Isaiah 43
Christian Standard Bible
Restoration of Israel
43 Now this is what the Lord says—
the one who created you, Jacob,
and the one who formed you, Israel(A)—
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;(B)
I have called you by your name; you are mine.(C)
2 When you pass through the waters,(D)
I will be with you,(E)
and the rivers will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire,(F)
you will not be scorched,
and the flame will not burn you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,(G)
the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.(H)
I have given Egypt as a ransom for you,
Cush and Seba in your place.
4 Because you are precious in my sight(I)
and honored, and I love you,(J)
I will give people in exchange for you
and nations instead of your life.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,(K)
and gather you from the west.(L)
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’
Bring my sons from far away,(M)
and my daughters from the ends of the earth(N)—
7 everyone who bears my name
and is created for my glory.
I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”
8 Bring out a people who are blind, yet have eyes,(O)
and are deaf, yet have ears.
9 All the nations are gathered together,
and the peoples are assembled.(P)
Who among them can declare this,(Q)
and tell us the former things?
Let them present their witnesses
to vindicate themselves,
so that people may hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are my witnesses”(R)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“and my servant whom I have chosen,(S)
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.(T)
No god was formed before me,
and there will be none after me.(U)
11 I—I am the Lord.
Besides me, there is no Savior.(V)
12 I alone declared, saved, and proclaimed—
and not some foreign god[a] among you.
So you are my witnesses”—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“and[b] I am God.(W)
13 Also, from today on I am he alone,
and none can rescue from my power.(X)
I act, and who can reverse it?” (Y)
God’s Deliverance of Rebellious Israel
14 This is what the Lord, your Redeemer,(Z) the Holy One of Israel(AA) says:
Because of you, I will send an army[c] to Babylon
and bring all of them as fugitives,[d]
even the Chaldeans(AB) in the ships in which they rejoice.[e]
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 This is what the Lord says—
who makes a way in the sea,
and a path through raging water,(AC)
17 who brings out the chariot and horse,(AD)
the army and the mighty one together
(they lie down, they do not rise again;
they are extinguished, put out like a wick(AE))—
18 “Do not remember the past events;
pay no attention to things of old.(AF)
19 Look, I am about to do something new;(AG)
even now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness,(AH)
rivers[f] in the desert.
20 Wild animals—
jackals and ostriches—will honor me,
because I provide water in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert,(AI)
to give drink to my chosen people.
21 The people I formed for myself
will declare my praise.(AJ)
22 “But, Jacob, you have not called on me,
because, Israel, you have become weary of me.(AK)
23 You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings
or honored me with your sacrifices.(AL)
I have not burdened you with offerings
or wearied you with incense.[g]
24 You have not bought me aromatic cane with silver,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me(AM) with your iniquities.(AN)
25 “I am the one,I sweep away your transgressions(AO)
for my own sake(AP)
and remember your sins no more.(AQ)
26 Remind me. Let’s argue the case together.(AR)
Recount the facts, so that you may be vindicated.
27 Your first father sinned,(AS)
and your mediators have rebelled against me.(AT)
28 So I defiled the officers of the sanctuary,
and set Jacob apart for destruction(AU)
and Israel for scorn.
Isaiah 43
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 43
Promises of Redemption and Restoration
1 But now, thus says the Lord,
who created you, Jacob, and formed you, Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name: you are mine.
2 When you pass through waters, I will be with you;
through rivers, you shall not be swept away.
When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned,
nor will flames consume you.
3 For I, the Lord, am your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your savior.
I give Egypt as ransom for you,
Ethiopia and Seba[a] in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes
and honored, and I love you,
I give people in return for you
and nations in exchange for your life.(A)
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
from the east I will bring back your offspring,
from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north: Give them up!
and to the south: Do not hold them!
Bring back my sons from afar,
and my daughters from the ends of the earth:(B)
7 All who are called by my name
I created for my glory;
I formed them, made them.
8 Lead out the people, blind though they have eyes,
deaf though they have ears.
9 Let all the nations gather together,
let the peoples assemble!
Who among them could have declared this,
or announced to us the earlier things?[b]
Let them produce witnesses to prove themselves right,
that one may hear and say, “It is true!”
10 You are my witnesses[c]—oracle of the Lord—
my servant whom I have chosen
To know and believe in me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
and after me there shall be none.
11 I, I am the Lord;
there is no savior but me.
12 It is I who declared, who saved,
who announced, not some strange god among you;
You are my witnesses—oracle of the Lord.
I am God,
13 yes, from eternity I am he;
There is none who can deliver from my hand:
I act and who can cancel it?(C)
14 Thus says the Lord, your redeemer,[d]
the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I send to Babylon;
I will bring down all her defenses,
and the Chaldeans shall cry out in lamentation.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus says the Lord,
who opens a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,(D)
17 Who leads out chariots and horsemen,
a powerful army,
Till they lie prostrate together, never to rise,
snuffed out, quenched like a wick.(E)
18 Remember not[e] the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
19 See, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the wilderness I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
20 Wild beasts honor me,
jackals and ostriches,
For I put water in the wilderness
and rivers in the wasteland
for my chosen people to drink,
21 The people whom I formed for myself,
that they might recount my praise.
22 Yet you did not call upon me, Jacob,[f]
for you grew weary of me, Israel.
23 You did not bring me sheep for your burnt offerings,
nor honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not exact from you the service of offerings,
nor weary you for frankincense.(F)
24 You did not buy me sweet cane,[g]
nor did you fill me with the fat of your sacrifices;
Instead, you burdened me with your sins,
wearied me with your crimes.
25 It is I, I, who wipe out,
for my own sake, your offenses;
your sins I remember no more.
26 Would you have me remember, have us come to trial?
Speak up, prove your innocence!
27 Your first father[h] sinned;
your spokesmen rebelled against me
28 Till I repudiated the holy princes,
put Jacob under the ban,
exposed Israel to scorn.
Footnotes
- 43:3–4 Egypt…Ethiopia and Seba: countries which God permitted the Persians to conquer in return for having given Israel its freedom.
- 43:9 Who among them…?: God, and only God, can foretell the future because it is he who brings it to pass. The argument from prediction is an important theme in Second Isaiah and occurs also in 41:22; 43:10; 44:7–8, 26.
- 43:10 You are my witnesses: Israel’s role as chosen people now takes a new turn as they are given the active role of bearing witness before humankind to the Lord’s role in history by proclaiming events beforehand and bringing them to pass; see also 44:8. The false gods, on the other hand, cannot produce such witnesses (v. 9; cf. 44:9). I am he: this formula of self-identification, repeated in vv. 13 and 25, is used here to support the assertion that the Lord alone is God; see also 41:4; 46:4; 48:12; 51:12; 52:6. This expression in part may be behind the self-identification formula used by Jesus in John’s gospel (cf. Jn 8:58). Before…after: another example of the same assertion, that the Lord alone is God; see also note on 44:6.
- 43:14–17 The destruction of Babylon is described in language that recalls the drowning of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea (Ex 14–15).
- 43:18 Remember not: God’s new act of delivering Israel from the Babylonian captivity is presented as so great a marvel as to eclipse even the memory of the exodus from Egypt. This comparison of the return from Babylon to the exodus from Egypt recurs throughout Second Isaiah (cf. 41:17–20; 43:18–21; 48:20–21; 49:8–13; 51:9–11).
- 43:22–28 The reason for the liberation of the Israelites is not their constancy but rather God’s faithfulness to his promise (cf. 40:6–8).
- 43:24 Sweet cane: a fragrant substance used in making incense and the sacred anointing oil; cf. Ex 30:23; Jer 6:20.
- 43:27 First father: Jacob. Spokesmen: leaders, priests, prophets.
Isaiah 43
New King James Version
The Redeemer of Israel
43 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, (A)for I have redeemed you;
(B)I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 (C)When you pass through the waters, (D)I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you (E)walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
(F)I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have (G)loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
5 (H)Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And (I)gather you from the west;
6 I will say to the (J)north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 Everyone who is (K)called by My name,
Whom (L)I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
8 (M)Bring out the blind people who have eyes,
And the (N)deaf who have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
And let the people be assembled.
(O)Who among them can declare this,
And show us former things?
Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified;
Or let them hear and say, “It is truth.”
10 “You(P) are My witnesses,” says the Lord,
(Q)“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and (R)believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.
11 I, even I, (S)am the Lord,
And besides Me there is no savior.
12 I have declared and saved,
I have proclaimed,
And there was no (T)foreign god among you;
(U)Therefore you are My witnesses,”
Says the Lord, “that I am God.
13 (V)Indeed before the day was, I am He;
And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand;
I work, and who will (W)reverse it?”
14 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon,
And bring them all down as fugitives—
The Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
The Creator of Israel, your (X)King.”
16 Thus says the Lord, who (Y)makes a way in the sea
And a (Z)path through the mighty waters,
17 Who (AA)brings forth the chariot and horse,
The army and the power
(They shall lie down together, they shall not rise;
They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
18 “Do(AB) not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a (AC)new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
(AD)I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
20 The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because (AE)I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
21 (AF)This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My (AG)praise.
Pleading with Unfaithful Israel
22 “But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob;
And you (AH)have been weary of Me, O Israel.
23 (AI)You have not brought Me the sheep for your burnt offerings,
Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not caused you to serve with grain offerings,
Nor wearied you with incense.
24 You have bought Me no sweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
But you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have (AJ)wearied Me with your iniquities.
25 “I, even I, am He who (AK)blots out your transgressions (AL)for My own sake;
(AM)And I will not remember your sins.
26 Put Me in remembrance;
Let us contend together;
State your case, that you may be [a]acquitted.
27 Your first father sinned,
And your [b]mediators have transgressed against Me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary;
(AN)I will give Jacob to the curse,
And Israel to reproaches.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:26 justified
- Isaiah 43:27 interpreters
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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