Isaiah 43:18-28

18The Lord did all that for you, but now he says, ‘Forget those things that happened a long time ago. Do not think about past events.

19Look! Now I will do something that is new! It is already beginning to happen. Surely, you can recognize it. Yes, I will make a road through the desert. I will make streams in the wilderness.

20The wild animals in the desert praise me, including the jackals and the owls. They praise me because I put water in the desert, and streams in the wilderness. I am giving water to the people that I have chosen, so that they will not be thirsty.

21They are the people that I made for myself, so that they would praise me aloud.

22But you Israelites, Jacob's descendants, you did not call to me to help you. You became tired of serving me.

23You did not bring sheep to me as burnt offerings. You did not make sacrifices to me, to show that you respect me. I did not make it difficult for you, when I asked you to bring offerings to me. When I asked you to burn incense to worship me, that should not have made you tired.

24You did not buy any spices to offer them to me. You did not bring me the fat from your sacrifices to make me happy. Instead, you have made it difficult for me, because of all your sins. All the evil things that you do have caused me to become very tired.

25But I am the one who removes your sins when you do not obey me. I, the Lord, do that, because of who I am. I do not hold your sins in my mind.

26So let us talk together about what has happened. Show me why you think that you are right!

27Your first ancestor did not obey me. Your leaders and teachers turned against me.

28So I caused the priests of your temple to become ashamed. I caused enemies to destroy Israel. I let them insult Jacob's descendants.’