Isaiah 43

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

But now, this is what the Lord says –
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
    Cush^[a] and Seba in your stead.

Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

Since you are precious and honoured in my sight,
    and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.

Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
    I will bring your children from the east
    and gather you from the west.

I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

I 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 –

Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.’

Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.

Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
    who have ears but are deaf.

Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.

All the nations gather together
    and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold this
    and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
    so that others may hear and say, ‘It is true.’

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

‘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 no god was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.

I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.

I, even I, am the Lord,
    and apart from me there is no saviour.

I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.

I have revealed and saved and proclaimed –
    I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘that I am God.

Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

    Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
    When I act, who can reverse it?’

Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.

This is what the Lord says –
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
‘For your sake I will send to Babylon
    and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians,^[b]
    in the ships in which they took pride.

I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.

I am the Lord, your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator, your King.’

Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;

This is what the Lord says –
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,

Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.

who drew out the chariots and horses,
    the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

‘Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

The wild animals honour me,
    the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,

This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

    the people I formed for myself
    that they may proclaim my praise.

But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.

‘Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied yourselves for^[c] me, Israel.

Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.

You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,
    nor honoured me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with grain offerings
    nor wearied you with demands for incense.

Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.

You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me,
    or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied me with your offences.

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

‘I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions, for my own sake,
    and remembers your sins no more.

Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.

Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;
    state the case for your innocence.

Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.

Your first father sinned;
    those I sent to teach you rebelled against me.

Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.

So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
    I consigned Jacob to destruction^[d]
    and Israel to scorn.