Isaiah 43
World English Bible
43 But now Yahweh who created you, Jacob,
and he who formed you, Israel, says:
“Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by your name.
You are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned,
and flame will not scorch you.
3 For I am Yahweh your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
your Savior.
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you have been precious and honored in my sight,
and I have loved you,
therefore I will give people in your place,
and nations instead of your life.
5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and gather you from the west.
6 I will tell the north, ‘Give them up!’
and tell the south, ‘Don’t hold them back!
Bring my sons from far away,
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
and whom I have created for my glory,
whom I have formed,
yes, whom I have made.’”
8 Bring out the blind people who have eyes,
and the deaf who have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
and let the peoples be assembled.
Who among them can declare this,
and show us former things?
Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified,
or let them hear, and say, “That is true.”
10 “You are my witnesses,” says Yahweh,
“With my servant whom I have chosen;
that you may know and believe me,
and understand that I am he.
Before me there was no God formed,
neither will there be after me.
11 I myself am Yahweh.
Besides me, there is no savior.
12 I have declared, I have saved, and I have shown,
and there was no strange god among you.
Therefore you are my witnesses”,
says Yahweh, “and I am God.
13 Yes, since the day was, I am he.
There is no one who can deliver out of my hand.
I will work, and who can hinder it?”
14 Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: “For your sake, I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring all of them down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing. 15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Yahweh, who makes a way in the sea,
and a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings out the chariot and horse,
the army and the mighty man
(they lie down together, they shall not rise;
they are extinct, they are quenched like a wick) says:
18 “Don’t remember the former things,
and don’t consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing.
It springs out now.
Don’t you know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert.
20 The animals of the field, the jackals and the ostriches, shall honor me,
because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people which I formed for myself,
that they might declare my praise.
22 Yet you have not called on me, Jacob;
but you have been weary of me, Israel.
23 You have not brought me any of your sheep for burnt offerings,
neither have you honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
nor wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have bought me no sweet cane with money,
nor have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices,
but you have burdened me with your sins.
You have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake;
and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put me in remembrance.
Let us plead together.
Declare your case,
that you may be justified.
27 Your first father sinned,
and your teachers have transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary;
and I will make Jacob a curse,
and Israel an insult.”
Isaiah 43
Common English Bible
Don’t fear
43 But now, says the Lord—
the one who created you, Jacob,
the one who formed you, Israel:
Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
when through the rivers, they won’t sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you won’t be scorched
and flame won’t burn you.
3 I am the Lord your God,
the holy one of Israel, your savior.
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your place.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
you are honored, and I love you.
I give people in your place,
and nations in exchange for your life.
5 Don’t fear,
I am with you.
From the east I’ll bring your children;
from the west I’ll gather you.
6 I’ll say to the north, “Give them back!”
and to the south, “Don’t detain them.”
Bring my sons from far away,
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
7 everyone who is called by my name
and whom I created for my glory,
whom I have formed and made.
8 Bring out the blind people who have eyes,
the deaf ones who have ears.
9 All the nations are gathered together;
the peoples are assembled.
Which of them announced this?
Who predicted to us the past events?
Let them bring their witnesses as a defense;
let them hear and say, “It’s true!”
10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
my servant, whom I chose,
so that you would know and believe me
and understand that I am the one.
Before me no god was formed;
after me there has been no other.
11 I, I am the Lord,
and there is no savior besides me.
12 I announced, I saved, I proclaimed,
not some stranger among you.
You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
and I am God.
13 From the dawn of time, I am the one.
No one can escape my power.
I act, and who can undo it?
Don’t remember
14 The Lord your redeemer,
the holy one of Israel, says,
For your sake, I have sent an army[a] to Babylon,
and brought down all the bars,
turning the Chaldeans’ singing into a lament.[b]
15 I am the Lord, your holy one,
Israel’s creator, your king!
16 The Lord says—who makes a way in the sea
and a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariot and horse,
army and battalion;
they will lie down together and will not rise;
they will be extinguished, extinguished like a wick.
18 Don’t remember the prior things;
don’t ponder ancient history.
19 Look! I’m doing a new thing;
now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the desert,
paths[c] in the wilderness.
20 The beasts of the field,
the jackals and ostriches, will honor me,
because I have put water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness
to give water to my people,
my chosen ones,
21 this people whom I formed for myself,
who will recount my praise.
22 But you didn’t call out to me, Jacob;
you were tired of me, Israel.
23 You didn’t bring me lambs for your entirely burned offering;
you didn’t honor me with your sacrifices.
I didn’t make you worship with offerings;
I didn’t weary you with frankincense.
24 You didn’t buy spices for me with your money,
or satisfy me with the fat of your sacrifices.
Instead, you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied me with your evil actions.
25 I, I am the one who wipes out your rebellious behavior for my sake. I won’t remember your sin.
26 Summon me, and let’s go to trial together;
you tell your story so that you may be vindicated!
27 Your first ancestor sinned,
and your officials rebelled against me.
28 So I made the holy officials impure,
handed over Jacob to destruction and Israel to abuse.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:14 Heb lacks an army.
- Isaiah 43:14 Heb uncertain
- Isaiah 43:19 DSS (1QIsaa); MT streams
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible