Isaiah 41:17-43:13
New American Standard Bible
17 “The poor and needy are seeking (A)water, but there is none,
And their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the Lord, (B)will answer them Myself;
As the God of Israel I (C)will not abandon them.
18 I will open (D)rivers on the bare heights,
And springs in the midst of the valleys;
I will make (E)the wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land fountains of water.
19 I will put the cedar in the wilderness,
The acacia, the (F)myrtle, and the olive tree;
I will place the (G)juniper in the desert,
Together with the elm tree and the cypress,
20 So that (H)they may see and recognize,
And consider and gain insight as well,
That the (I)hand of the Lord has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21 “[a]Present your case,” the Lord says.
“Bring forward your evidence,”
The (J)King of Jacob says.
22 (K)Let them bring them forward and declare to us what is going to take place;
As for the (L)former events, declare what they were,
So that we may consider them and know their outcome.
Or announce to us what is coming;
23 (M)Declare the things that are going to come afterward,
So that we may know that you are gods;
Indeed, (N)do good or evil, that we may be afraid and fear together.
24 Behold, (O)you are less than nothing,
And (P)your work is less than nothing!
He who chooses you is an (Q)abomination.
25 “I have put (R)one from the north into motion, and he has come;
From the rising of the sun he will call on My name;
And he will come upon rulers as upon [b](S)mortar,
As the potter treads on clay.”
26 Who has (T)declared this from the beginning, that we might know?
Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”?
There was (U)no one at all who declared,
There was no one at all who proclaimed,
There was no one at all who heard your words.
27 “(V)Previously I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’
And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a (W)messenger of good news.’
28 But (X)when I look, there is no one,
And there is no (Y)counselor [c]among them
Who, if I ask, can (Z)give an answer.
29 Behold, all of them are [d]false;
Their (AA)works are (AB)nothing,
Their cast metal images are (AC)wind and emptiness.
God’s Promise concerning His Servant
42 “(AD)Behold, My (AE)Servant, whom I [e]uphold;
My (AF)chosen one in whom My (AG)soul delights.
I have put My (AH)Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth (AI)justice to the [f]nations.
2 He will not cry out nor raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.
3 A bent reed He will not break off
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth (AJ)justice.
4 He will not be (AK)disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice on the earth;
And the (AL)coastlands will wait expectantly for His [g]law.”
5 This is what God the Lord says,
Who (AM)created the heavens and (AN)stretched them out,
Who spread out the (AO)earth and its [h]offspring,
Who (AP)gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the Lord, I have (AQ)called You in righteousness,
I will also (AR)hold You by the hand and (AS)watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a (AT)covenant to the people,
As a (AU)light to the nations,
7 To (AV)open blind eyes,
To (AW)bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
8 (AX)I am the Lord, that is (AY)My name;
I will not give My (AZ)glory to another,
Nor My praise to idols.
9 Behold, the (BA)former things have come to pass,
Now I declare (BB)new things;
Before they sprout I proclaim them to you.”
10 Sing to the Lord a (BC)new song,
Sing His praise from the (BD)end of the earth!
(BE)You who go down to the sea, and (BF)all that is in it;
You (BG)islands, and those who live on them.
11 Let the (BH)wilderness and its cities raise their voices,
The settlements which (BI)Kedar inhabits.
Let the inhabitants of (BJ)Sela sing aloud,
Let them shout for joy from the tops of the (BK)mountains.
12 Let them (BL)give glory to the Lord
And declare His praise in the (BM)coastlands.
13 (BN)The Lord will go out like a warrior,
He will stir His (BO)zeal like a man of war.
He will shout, indeed, He will raise a war cry.
He will (BP)prevail against His enemies.
The Blindness of the People
14 “(BQ)I have kept silent for a long time,
I have kept still and restrained Myself.
Now like a woman in labor I will groan,
I will both gasp and pant.
15 I will (BR)lay waste the mountains and hills
And wither all their vegetation;
I will (BS)turn the rivers into coastlands
And dry up the ponds.
16 I will (BT)lead those who are blind by a way they have not known,
In paths they have not known I will guide them.
I will (BU)turn darkness into light before them
And (BV)uneven land into plains.
These are the things I will do,
And I will (BW)not leave them undone.”
17 They will be turned back and be (BX)utterly put to shame,
Who trust in [i]idols,
Who say to cast metal images,
“You are our gods.”
18 (BY)Hear, you who are deaf!
And look, you who are blind, so that you may see.
19 Who is blind but My (BZ)servant,
Or so deaf as My (CA)messenger whom I send?
Who is so blind as one who is [j](CB)at peace with Me,
Or so blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 (CC)You have seen many things, but you do not retain them;
Your ears are open, but no one hears.
21 The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake
To make the Law (CD)great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered and pillaged;
All of them are (CE)trapped in [k]caves,
Or are (CF)hidden away in prisons;
They have become plunder, with no one to save them,
And spoils with no one to say, “Give them back!”
23 Who among you will listen to this?
Who will pay attention and listen in the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob up for spoils, and Israel to plunderers?
Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,
And in whose ways they (CG)were not willing to walk,
And whose Law they did not (CH)obey?
25 So He poured out on him the heat of His anger
And the (CI)fierceness of battle;
And it set him aflame all around,
Yet he did not recognize it;
And it burned him, but he [l](CJ)paid no attention.
Israel Redeemed
43 But now, this is what the Lord says, He who is your (CK)Creator, Jacob,
And He who (CL)formed you, Israel:
“Do not (CM)fear, for I have (CN)redeemed you;
I have (CO)called you by name; you are (CP)Mine!
2 When you (CQ)pass through the waters, (CR)I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you (CS)walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3 For (CT)I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your (CU)Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
[m](CV)Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Since you are (CW)precious in My sight,
Since you are (CX)honored and I (CY)love you,
I will give other people in your place and other nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for (CZ)I am with you;
I will bring (DA)your offspring from the east,
And (DB)gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the (DC)north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My (DD)sons from afar
And My daughters from the (DE)ends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is (DF)called by My name,
And whom I have (DG)created for My (DH)glory,
(DI)Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
Israel Is God’s Witness
8 Bring out the people who are (DJ)blind, even though they have eyes,
And those who are deaf, even though they have ears.
9 All the nations have (DK)gathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled.
Who among them can (DL)declare this
And proclaim to us the former things?
Let them present (DM)their witnesses so (DN)that they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are (DO)My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And (DP)My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that (DQ)I am He.
(DR)Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
11 I, only I, am the Lord,
And there is no (DS)savior (DT)besides Me.
12 It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no (DU)strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And I am God.
13 Even [n](DV)from eternity (DW)I am He,
And there is (DX)no one who can rescue from My hand;
(DY)I act, and who can reverse it?”
Notas al pie
- Isaiah 41:21 Lit Bring near
- Isaiah 41:25 I.e., the building material
- Isaiah 41:28 Lit out of those
- Isaiah 41:29 Another reading is nothing
- Isaiah 42:1 Or hold fast
- Isaiah 42:1 Or Gentiles
- Isaiah 42:4 Or instruction
- Isaiah 42:5 Or vegetation
- Isaiah 42:17 Or carved images
- Isaiah 42:19 Or the devoted one
- Isaiah 42:22 Or holes
- Isaiah 42:25 Lit did not lay it to heart
- Isaiah 43:3 Or Ethiopia
- Isaiah 43:13 As in LXX; MT from the day
Isaiah 41:17-43:13
New Living Translation
17 “When the poor and needy search for water and there is none,
and their tongues are parched from thirst,
then I, the Lord, will answer them.
I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.
18 I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus.
I will give them fountains of water in the valleys.
I will fill the desert with pools of water.
Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground.
19 I will plant trees in the barren desert—
cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine.
20 I am doing this so all who see this miracle
will understand what it means—
that it is the Lord who has done this,
the Holy One of Israel who created it.
21 “Present the case for your idols,”
says the Lord.
“Let them show what they can do,”
says the King of Israel.[a]
22 “Let them try to tell us what happened long ago
so that we may consider the evidence.
Or let them tell us what the future holds,
so we can know what’s going to happen.
23 Yes, tell us what will occur in the days ahead.
Then we will know you are gods.
In fact, do anything—good or bad!
Do something that will amaze and frighten us.
24 But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all.
Those who choose you pollute themselves.
25 “But I have stirred up a leader who will approach from the north.
From the east he will call on my name.
I will give him victory over kings and princes.
He will trample them as a potter treads on clay.
26 “Who told you from the beginning
that this would happen?
Who predicted this,
making you admit that he was right?
No one said a word!
27 I was the first to tell Zion,
‘Look! Help is on the way!’[b]
I will send Jerusalem a messenger with good news.
28 Not one of your idols told you this.
Not one gave any answer when I asked.
29 See, they are all foolish, worthless things.
All your idols are as empty as the wind.
The Lord’s Chosen Servant
42 “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.
He is my chosen one, who pleases me.
I have put my Spirit upon him.
He will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout
or raise his voice in public.
3 He will not crush the weakest reed
or put out a flickering candle.
He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
4 He will not falter or lose heart
until justice prevails throughout the earth.
Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.[c]”
5 God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out.
He created the earth and everything in it.
He gives breath to everyone,
life to everyone who walks the earth.
And it is he who says,
6 “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.
I will take you by the hand and guard you,
and I will give you to my people, Israel,
as a symbol of my covenant with them.
And you will be a light to guide the nations.
7 You will open the eyes of the blind.
You will free the captives from prison,
releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.
8 “I am the Lord; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to anyone else,
nor share my praise with carved idols.
9 Everything I prophesied has come true,
and now I will prophesy again.
I will tell you the future before it happens.”
A Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing a new song to the Lord!
Sing his praises from the ends of the earth!
Sing, all you who sail the seas,
all you who live in distant coastlands.
11 Join in the chorus, you desert towns;
let the villages of Kedar rejoice!
Let the people of Sela sing for joy;
shout praises from the mountaintops!
12 Let the whole world glorify the Lord;
let it sing his praise.
13 The Lord will march forth like a mighty hero;
he will come out like a warrior, full of fury.
He will shout his battle cry
and crush all his enemies.
14 He will say, “I have long been silent;
yes, I have restrained myself.
But now, like a woman in labor,
I will cry and groan and pant.
15 I will level the mountains and hills
and blight all their greenery.
I will turn the rivers into dry land
and will dry up all the pools.
16 I will lead blind Israel down a new path,
guiding them along an unfamiliar way.
I will brighten the darkness before them
and smooth out the road ahead of them.
Yes, I will indeed do these things;
I will not forsake them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say, ‘You are our gods,’
will be turned away in shame.
Israel’s Failure to Listen and See
18 “Listen, you who are deaf!
Look and see, you blind!
19 Who is as blind as my own people, my servant?
Who is as deaf as my messenger?
Who is as blind as my chosen people,
the servant of the Lord?
20 You see and recognize what is right
but refuse to act on it.
You hear with your ears,
but you don’t really listen.”
21 Because he is righteous,
the Lord has exalted his glorious law.
22 But his own people have been robbed and plundered,
enslaved, imprisoned, and trapped.
They are fair game for anyone
and have no one to protect them,
no one to take them back home.
23 Who will hear these lessons from the past
and see the ruin that awaits you in the future?
24 Who allowed Israel to be robbed and hurt?
It was the Lord, against whom we sinned,
for the people would not walk in his path,
nor would they obey his law.
25 Therefore, he poured out his fury on them
and destroyed them in battle.
They were enveloped in flames,
but they still refused to understand.
They were consumed by fire,
but they did not learn their lesson.
The Savior of Israel
43 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
I gave Ethiopia[d] and Seba in your place.
4 Others were given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you.
5 “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
I will gather you and your children from east and west.
6 I will say to the north and south,
‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel
from the distant corners of the earth.
7 Bring all who claim me as their God,
for I have made them for my glory.
It was I who created them.’”
8 Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.
9 Gather the nations together!
Assemble the peoples of the world!
Which of their idols has ever foretold such things?
Which can predict what will happen tomorrow?
Where are the witnesses of such predictions?
Who can verify that they spoke the truth?
10 “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord.
“You are my servant.
You have been chosen to know me, believe in me,
and understand that I alone am God.
There is no other God—
there never has been, and there never will be.
11 I, yes I, am the Lord,
and there is no other Savior.
12 First I predicted your rescue,
then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world.
No foreign god has ever done this.
You are witnesses that I am the only God,”
says the Lord.
13 “From eternity to eternity I am God.
No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.
No one can undo what I have done.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
