God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

14 This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,(A) the Holy One(B) of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
    and bring down as fugitives(C) all the Babylonians,[a](D)
    in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord,(E) your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator,(F) your King.(G)

16 This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,(H)
17 who drew out(I) the chariots and horses,(J)
    the army and reinforcements together,(K)
and they lay(L) there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:(M)
18 “Forget the former things;(N)
    do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!(O)
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness(P)
    and streams in the wasteland.(Q)
20 The wild animals(R) honor me,
    the jackals(S) and the owls,
because I provide water(T) in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21     the people I formed(U) for myself(V)
    that they may proclaim my praise.(W)

22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied(X) yourselves for[b] me, Israel.(Y)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,(Z)
    nor honored(AA) me with your sacrifices.(AB)
I have not burdened(AC) you with grain offerings
    nor wearied you with demands(AD) for incense.(AE)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus(AF) for me,
    or lavished on me the fat(AG) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied(AH) me with your offenses.(AI)

25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions,(AJ) for my own sake,(AK)
    and remembers your sins(AL) no more.(AM)
26 Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;(AN)
    state the case(AO) for your innocence.
27 Your first father(AP) sinned;
    those I sent to teach(AQ) you rebelled(AR) against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
    I consigned Jacob to destruction[c](AS)
    and Israel to scorn.(AT)

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Footnotes

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

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