Isaiah 43
English Standard Version
Israel's Only Savior
43 But now thus says the Lord,
(A)he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
(B)“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
(C)I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 (D)When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
(E)when you walk through fire (F)you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For (G)I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
(H)I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and (I)Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5 (J)Fear not, for I am with you;
(K)I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring (L)my sons from afar
and (M)my daughters from the end of the earth,
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
8 Bring out (N)the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 (O)All the nations gather together,
and the peoples assemble.
Who among them can declare this,
and show us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them hear and say, It is true.
10 (P)“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and (Q)my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
(R)Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 (S)I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
12 I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and (T)you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.
13 Also (U)henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?”
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
(V)“For your sake I send to Babylon
and (W)bring them all down as fugitives,
(X)even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Thus says the Lord,
(Y)who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who (Z)brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
(AA)they are extinguished, (AB)quenched like a wick:
18 (AC)“Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 (AD)Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
(AE)I will make a way in the wilderness
(AF)and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild beasts will honor me,
(AG)the jackals and the ostriches,
(AH)for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
(AI)that they might declare my praise.
22 “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but (AJ)you have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 (AK)You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
(AL)or wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 “I, I am he
(AM)who blots out (AN)your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put me in remembrance; (AO)let us argue together;
set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
27 (AP)Your first father sinned,
and (AQ)your mediators transgressed against me.
28 Therefore (AR)I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
and (AS)deliver Jacob to utter destruction
and Israel to reviling.
Isaiah 43
Holman 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 I will be with you(D)
when you pass through the waters,(E)
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not overwhelm you.
You will not be scorched
when you walk through the fire,(F)
and the flame will not burn you.
3 For I Yahweh your God,(G)
the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior,(H)
give 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 called by My name
and created for My glory.
I have formed him; indeed, I have made him.”
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 Yahweh,
and there is no other Savior but Me.(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 deliver from My hand.(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 to Babylon
and bring all of them as fugitives,[c]
even the Chaldeans(AB) in the ships in which they rejoice.[d]
15 I am Yahweh, 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 surging waters,(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, quenched 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[e] in the desert.
20 The animals of the field will honor Me,
jackals and ostriches,
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.[f]
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 “It is I who sweep away your transgressions(AO)
for My own sake(AP)
and remember your sins no more.(AQ)
26 Take Me to court; let us argue our case together.(AR)
State your case, 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 abuse.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:12 Lit not a foreigner
- Isaiah 43:12 Or that
- Isaiah 43:14 Or will break down all their bars
- Isaiah 43:14 Hb obscure
- Isaiah 43:19 DSS read paths
- Isaiah 43:23 With demands for offerings and incense
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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