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!
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 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.
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.
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.
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 God’s Witness

Bring out the people who are (Z)blind, even though they have eyes,
And those who are 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 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

  1. Isaiah 43:3 Or Ethiopia
  2. Isaiah 43:13 As in LXX; MT from the day
  3. Isaiah 43:14 Another reading is As for the Chaldeans, their rejoicing is turned into mourning
  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 Lit father
  9. Isaiah 43:27 Or interpreters
  10. Isaiah 43:28 Or holy princes

 神应许拯救他的子民

43 雅各啊,创造你的耶和华,
以色列啊,造成你的那位,
现在如此说:
“你不要害怕,因为我救赎了你;
我曾提你的名召你,你是属我的。
你从水中经过,我必与你同在,
你渡过江河,水必不漫过你;
你在火中行走,也不被烧伤,
火焰必不烧着你身。
因为我是耶和华—你的 神,
以色列的圣者—你的救主;
我使埃及作你的赎价,
使古实西巴代替你。
因我看你为宝贝为尊贵;
又因我爱你,
所以使人代替你,
使万民替换你的生命。
你不要害怕,因我与你同在;
我必领你的后裔从东方来,
又从西方召集你。
我要对北方说,交出来!
对南方说,不可扣留!
要将我的儿子从远方带来,
将我的女儿从地极领回,
就是凡称为我名下的人,
是我为自己的荣耀创造的,
是我所塑造,所做成的。”

以色列是耶和华的见证人

你要将有眼却瞎、
有耳却聋的民都带出来!
任凭万国聚集,
任凭万民会合。
他们当中谁能说明,
并将先前的事指示我们呢?
让他们带来见证,显明他们有理,
看是否听见的人会说:“果然是真的。”
10 你们是我的见证,
是我所拣选的仆人,
为了要使你们知道,且信服我,
又明白我就是耶和华。
在我以前没有任何被造的真神,
在我以后也必没有。
这是耶和华说的。
11 我,惟有我是耶和华;
除我以外没有救主。
12 我曾指示,我曾拯救,我曾说明,
并没有外族的神明[a]在你们中间。
你们是我的见证,
我是 神。
这是耶和华说的。
13 自有日子以来,我就是 神,
谁也不能救人脱离我的手。
我要行事,谁能逆转呢?

逃离巴比伦

14 耶和华—你们的救赎主、
以色列的圣者如此说:
“因你们的缘故,
我已派遣人到巴比伦去;
要使迦勒底人都如难民,
坐自己素来宴乐的船下来。
15 我是耶和华—你们的圣者,
是创造以色列的,是你们的君王。”
16-17 那在沧海中开道,
在大水中开路,
使战车、马匹、军兵、勇士一同出来,
使他们仆倒,不再起来,
使他们灭没,好像熄灭之灯火的耶和华如此说:
18 “你们不要追念从前的事,
也不要思想古时的事。
19 看哪,我要行一件新事,
如今就要显明,你们岂不知道吗?
我必在旷野开道路,
在沙漠开江河[b]
20 野地的走兽要尊敬我,
野狗和鸵鸟也必尊敬我。
因我使旷野有水,
使沙漠有河,
好赐给我的百姓、我的选民喝。
21 这百姓是我为自己造的,
为要述说我的美德。”

以色列人的罪恶

22 雅各啊,你并没有求告我;
以色列啊,你倒厌烦我。
23 你并没有将你的羊带来献给我做燔祭,
也没有用牲祭尊敬我;
我未曾因素祭使你操劳,
也没有因乳香使你厌烦。
24 你没有用银子为我买香菖蒲,
也没有用祭物的油脂使我饱足;
倒使我因你的罪恶操劳,
使我因你的罪孽厌烦。

25 我,惟有我为自己的缘故涂去你的过犯,
我也不再记得你的罪恶。
26 你尽管提醒我,让我们来辩论;
尽管陈述,自显为义。
27 你的始祖犯罪,
你的师傅违背我;
28 因此,我要凌辱圣所的领袖[c]
使雅各遭毁灭,
使以色列受辱骂。”

Footnotes

  1. 43.12 “外族的神明”:原文是“外族”。
  2. 43.19 “江河”:死海古卷是“路径”。
  3. 43.28 “我要…领袖”:七十士译本是“领袖们亵渎了我的圣所,于是我要”。