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Isaiah 41:17-43:13
New King James Version
Isaiah 41:17-43:13
New King James Version
17 “The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,
Their tongues fail for thirst.
I, the Lord, will hear them;
I, the God of Israel, will not (A)forsake them.
18 I will open (B)rivers in desolate heights,
And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the (C)wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land springs of water.
19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree,
The myrtle and the oil tree;
I will set in the (D)desert the cypress tree and the pine
And the box tree together,
20 (E)That they may see and know,
And consider and understand together,
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.
The Futility of Idols
21 “Present your case,” says the Lord.
“Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the (F)King of Jacob.
22 “Let(G) them bring forth and show us what will happen;
Let them show the (H)former things, what they were,
That we may [a]consider them,
And know the latter end of them;
Or declare to us things to come.
23 (I)Show the things that are to come hereafter,
That we may know that you are gods;
Yes, (J)do good or do evil,
That we may be dismayed and see it together.
24 Indeed (K)you are nothing,
And your work is nothing;
He who chooses you is an abomination.
25 “I have raised up one from the north,
And he shall come;
From the [b]rising of the sun (L)he shall call on My name;
(M)And he shall come against princes as though mortar,
As the potter treads clay.
26 (N)Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know?
And former times, that we may say, ‘He is righteous’?
Surely there is no one who shows,
Surely there is no one who declares,
Surely there is no one who hears your words.
27 (O)The first time (P)I said to Zion,
‘Look, there they are!’
And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings.
28 (Q)For I looked, and there was no man;
I looked among them, but there was no counselor,
Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
29 (R)Indeed they are all [c]worthless;
Their works are nothing;
Their molded images are wind and confusion.
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Behold! (S)My Servant whom I uphold,
My [d]Elect One in whom My soul (T)delights!
(U)I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed He will not break,
And [e]smoking flax He will not [f]quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
(V)And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
5 Thus says God the Lord,
(W)Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,
(X)Who gives breath to the people on it,
And spirit to those who walk on it:
6 “I,(Y) the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You (Z)and give You as a covenant to the people,
As (AA)a light to the Gentiles,
7 (AB)To open blind eyes,
To (AC)bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in (AD)darkness from the prison house.
8 I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My (AE)glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Praise to the Lord
10 (AF)Sing to the Lord a new song,
And His praise from the ends of the earth,
(AG)You who go down to the sea, and [g]all that is in it,
You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!
11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice,
The villages that Kedar inhabits.
Let the inhabitants of Sela sing,
Let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord,
And declare His praise in the coastlands.
13 The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man;
He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war.
He shall cry out, (AH)yes, shout aloud;
He shall prevail against His enemies.
Promise of the Lord’s Help
14 “I have held My peace a long time,
I have been still and restrained Myself.
Now I will cry like a woman in [h]labor,
I will pant and gasp at once.
15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills,
And dry up all their vegetation;
I will make the rivers coastlands,
And I will dry up the pools.
16 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them.
17 They shall be (AI)turned back,
They shall be greatly ashamed,
Who trust in carved images,
Who say to the molded images,
‘You are our gods.’
18 “Hear, you deaf;
And look, you blind, that you may see.
19 (AJ)Who is blind but My servant,
Or deaf as My messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as he who is perfect,
And blind as the Lord’s servant?
20 Seeing many things, (AK)but you do not observe;
Opening the ears, but he does not hear.”
Israel’s Obstinate Disobedience
21 The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake;
He will exalt the law and make it honorable.
22 But this is a people robbed and plundered;
All of them are [i]snared in holes,
And they are hidden in prison houses;
They are for prey, and no one delivers;
For plunder, and no one says, “Restore!”
23 Who among you will give ear to this?
Who will listen and hear for the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob for plunder, and Israel to the robbers?
Was it not the Lord,
He against whom we have sinned?
(AL)For they would not walk in His ways,
Nor were they obedient to His law.
25 Therefore He has poured on him the fury of His anger
And the strength of battle;
(AM)It has set him on fire all around,
(AN)Yet he did not know;
And it burned him,
Yet he did not take it to (AO)heart.
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, (AP)for I have redeemed you;
(AQ)I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 (AR)When you pass through the waters, (AS)I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you (AT)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;
(AU)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 (AV)loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
5 (AW)Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And (AX)gather you from the west;
6 I will say to the (AY)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 (AZ)called by My name,
Whom (BA)I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
8 (BB)Bring out the blind people who have eyes,
And the (BC)deaf who have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
And let the people be assembled.
(BD)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(BE) are My witnesses,” says the Lord,
(BF)“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and (BG)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, (BH)am the Lord,
And besides Me there is no savior.
12 I have declared and saved,
I have proclaimed,
And there was no (BI)foreign god among you;
(BJ)Therefore you are My witnesses,”
Says the Lord, “that I am God.
13 (BK)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 (BL)reverse it?”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 41:22 Lit. set our heart on them
- Isaiah 41:25 East
- Isaiah 41:29 So with MT, Vg.; DSS, Syr., Tg. nothing; LXX omits first line
- Isaiah 42:1 Chosen
- Isaiah 42:3 dimly burning
- Isaiah 42:3 extinguish
- Isaiah 42:10 Lit. its fullness
- Isaiah 42:14 childbirth
- Isaiah 42:22 Or trapped in caves
Isaiah 41:17-43:13
New International Version
Isaiah 41:17-43:13
New International Version
17 “The poor and needy search for water,(A)
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.(B)
But I the Lord will answer(C) them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake(D) them.
18 I will make rivers flow(E) on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert(F) into pools of water,(G)
and the parched ground into springs.(H)
19 I will put in the desert(I)
the cedar and the acacia,(J) the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers(K) in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress(L) together,(M)
20 so that people may see and know,(N)
may consider and understand,(O)
that the hand(P) of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One(Q) of Israel has created(R) it.
21 “Present your case,(S)” says the Lord.
“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.(T)
22 “Tell us, you idols,
what is going to happen.(U)
Tell us what the former things(V) were,
so that we may consider them
and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,(W)
23 tell us what the future holds,
so we may know(X) that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,(Y)
so that we will be dismayed(Z) and filled with fear.
24 But you are less than nothing(AA)
and your works are utterly worthless;(AB)
whoever chooses you is detestable.(AC)
25 “I have stirred(AD) up one from the north,(AE) and he comes—
one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads(AF) on rulers as if they were mortar,
as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,(AG) so we could know,
or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
no one foretold(AH) it,
no one heard any words(AI) from you.
27 I was the first to tell(AJ) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.(AK)
28 I look but there is no one(AL)—
no one among the gods to give counsel,(AM)
no one to give answer(AN) when I ask them.
29 See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;(AO)
their images(AP) are but wind(AQ) and confusion.
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Here is my servant,(AR) whom I uphold,
my chosen one(AS) in whom I delight;(AT)
I will put my Spirit(AU) on him,
and he will bring justice(AV) to the nations.(AW)
2 He will not shout or cry out,(AX)
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed(AY) he will not break,(AZ)
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.(BA)
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;(BB)
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice(BC) on earth.
In his teaching(BD) the islands(BE) will put their hope.”(BF)
5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,(BG) who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth(BH) with all that springs from it,(BI)
who gives breath(BJ) to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called(BK) you in righteousness;(BL)
I will take hold of your hand.(BM)
I will keep(BN) you and will make you
to be a covenant(BO) for the people
and a light(BP) for the Gentiles,(BQ)
7 to open eyes that are blind,(BR)
to free(BS) captives from prison(BT)
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.(BU)
8 “I am the Lord;(BV) that is my name!(BW)
I will not yield my glory to another(BX)
or my praise to idols.(BY)
9 See, the former things(BZ) have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce(CA) them to you.”
Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing(CB) to the Lord a new song,(CC)
his praise(CD) from the ends of the earth,(CE)
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,(CF)
you islands,(CG) and all who live in them.
11 Let the wilderness(CH) and its towns raise their voices;
let the settlements where Kedar(CI) lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela(CJ) sing for joy;
let them shout from the mountaintops.(CK)
12 Let them give glory(CL) to the Lord
and proclaim his praise(CM) in the islands.(CN)
13 The Lord will march out like a champion,(CO)
like a warrior(CP) he will stir up his zeal;(CQ)
with a shout(CR) he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.(CS)
14 “For a long time I have kept silent,(CT)
I have been quiet and held myself back.(CU)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.(CV)
15 I will lay waste(CW) the mountains(CX) and hills
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up(CY) the pools.
16 I will lead(CZ) the blind(DA) by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light(DB) before them
and make the rough places smooth.(DC)
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake(DD) them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’(DE)
will be turned back in utter shame.(DF)
Israel Blind and Deaf
18 “Hear, you deaf;(DG)
look, you blind, and see!
19 Who is blind(DH) but my servant,(DI)
and deaf like the messenger(DJ) I send?
Who is blind like the one in covenant(DK) 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.”(DL)
21 It pleased the Lord
for the sake(DM) of his righteousness
to make his law(DN) great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered(DO) and looted,
all of them trapped in pits(DP)
or hidden away in prisons.(DQ)
They have become plunder,
with no one to rescue them;(DR)
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(DS) in time to come?
24 Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
and Israel to the plunderers?(DT)
Was it not the Lord,(DU)
against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow(DV) his ways;
they did not obey his law.(DW)
25 So he poured out on them his burning anger,(DX)
the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames,(DY) yet they did not understand;(DZ)
it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.(EA)
Israel’s Only Savior
43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created(EB) you, Jacob,
he who formed(EC) you, Israel:(ED)
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed(EE) you;
I have summoned you by name;(EF) you are mine.(EG)
2 When you pass through the waters,(EH)
I will be with you;(EI)
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,(EJ)
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.(EK)
3 For I am the Lord your God,(EL)
the Holy One(EM) of Israel, your Savior;(EN)
I give Egypt(EO) for your ransom,
Cush[a](EP) and Seba(EQ) in your stead.(ER)
4 Since you are precious and honored(ES) in my sight,
and because I love(ET) you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid,(EU) for I am with you;(EV)
I will bring your children(EW) from the east
and gather(EX) you from the west.(EY)
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south,(EZ) ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters(FA) from the ends of the earth(FB)—
7 everyone who is called by my name,(FC)
whom I created(FD) for my glory,(FE)
whom I formed and made.(FF)”
8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,(FG)
who have ears but are deaf.(FH)
9 All the nations gather together(FI)
and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold(FJ) 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,(FK)” declares the Lord,
“and my servant(FL) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know(FM) and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god(FN) was formed,
nor will there be one after me.(FO)
11 I, even I, am the Lord,(FP)
and apart from me there is no savior.(FQ)
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god(FR) among you.
You are my witnesses,(FS)” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13 Yes, and from ancient days(FT) I am he.(FU)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”(FV)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:3 That is, the upper Nile region
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.