Isaiah 43
New Living Translation
The Savior of Israel
43 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
I gave Ethiopia[a] and Seba in your place.
4 Others were given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you.
5 “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
I will gather you and your children from east and west.
6 I will say to the north and south,
‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel
from the distant corners of the earth.
7 Bring all who claim me as their God,
for I have made them for my glory.
It was I who created them.’”
8 Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.
9 Gather the nations together!
Assemble the peoples of the world!
Which of their idols has ever foretold such things?
Which can predict what will happen tomorrow?
Where are the witnesses of such predictions?
Who can verify that they spoke the truth?
10 “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord.
“You are my servant.
You have been chosen to know me, believe in me,
and understand that I alone am God.
There is no other God—
there never has been, and there never will be.
11 I, yes I, am the Lord,
and there is no other Savior.
12 First I predicted your rescue,
then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world.
No foreign god has ever done this.
You are witnesses that I am the only God,”
says the Lord.
13 “From eternity to eternity I am God.
No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.
No one can undo what I have done.”
The Lord’s Promise of Victory
14 This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sakes I will send an army against Babylon,
forcing the Babylonians[b] to flee in those ships they are so proud of.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator and King.
16 I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters,
making a dry path through the sea.
17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt
with all its chariots and horses.
I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned,
their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.
18 “But forget all that—
it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
19 For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
20 The wild animals in the fields will thank me,
the jackals and owls, too,
for giving them water in the desert.
Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland
so my chosen people can be refreshed.
21 I have made Israel for myself,
and they will someday honor me before the whole world.
22 “But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help.
You have grown tired of me, O Israel!
23 You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings.
You have not honored me with sacrifices,
though I have not burdened and wearied you
with requests for grain offerings and frankincense.
24 You have not brought me fragrant calamus
or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices.
Instead, you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied me with your faults.
25 “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake
and will never think of them again.
26 Let us review the situation together,
and you can present your case to prove your innocence.
27 From the very beginning, your first ancestor sinned against me;
all your leaders broke my laws.
28 That is why I have disgraced your priests;
I have decreed complete destruction[c] for Jacob
and shame for Israel.
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
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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