Isaiah 43

Israel Redeemed

1But now, thus says the Lord, your 1Creator, O Jacob, And He who 2formed you, O Israel, “Do not 3fear, for I have 4redeemed you; I have 5called you by name; you are 6Mine!2When you 7pass through the waters, 8I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you 9walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.3For 10I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your 11Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, 1213Cush and Seba in your place.4Since you are 14precious in My sight, Since you are 15honored and I 16love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.5Do not fear, for 17I am with you; I will bring 18your offspring from the east, And 19gather you from the west.6I will say to the 20north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My 21sons from afar And My daughters from the 22ends of the earth,7Everyone who is 23called by My name, And whom I have 24created for My 25glory, 26Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

Israel Is God’s Witness

8Bring out the people who are 27blind, even though they have eyes, And the deaf, even though they have ears.9All the nations have 28gathered together So that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can 29declare this And proclaim to us the former things? Let them present 30their witnesses 31that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”10“You are 32My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And 33My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that 34I am He. 35Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.11I, even I, am the Lord, And there is no 36savior 37besides Me.12It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no 38strange god among you; So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And I am God.13Even 3940from eternity 41I am He, And there is 42none who can deliver out of My hand; 43I act and who can reverse it?”

Babylon to Be Destroyed

14Thus says the Lord your 44Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, “For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And will bring them all down as fugitives, 45Even the 46Chaldeans, into the 47ships 48in which they rejoice.15I am the Lord, your Holy One, 49The Creator of Israel, your 50King.” 16Thus says the Lord, Who 51makes a way through the sea And a path through the mighty waters,17Who brings forth the 52chariot and the horse, The army and the mighty man (They will lie down together and not rise again; They have been 53quenched and extinguished like a wick):18“54Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past.19Behold, I will do something 55new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even 56make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.20The beasts of the field will glorify Me, The 57jackals and the ostriches, Because I have 58given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people.21The people whom 59I formed for Myself 60Will declare My praise.

The Shortcomings of Israel

22“Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob; But you have become 61weary of Me, O Israel.23You have 62not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings, Nor have you 63honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not 64burdened you with 65offerings, Nor wearied you with 66incense.24You have bought Me not 6768sweet cane with money, Nor have you 69filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices; Rather you have burdened Me with your sins, You have 70wearied Me with your iniquities.

25“I, even I, am the one who 71wipes out your transgressions 72for My own sake, And I will 73not remember your sins.2674Put Me in remembrance, 75let us argue our case together; State your cause, 76that you may be proved right.27Your 77first 78forefather sinned, And your 7980spokesmen have 81transgressed against Me.28So I will 82pollute the 83princes of the sanctuary, And I will consign Jacob to the 84ban and Israel to 85revilement.