Isaiah43

¹But now, this is what the Lord says, He who is your Creator, Jacob, And He who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!

²When 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 scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.

³For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

⁴Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other people in your place and other nations in exchange for your life.

⁵Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, And gather you from the west.

⁶I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth,

⁷Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

⁸Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And those who are deaf, even though they have ears.

⁹All the nations have gathered together So that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can declare this And proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses so that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”

¹⁰“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.

¹¹I, only I, am the Lord, And there is no savior besides Me.

¹²It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And I am God.

¹³Even from eternity I am He, And there is no one who can rescue from My hand; I act, and who can reverse it?”

¹⁴This is what the Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: “For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And will bring them all down as fugitives, Even the Chaldeans, into the ships over which they rejoice.

¹⁵I am the Lord, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King.”

¹⁶This is what the Lord says, He who makes a way through the sea And a path through the mighty waters,

¹⁷Who brings out the chariot and the horse, The army and the mighty man (They will lie down together and not rise again; They have been extinguished, and have gone out like a wick):

¹⁸“Do not call to mind the former things, Or consider things of the past.

¹⁹Behold, I am going to do something new, Now it will spring up; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.

²⁰The animals of the field will glorify Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people.

²¹The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise.

²²“Yet you have not called on Me, Jacob; But you have become weary of Me, Israel.

²³You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings, Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, Nor wearied you with incense.

²⁴You have not bought Me 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 wearied Me with your wrongdoings.

²⁵“I, I alone, am the one who wipes out your wrongdoings for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.

²⁶Meet Me in court, let’s argue our case together; State your cause, so that you may be proved right.

²⁷Your first forefather sinned, And your spokesmen have rebelled against Me.

²⁸So I will profane the officials of the sanctuary, And I will turn Jacob over to destruction and Israel to abuse.