Get 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.”
16-21 This 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.”
Isaiah 40-43
New International Version
Isaiah 40-43
New International Version
Comfort for God’s People
40 Comfort, comfort(A) my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly(B) to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service(C) has been completed,(D)
that her sin has been paid for,(E)
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double(F) for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way(G) for the Lord[a];
make straight(H) in the desert
a highway for our God.[b](I)
4 Every valley shall be raised up,(J)
every mountain and hill(K) made low;
the rough ground shall become level,(L)
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory(M) of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.(N)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”(O)
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,(P)
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers(Q) and the flowers fall,
because the breath(R) of the Lord blows(S) on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers(T) fall,
but the word(U) of our God endures(V) forever.(W)”
9 You who bring good news(X) to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c](Y)
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”(Z)
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes(AA) with power,(AB)
and he rules(AC) with a mighty arm.(AD)
See, his reward(AE) is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:(AF)
He gathers the lambs in his arms(AG)
and carries them close to his heart;(AH)
he gently leads(AI) those that have young.(AJ)
12 Who has measured the waters(AK) in the hollow of his hand,(AL)
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?(AM)
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?(AN)
13 Who can fathom the Spirit[d](AO) of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?(AP)
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,(AQ)
or showed him the path of understanding?(AR)
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;(AS)
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.(AT)
16 Lebanon(AU) is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals(AV) enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations(AW) are as nothing;(AX)
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.(AY)
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?(AZ)
To what image(BA) will you liken him?
19 As for an idol,(BB) a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith(BC) overlays it with gold(BD)
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood(BE) that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol(BF) that will not topple.(BG)
21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(BH)
Has it not been told(BI) you from the beginning?(BJ)
Have you not understood(BK) since the earth was founded?(BL)
22 He sits enthroned(BM) above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.(BN)
He stretches out the heavens(BO) like a canopy,(BP)
and spreads them out like a tent(BQ) to live in.(BR)
23 He brings princes(BS) to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.(BT)
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root(BU) in the ground,
than he blows(BV) on them and they wither,(BW)
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.(BX)
25 “To whom will you compare me?(BY)
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.(BZ)
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:(CA)
Who created(CB) all these?
He who brings out the starry host(CC) one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,(CD)
not one of them is missing.(CE)
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?(CF)
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(CG)
The Lord is the everlasting(CH) God,
the Creator(CI) of the ends of the earth.(CJ)
He will not grow tired or weary,(CK)
and his understanding no one can fathom.(CL)
29 He gives strength(CM) to the weary(CN)
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men(CO) stumble and fall;(CP)
31 but those who hope(CQ) in the Lord
will renew their strength.(CR)
They will soar on wings like eagles;(CS)
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.(CT)
The Helper of Israel
41 “Be silent(CU) before me, you islands!(CV)
Let the nations renew their strength!(CW)
Let them come forward(CX) and speak;
let us meet together(CY) at the place of judgment.
2 “Who has stirred(CZ) up one from the east,(DA)
calling him in righteousness(DB) to his service[e]?(DC)
He hands nations over to him
and subdues kings before him.
He turns them to dust(DD) with his sword,
to windblown chaff(DE) with his bow.(DF)
3 He pursues them and moves on unscathed,(DG)
by a path his feet have not traveled before.
4 Who has done this and carried it through,
calling(DH) forth the generations from the beginning?(DI)
I, the Lord—with the first of them
and with the last(DJ)—I am he.(DK)”
5 The islands(DL) have seen it and fear;
the ends of the earth(DM) tremble.
They approach and come forward;
6 they help each other
and say to their companions, “Be strong!(DN)”
7 The metalworker(DO) encourages the goldsmith,(DP)
and the one who smooths with the hammer
spurs on the one who strikes the anvil.
One says of the welding, “It is good.”
The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.(DQ)
8 “But you, Israel, my servant,(DR)
Jacob, whom I have chosen,(DS)
you descendants of Abraham(DT) my friend,(DU)
9 I took you from the ends of the earth,(DV)
from its farthest corners I called(DW) you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;(DX)
I have chosen(DY) you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear,(DZ) for I am with you;(EA)
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen(EB) you and help(EC) you;
I will uphold you(ED) with my righteous right hand.(EE)
11 “All who rage(EF) against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;(EG)
those who oppose(EH) you
will be as nothing and perish.(EI)
12 Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.(EJ)
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing(EK) at all.
13 For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand(EL)
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help(EM) you.
14 Do not be afraid,(EN) you worm(EO) Jacob,
little Israel, do not fear,
for I myself will help(EP) you,” declares the Lord,
your Redeemer,(EQ) the Holy One(ER) of Israel.
15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,(ES)
new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains(ET) and crush them,
and reduce the hills to chaff.(EU)
16 You will winnow(EV) them, the wind will pick them up,
and a gale(EW) will blow them away.(EX)
But you will rejoice(EY) in the Lord
and glory(EZ) in the Holy One(FA) of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy search for water,(FB)
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.(FC)
But I the Lord will answer(FD) them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake(FE) them.
18 I will make rivers flow(FF) on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert(FG) into pools of water,(FH)
and the parched ground into springs.(FI)
19 I will put in the desert(FJ)
the cedar and the acacia,(FK) the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers(FL) in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress(FM) together,(FN)
20 so that people may see and know,(FO)
may consider and understand,(FP)
that the hand(FQ) of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One(FR) of Israel has created(FS) it.
21 “Present your case,(FT)” says the Lord.
“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.(FU)
22 “Tell us, you idols,
what is going to happen.(FV)
Tell us what the former things(FW) were,
so that we may consider them
and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,(FX)
23 tell us what the future holds,
so we may know(FY) that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,(FZ)
so that we will be dismayed(GA) and filled with fear.
24 But you are less than nothing(GB)
and your works are utterly worthless;(GC)
whoever chooses you is detestable.(GD)
25 “I have stirred(GE) up one from the north,(GF) and he comes—
one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads(GG) on rulers as if they were mortar,
as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,(GH) so we could know,
or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
no one foretold(GI) it,
no one heard any words(GJ) from you.
27 I was the first to tell(GK) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.(GL)
28 I look but there is no one(GM)—
no one among the gods to give counsel,(GN)
no one to give answer(GO) when I ask them.
29 See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;(GP)
their images(GQ) are but wind(GR) and confusion.
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Here is my servant,(GS) whom I uphold,
my chosen one(GT) in whom I delight;(GU)
I will put my Spirit(GV) on him,
and he will bring justice(GW) to the nations.(GX)
2 He will not shout or cry out,(GY)
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed(GZ) he will not break,(HA)
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.(HB)
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;(HC)
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice(HD) on earth.
In his teaching(HE) the islands(HF) will put their hope.”(HG)
5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,(HH) who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth(HI) with all that springs from it,(HJ)
who gives breath(HK) to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called(HL) you in righteousness;(HM)
I will take hold of your hand.(HN)
I will keep(HO) you and will make you
to be a covenant(HP) for the people
and a light(HQ) for the Gentiles,(HR)
7 to open eyes that are blind,(HS)
to free(HT) captives from prison(HU)
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.(HV)
8 “I am the Lord;(HW) that is my name!(HX)
I will not yield my glory to another(HY)
or my praise to idols.(HZ)
9 See, the former things(IA) have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce(IB) them to you.”
Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing(IC) to the Lord a new song,(ID)
his praise(IE) from the ends of the earth,(IF)
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,(IG)
you islands,(IH) and all who live in them.
11 Let the wilderness(II) and its towns raise their voices;
let the settlements where Kedar(IJ) lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela(IK) sing for joy;
let them shout from the mountaintops.(IL)
12 Let them give glory(IM) to the Lord
and proclaim his praise(IN) in the islands.(IO)
13 The Lord will march out like a champion,(IP)
like a warrior(IQ) he will stir up his zeal;(IR)
with a shout(IS) he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.(IT)
14 “For a long time I have kept silent,(IU)
I have been quiet and held myself back.(IV)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.(IW)
15 I will lay waste(IX) the mountains(IY) and hills
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up(IZ) the pools.
16 I will lead(JA) the blind(JB) by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light(JC) before them
and make the rough places smooth.(JD)
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake(JE) them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’(JF)
will be turned back in utter shame.(JG)
Israel Blind and Deaf
18 “Hear, you deaf;(JH)
look, you blind, and see!
19 Who is blind(JI) but my servant,(JJ)
and deaf like the messenger(JK) I send?
Who is blind like the one in covenant(JL) with me,
blind like the servant of the Lord?
20 You have seen many things, but you pay no attention;
your ears are open, but you do not listen.”(JM)
21 It pleased the Lord
for the sake(JN) of his righteousness
to make his law(JO) great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered(JP) and looted,
all of them trapped in pits(JQ)
or hidden away in prisons.(JR)
They have become plunder,
with no one to rescue them;(JS)
they have been made loot,
with no one to say, “Send them back.”
23 Which of you will listen to this
or pay close attention(JT) in time to come?
24 Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
and Israel to the plunderers?(JU)
Was it not the Lord,(JV)
against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow(JW) his ways;
they did not obey his law.(JX)
25 So he poured out on them his burning anger,(JY)
the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames,(JZ) yet they did not understand;(KA)
it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.(KB)
Israel’s Only Savior
43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created(KC) you, Jacob,
he who formed(KD) you, Israel:(KE)
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed(KF) you;
I have summoned you by name;(KG) you are mine.(KH)
2 When you pass through the waters,(KI)
I will be with you;(KJ)
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,(KK)
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.(KL)
3 For I am the Lord your God,(KM)
the Holy One(KN) of Israel, your Savior;(KO)
I give Egypt(KP) for your ransom,
Cush[f](KQ) and Seba(KR) in your stead.(KS)
4 Since you are precious and honored(KT) in my sight,
and because I love(KU) you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid,(KV) for I am with you;(KW)
I will bring your children(KX) from the east
and gather(KY) you from the west.(KZ)
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south,(LA) ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters(LB) from the ends of the earth(LC)—
7 everyone who is called by my name,(LD)
whom I created(LE) for my glory,(LF)
whom I formed and made.(LG)”
8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,(LH)
who have ears but are deaf.(LI)
9 All the nations gather together(LJ)
and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold(LK) 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,(LL)” declares the Lord,
“and my servant(LM) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know(LN) and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god(LO) was formed,
nor will there be one after me.(LP)
11 I, even I, am the Lord,(LQ)
and apart from me there is no savior.(LR)
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god(LS) among you.
You are my witnesses,(LT)” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13 Yes, and from ancient days(LU) I am he.(LV)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”(LW)
God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness
14 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer,(LX) the Holy One(LY) of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
and bring down as fugitives(LZ) all the Babylonians,[g](MA)
in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord,(MB) your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator,(MC) your King.(MD)”
16 This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,(ME)
17 who drew out(MF) the chariots and horses,(MG)
the army and reinforcements together,(MH)
and they lay(MI) there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:(MJ)
18 “Forget the former things;(MK)
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!(ML)
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness(MM)
and streams in the wasteland.(MN)
20 The wild animals(MO) honor me,
the jackals(MP) and the owls,
because I provide water(MQ) in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people I formed(MR) for myself(MS)
that they may proclaim my praise.(MT)
22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
you have not wearied(MU) yourselves for[h] me, Israel.(MV)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,(MW)
nor honored(MX) me with your sacrifices.(MY)
I have not burdened(MZ) you with grain offerings
nor wearied you with demands(NA) for incense.(NB)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus(NC) for me,
or lavished on me the fat(ND) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied(NE) me with your offenses.(NF)
25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions,(NG) for my own sake,(NH)
and remembers your sins(NI) no more.(NJ)
26 Review the past for me,
let us argue the matter together;(NK)
state the case(NL) for your innocence.
27 Your first father(NM) sinned;
those I sent to teach(NN) you rebelled(NO) against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
I consigned Jacob to destruction[i](NP)
and Israel to scorn.(NQ)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: / “Prepare the way for the Lord
- Isaiah 40:3 Hebrew; Septuagint make straight the paths of our God
- Isaiah 40:9 Or Zion, bringer of good news, / go up on a high mountain. / Jerusalem, bringer of good news
- Isaiah 40:13 Or mind
- Isaiah 41:2 Or east, / whom victory meets at every step
- 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.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
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.