Restoration of Israel

43 Now this is what the Lord says—
the one who created you, Jacob,
and the one who formed you, Israel(A)
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;(B)
I have called you by your name; you are mine.(C)
When you pass through the waters,(D)
I will be with you,(E)
and the rivers will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire,(F)
you will not be scorched,
and the flame will not burn you.
For I am the Lord your God,(G)
the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.(H)
I have given Egypt as a ransom for you,
Cush and Seba in your place.
Because you are precious in my sight(I)
and honored, and I love you,(J)
I will give people in exchange for you
and nations instead of your life.
Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,(K)
and gather you from the west.(L)
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’
Bring my sons from far away,(M)
and my daughters from the ends of the earth(N)
everyone who bears my name
and is created for my glory.
I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”

Bring out a people who are blind, yet have eyes,(O)
and are deaf, yet have ears.
All the nations are gathered together,
and the peoples are assembled.(P)
Who among them can declare this,(Q)
and tell us the former things?
Let them present their witnesses
to vindicate themselves,
so that people may hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are my witnesses”(R)
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“and my servant whom I have chosen,(S)
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.(T)
No god was formed before me,
and there will be none after me.(U)
11 I—I am the Lord.
Besides me, there is no Savior.(V)
12 I alone declared, saved, and proclaimed—
and not some foreign god[a] among you.
So you are my witnesses”—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“and[b] I am God.(W)
13 Also, from today on I am he alone,
and none can rescue from my power.(X)
I act, and who can reverse it?” (Y)

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Footnotes

  1. 43:12 Lit not a foreigner
  2. 43:12 Or that

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)
When 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)
For 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)
Since 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.
Do 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)
I 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)
everyone who is called by my name,(AB)
    whom I created(AC) for my glory,(AD)
    whom I formed and made.(AE)

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

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 43:3 That is, the upper Nile region

The Christian Life

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved,(A) put on compassion, kindness,(B) humility,(C) gentleness,(D) and patience,(E) 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.(F) 14 Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called(G) in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,[a] singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name(H) of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:16 Or and songs prompted by the Spirit

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves(A) with compassion, kindness, humility,(B) gentleness and patience.(C) 13 Bear with each other(D) and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.(E) 14 And over all these virtues put on love,(F) which binds them all together in perfect unity.(G)

15 Let the peace of Christ(H) rule in your hearts, since as members of one body(I) you were called to peace.(J) And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ(K) dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom(L) through psalms,(M) hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.(N) 17 And whatever you do,(O) whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks(P) to God the Father through him.

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The Living Stone and a Holy People

Therefore, rid yourselves of(A) all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.(B) Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word,[a](C) so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted(D) that the Lord is good.[b](E) As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by[c] God— you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood[d] to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God(F) through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,(G)
a chosen and honored[e] cornerstone,(H)
and the one who believes in him
will never be put to shame.[f](I)

So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected—
this one has become the cornerstone,[g](J)

and

A stone to stumble over,
and a rock to trip over.[h](K)

They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined(L) for this.

But you are a chosen race,[i][j](M) a royal priesthood,[k](N) a holy nation,[l](O) a people for his possession,[m](P) so that you may proclaim the praises[n][o](Q) of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.(R) 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy,(S) but now you have received mercy.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:2 Or desire pure spiritual milk
  2. 2:3 Ps 34:8
  3. 2:4 Or precious to
  4. 2:5 Or you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood
  5. 2:6 Or precious
  6. 2:6 Is 28:16 LXX
  7. 2:7 Ps 118:22
  8. 2:8 Is 8:14
  9. 2:9 Or generation, or nation
  10. 2:9 Dt 7:6; 10:15; Is 43:20 LXX
  11. 2:9 Ex 19:6; 23:22 LXX; Is 61:6
  12. 2:9 Ex 19:6; 23:22 LXX
  13. 2:9 Ex 19:5; 23:22 LXX; Dt 4:20; 7:6; Is 43:21 LXX
  14. 2:9 Or the mighty deeds
  15. 2:9 Is 42:12; 43:21

Therefore, rid yourselves(A) of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander(B) of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,(C) so that by it you may grow up(D) in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.(E)

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

As you come to him, the living Stone(F)—rejected by humans but chosen by God(G) and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built(H) into a spiritual house[a](I) to be a holy priesthood,(J) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.(K) For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,(L)
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.”[b](M)

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,(N)

“The stone the builders rejected(O)
    has become the cornerstone,”[c](P)

and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”[d](Q)

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.(R)

But you are a chosen people,(S) a royal priesthood,(T) a holy nation,(U) God’s special possession,(V) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(W) 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;(X) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 2:5 Or into a temple of the Spirit
  2. 1 Peter 2:6 Isaiah 28:16
  3. 1 Peter 2:7 Psalm 118:22
  4. 1 Peter 2:8 Isaiah 8:14