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)
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.
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.
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.
Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,(K)
and gather you from the west.(L)
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)
everyone who bears my name
and is created for my glory.
I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”

Bring out a people who are blind, yet have eyes,(O)
and are deaf, yet have ears.
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.

Footnotes

  1. 43:12 Lit not a foreigner
  2. 43:12 Or that
  3. 43:14 an army supplied for clarity
  4. 43:14 Or will break down all their bars
  5. 43:14 Hb obscure
  6. 43:19 DSS read paths
  7. 43:23 I.e., with demands for offerings and incense

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

10 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.

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

12 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.

13 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?

14 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.

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

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

17 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.

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

19 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.

20 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.

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

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

23 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.

24 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.

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

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

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

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