Isaiah 43
Christian Standard Bible
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)
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,(K)
and gather you from the west.(L)
6 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)—
7 everyone who bears my name
and is created for my glory.
I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”
8 Bring out a people who are blind, yet have eyes,(O)
and are deaf, yet have ears.
9 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)
God’s Deliverance of Rebellious Israel
14 This is what the Lord, your Redeemer,(Z) the Holy One of Israel(AA) says:
Because of you, I will send an army[c] to Babylon
and bring all of them as fugitives,[d]
even the Chaldeans(AB) in the ships in which they rejoice.[e]
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 This is what the Lord says—
who makes a way in the sea,
and a path through raging water,(AC)
17 who brings out the chariot and horse,(AD)
the army and the mighty one together
(they lie down, they do not rise again;
they are extinguished, put out like a wick(AE))—
18 “Do not remember the past events;
pay no attention to things of old.(AF)
19 Look, I am about to do something new;(AG)
even now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness,(AH)
rivers[f] in the desert.
20 Wild animals—
jackals and ostriches—will honor me,
because I provide water in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert,(AI)
to give drink to my chosen people.
21 The people I formed for myself
will declare my praise.(AJ)
22 “But, Jacob, you have not called on me,
because, Israel, you have become weary of me.(AK)
23 You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings
or honored me with your sacrifices.(AL)
I have not burdened you with offerings
or wearied you with incense.[g]
24 You have not bought me aromatic cane with silver,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me(AM) with your iniquities.(AN)
25 “I am the one,I sweep away your transgressions(AO)
for my own sake(AP)
and remember your sins no more.(AQ)
26 Remind me. Let’s argue the case together.(AR)
Recount the facts, so that you may be vindicated.
27 Your first father sinned,(AS)
and your mediators have rebelled against me.(AT)
28 So I defiled the officers of the sanctuary,
and set Jacob apart for destruction(AU)
and Israel for scorn.
Isaiah 43
New American Standard Bible
Israel Redeemed
43 But now, this is what the Lord says, He who is your (A)Creator, Jacob,
And He who (B)formed you, Israel:
“Do not (C)fear, for I have (D)redeemed you;
I have (E)called you by name; you are (F)Mine!
2 When you (G)pass through the waters, (H)I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you (I)walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3 For (J)I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your (K)Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
[a](L)Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Since you are (M)precious in My sight,
Since you are (N)honored and I (O)love you,
I will give other people in your place and other nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for (P)I am with you;
I will bring (Q)your offspring from the east,
And (R)gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the (S)north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My (T)sons from afar
And My daughters from the (U)ends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is (V)called by My name,
And whom I have (W)created for My (X)glory,
(Y)Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
Israel Is God’s Witness
8 Bring out the people who are (Z)blind, even though they have eyes,
And those who are deaf, even though they have ears.
9 All the nations have (AA)gathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled.
Who among them can (AB)declare this
And proclaim to us the former things?
Let them present (AC)their witnesses so (AD)that they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are (AE)My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And (AF)My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that (AG)I am He.
(AH)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 (AI)savior (AJ)besides Me.
12 It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no (AK)strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And I am God.
13 Even [b](AL)from eternity (AM)I am He,
And there is (AN)no one who can rescue from My hand;
(AO)I act, and who can reverse it?”
Babylon to Be Destroyed
14 This is what the Lord your (AP)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says:
“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,
And will bring them all down as fugitives,
[c]Even the (AQ)Chaldeans, into the (AR)ships [d]over which they rejoice.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
(AS)The Creator of Israel, your (AT)King.”
16 This is what the Lord says,
He who (AU)makes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings out the (AV)chariot and the horse,
The army and the mighty man
(They will lie down together and not rise again;
They have been (AW)extinguished, and have gone out like a wick):
18 “(AX)Do not call to mind the former things,
Or consider things of the past.
19 Behold, I am going to do something (AY)new,
Now it will spring up;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even (AZ)make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.
20 The animals of the field will glorify Me,
The (BA)jackals and the ostriches,
Because I have (BB)given waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My chosen people.
21 The people whom (BC)I formed for Myself
(BD)Will declare My praise.
The Shortcomings of Israel
22 “Yet you have not called on Me, Jacob;
But you have become (BE)weary of Me, Israel.
23 You have (BF)not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,
Nor have you (BG)honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not (BH)burdened you with [e]offerings,
Nor wearied you with (BI)incense.
24 You have not bought Me [f](BJ)sweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
Rather, you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have (BK)wearied Me with your wrongdoings.
25 “I, I alone, am the one who (BL)wipes out your wrongdoings (BM)for My own sake,
And I will (BN)not remember your sins.
26 [g]Meet Me in court, (BO)let’s argue our case together;
State your cause, (BP)so that you may be proved right.
27 Your (BQ)first [h]forefather sinned,
And your [i](BR)spokesmen have rebelled against Me.
28 So I will profane the [j]officials of the sanctuary,
And I will turn Jacob over to (BS)destruction and Israel to (BT)abuse.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:3 Or Ethiopia
- Isaiah 43:13 As in LXX; MT from the day
- Isaiah 43:14 Another reading is As for the Chaldeans, their rejoicing is turned into mourning
- Isaiah 43:14 Lit of their rejoicing
- Isaiah 43:23 Or a meal offering
- Isaiah 43:24 Or calamus
- Isaiah 43:26 Or Report to Me
- Isaiah 43:27 Lit father
- Isaiah 43:27 Or interpreters
- Isaiah 43:28 Or holy princes
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