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The Redemption of Israel

43 But now, thus says Yahweh, your (A)Creator, O Jacob,
And He who (B)formed you, O Israel,
“Do not (C)fear, for I have (D)redeemed you;
I have (E)called you by name; you are (F)Mine!
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.
For (J)I am Yahweh your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your (K)Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
[a](L)Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Since you are (M)precious in My sight,
Since you are (N)honored and I (O)love you,
I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.
Do not fear, for (P)I am with you;
I will bring (Q)your seed from the east,
And (R)gather you from the west.
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,
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 Yahweh’s Witness

Bring out the people who are (Z)blind, even though they have eyes,
And the deaf, even though they have ears.
All the nations have (AA)gathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled.
Who among them can (AB)declare this
And make us hear the former things?
Let them present (AC)their witnesses (AD)that they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are (AE)My witnesses,” declares Yahweh,
“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, even I, am Yahweh,
And there is no (AI)savior (AJ)besides Me.
12 It is I who have declared and saved and caused it to be heard,
And there was no (AK)strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares Yahweh,
“And I am God.
13 Even [b](AL)from eternity (AM)I am He,
And there is (AN)none who can deliver out of My hand;
(AO)I act and who can reverse it?”

Rivers in the Wasteland

14 Thus says Yahweh your (AP)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,

“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,
And will bring down those who fled—all of them,
[c]Even the (AQ)Chaldeans—into the (AR)ships [d]in which they shouted for joy.
15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One,
(AS)The Creator of Israel, your (AT)King.”

16 Thus says Yahweh,

Who (AU)makes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings forth the (AV)chariot and the horse,
The military force and the mighty man;
They will lie down together and not rise again;
They have been (AW)extinguished and quenched like a wick:
18 (AX)Do not remember the former things,
Nor carefully consider things of the past.
19 Behold, I will do something (AY)new;
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not know it?
I will even (AZ)make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the wasteland.
20 The beasts 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 wasteland,
To give drink to My chosen people.
21 The people whom (BC)I formed for Myself
(BD)Will recount My praise.

22 “Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob;
But you have become (BE)weary of Me, O Israel.
23 You have (BF)not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,
Nor have you (BG)glorified Me with your sacrifices.
I have not (BH)burdened you with [e]offerings,
Nor wearied you with (BI)frankincense.
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 iniquities.

25 “I, even I, am the one who (BL)wipes out your transgressions (BM)for My own sake,
And I will (BN)not remember your sins.
26 [g]Bring Me to remembrance, (BO)let us enter into judgment together;
Recount your cause, (BP)that you may be proved right.
27 Your (BQ)first father sinned,
And your [h](BR)spokesmen have [i]transgressed against Me.
28 So I will [j]profane the [k]princes of the sanctuary,
And I will give Jacob to be (BS)devoted to destruction and Israel to (BT)revilement.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 43:3 Or Cush, cf. Gen 10:6
  2. Isaiah 43:13 As in Gr; Heb from the day
  3. Isaiah 43:14 Or As for the Chaldeans, their rejoicing is turned into lamentations
  4. Isaiah 43:14 Lit of their rejoicing
  5. Isaiah 43:23 Or a meal offering
  6. Isaiah 43:24 Or calamus
  7. Isaiah 43:26 Or Report to Me
  8. Isaiah 43:27 Or interpreters
  9. Isaiah 43:27 Or rebelled
  10. Isaiah 43:28 Or pierce through
  11. Isaiah 43:28 Or holy princes

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)

God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

14 This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,(AV) the Holy One(AW) of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
    and bring down as fugitives(AX) all the Babylonians,[b](AY)
    in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord,(AZ) your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator,(BA) your King.(BB)

16 This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,(BC)
17 who drew out(BD) the chariots and horses,(BE)
    the army and reinforcements together,(BF)
and they lay(BG) there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:(BH)
18 “Forget the former things;(BI)
    do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!(BJ)
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness(BK)
    and streams in the wasteland.(BL)
20 The wild animals(BM) honor me,
    the jackals(BN) and the owls,
because I provide water(BO) in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21     the people I formed(BP) for myself(BQ)
    that they may proclaim my praise.(BR)

22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied(BS) yourselves for[c] me, Israel.(BT)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,(BU)
    nor honored(BV) me with your sacrifices.(BW)
I have not burdened(BX) you with grain offerings
    nor wearied you with demands(BY) for incense.(BZ)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus(CA) for me,
    or lavished on me the fat(CB) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied(CC) me with your offenses.(CD)

25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions,(CE) for my own sake,(CF)
    and remembers your sins(CG) no more.(CH)
26 Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;(CI)
    state the case(CJ) for your innocence.
27 Your first father(CK) sinned;
    those I sent to teach(CL) you rebelled(CM) against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
    I consigned Jacob to destruction[d](CN)
    and Israel to scorn.(CO)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 43:3 That is, the upper Nile region
  2. Isaiah 43:14 Or Chaldeans
  3. Isaiah 43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of
  4. Isaiah 43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.