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
Isaiah 43
International Standard Version
The Future Redemption of Israel
43 But now this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, Jacob,
the one who formed you, Israel:
“Do not be afraid, because I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called you by name;
you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I’ll be with you;
and through the rivers, they won’t sweep over you.
when you walk through fire you won’t be scorched,
and the flame won’t set you ablaze.
3 “I[a] am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer.[b]
And[c] I’ve given Egypt as your ransom,[d]
Cush and the people of Seba[e] in exchange for you.
4 Since you’re precious in my sight
and honored,
and because I love you,
I’m giving up people in your place,
and nations in exchange for your life.”
The Regathering of Israel
5 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you;
I’ll bring your children from the east,
and gather you from the west.
6 I’ll say to the north,
‘Give them up’!
and to the south,
‘Don’t keep them back!’
Bring[f] my sons from far away
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom[g] I formed and made.
8 “Bring out the people who are blind, yet still have eyes,
who are deaf, yet still have ears!
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
and let the peoples be assembled.
“Who is there among them who[h] can declare this,
or announce[i] the former things?
Let them produce their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them proclaim[j] so people will say, ‘It’s true.’
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and trust me
and understand that I am the One.[k]
Before me no God was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
11 I, yes I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
12 I’ve revealed and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no foreign god among you —
and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord.
13 “I am God; also[l] from ancient days[m] I am the one.
And there is no one who can deliver out of my hand;
when I act, who can reverse it?”
14 This is what the Lord says,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon,[n]
and bring them all down as fugitives.
Now as for the Babylonians,
their ringing cry will become lamentation.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
Creator of Israel, and your King.”
Something New for Israel
16 This is what the Lord says —
who makes a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariots and horsemen,
and[o] armies and warriors at the same time.
They lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a candle:[p]
18 “Don’t remember[q] the former things;
don’t dwell on things past.
19 Watch! I’m about to carry out something new!
And[r] now it’s springing up—
don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the wilderness
and paths[s] in the desert.
20 Wild animals, jackals, and owls[t] will honor me
because I provide[u] water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness
to give drink to my people, my chosen ones,[v]
21 the people whom I formed for myself
and[w] so that they may speak[x] my praise.”
God is Weary of Israel
22 “And[y] yet you didn’t call upon me, Jacob;
indeed, you are tired of me, Israel!
23 You haven’t brought me your sheep for a burnt offering,[z]
nor have you honored me with[aa] your sacrifices,
nor have you made meal offerings for me[ab]—
yet I have not tired you about incense!
24 You[ac] haven’t bought me sweet cane with money,
nor have you satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
You have only burdened me with your sins
and made me tired with your iniquities.
25 “I, I am the one
who blots out your transgression[ad] for my own sake,
and I’ll remember your sins no more.[ae]
26 Recount the brief!
Let’s argue the matter together;
Present your case,
so that you may be proved right.
27 Your first ancestor sinned,
and your mediators rebelled against me.
28 So I’ll disgrace the leaders of the Temple,
and I’ll consign Jacob to total destruction[af]
and Israel to contempt.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:3 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab 4QIsag MT LXX read For I
- Isaiah 43:3 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read Savior
- Isaiah 43:3 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks And
- Isaiah 43:3 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read as your ransom Egypt
- Isaiah 43:3 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab 4QIsag MT read and Seba
- Isaiah 43:6 1QIsaa employs masculine pl.; MT employs feminine pl.
- Isaiah 43:7 So 1QIsaa MT; 1QIsab reads and whom
- Isaiah 43:9 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack who
- Isaiah 43:9 So 1QIsaa; MT reads announce to us; LXX reads announce to you
- Isaiah 43:9 So 1QIsaa; MT reads hear
- Isaiah 43:10 Or am he
- Isaiah 43:13 So 1QIsaa; MT reads God—Yes,; cf. LXX
- Isaiah 43:13 Or from this day on,
- Isaiah 43:14 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT each spell this line differently
- Isaiah 43:17 So 1QIsaa LXX; the Heb. lacks and
- Isaiah 43:17 Lit. linen wick
- Isaiah 43:18 1QIsaa employs second person sing.; MT LXX employ second person pl.
- Isaiah 43:19 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks And
- Isaiah 43:19 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read streams
- Isaiah 43:20 Or ostriches
- Isaiah 43:20 So 1QIsaa; MT reads have provided
- Isaiah 43:20 So 1QIsaa; MT reads my chosen people
- Isaiah 43:21 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsag lacks my chosen ones
- Isaiah 43:21 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsag MT LXX read recount
- Isaiah 43:22 So 1QIsaa MT; MTmss lack And
- Isaiah 43:23 So 1QIsaa; MT reads for your burnt-offerings; or your burnt-offering
- Isaiah 43:23 So 1QIsaa LXX; implicit in MT
- Isaiah 43:23 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsag MT read I have not burdened you with grain offerings; LXX lacks this line
- Isaiah 43:24 So 1QIsaa MT; 4QIsag reads And you
- Isaiah 43:25 So 1QIsaa; MT reads transgressions; cf. LXX
- Isaiah 43:25 So 1QIsaa; MT reads not remember your sins
- Isaiah 43:28 The Heb. term refers to involuntary dedication to God of the thing destroyed
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