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43 Yahweh created Jacob and formed Israel. Now, this is what Yahweh says:

Do not be afraid, because I have reclaimed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through the sea, I am with you.
    When you go through rivers, they will not sweep you away.
    When you walk through fire, you will not be burned,
    and the flames will not harm you.
I am Yahweh your Elohim, Qedosh Yisrael, your Savior.
    Egypt is the ransom I exchanged for you.
    Sudan and Seba are the price I paid for you.
Since you are precious to me, you are honored and I love you.
    I will exchange others for you.
        Nations will be the price I pay for your life.

Do not be afraid, because I am with you.
    I will bring your descendants from the east
        and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
    and to the south, “Do not keep them.”
    Bring my sons from far away
    and my daughters from the ends of the earth.
Bring everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.
Bring the people who are blind but still have eyes,
    the people who are deaf but still have ears.
All nations have gathered together, and people have assembled.
    Who among them could have revealed this?
    Who among them could have foretold this to us?
        They should bring their witnesses to prove that they were right.
            Let the people hear them. Then they will say that it is true.

10 “You are my witnesses,” declares Yahweh.
    “I have chosen you as my servant
    so that you can know and believe in me
        and understand that I am the one who did this.
    No god was formed before me,
    and there will be none after me.
11 I alone am Yahweh,
    and there is no savior except me.
12 I have revealed it to you, I have saved you,
    and I have announced it to you.
        There was no foreign god among you.
    You are my witnesses that I am El,” declares Yahweh.
13 “From the first day I was the one who did this.
    No one can rescue people from my power.
    When I do something, who can undo it?”
14 This is what Yahweh, your Go’el, Qedosh Yisrael, says:

For your sake I will send an army to Babylon.
    I will bring back all the Babylonian refugees
        in the ships that they take pride in.
15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One,
    the Creator of Israel, your Melek.

Despite the People of Israel’s Past Sin, the Lord Will Forgive Them

16 Yahweh makes a path through the sea
    and a road through the strong currents.
17 He leads chariots and horses, an army and reinforcements.
    (They lie down together and do not get up again.
    They are extinguished and snuffed out like a wick.)

This is what Yahweh says:

18 Forget what happened in the past,
    and do not dwell on events from long ago.
19 I am going to do something new.
    It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it?
        I will clear a way in the desert.
        I will make rivers on dry land.
20 Wild animals, jackals, and ostriches will honor me.
    I will provide water in the desert.
    I will make rivers on the dry land for my chosen people to drink.
21 I have formed these people for myself.
    They will praise me.

22 Jacob, you have not prayed to me.
    Israel, you have grown tired of me.
23 You did not bring me sheep for your burnt offerings
    or honor me with your sacrifices.
    I did not burden you by requiring grain offerings
    or trouble you by requiring incense offerings.
24 You did not buy me any sugar cane with your money
    or satisfy me with the best part of your sacrifices.
    Rather, you burdened me with your sins
    and troubled me with your wrongdoings.

25 I alone am the one who is going to wipe away your rebellious actions
    for my own sake.
        I will not remember your sins anymore.
26 Remind me of what happened.
    Let us argue our case together.
        State your case so that you can prove you are right.
27 Your first ancestor sinned,
    and your priests rebelled against me.
28 That is why I will corrupt the leaders of the holy place.
    I will claim Jacob for destruction.
    I will set up Israel for ridicule.

Israel’s Only Savior

43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created(A) you, Jacob,
    he who formed(B) you, Israel:(C)
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed(D) you;
    I have summoned you by name;(E) you are mine.(F)
When you pass through the waters,(G)
    I will be with you;(H)
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,(I)
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.(J)
For I am the Lord your God,(K)
    the Holy One(L) of Israel, your Savior;(M)
I give Egypt(N) for your ransom,
    Cush[a](O) and Seba(P) in your stead.(Q)
Since you are precious and honored(R) in my sight,
    and because I love(S) you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid,(T) for I am with you;(U)
    I will bring your children(V) from the east
    and gather(W) you from the west.(X)
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
    and to the south,(Y) ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters(Z) from the ends of the earth(AA)
everyone who is called by my name,(AB)
    whom I created(AC) for my glory,(AD)
    whom I formed and made.(AE)

Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,(AF)
    who have ears but are deaf.(AG)
All the nations gather together(AH)
    and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold(AI) 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.”
10 “You are my witnesses,(AJ)” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant(AK) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know(AL) and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god(AM) was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.(AN)
11 I, even I, am the Lord,(AO)
    and apart from me there is no savior.(AP)
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
    I, and not some foreign god(AQ) among you.
You are my witnesses,(AR)” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13     Yes, and from ancient days(AS) I am he.(AT)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
    When I act, who can reverse it?”(AU)

God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

14 This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,(AV) the Holy One(AW) of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
    and bring down as fugitives(AX) all the Babylonians,[b](AY)
    in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord,(AZ) your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator,(BA) your King.(BB)

16 This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,(BC)
17 who drew out(BD) the chariots and horses,(BE)
    the army and reinforcements together,(BF)
and they lay(BG) there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:(BH)
18 “Forget the former things;(BI)
    do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!(BJ)
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness(BK)
    and streams in the wasteland.(BL)
20 The wild animals(BM) honor me,
    the jackals(BN) and the owls,
because I provide water(BO) in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21     the people I formed(BP) for myself(BQ)
    that they may proclaim my praise.(BR)

22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied(BS) yourselves for[c] me, Israel.(BT)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,(BU)
    nor honored(BV) me with your sacrifices.(BW)
I have not burdened(BX) you with grain offerings
    nor wearied you with demands(BY) for incense.(BZ)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus(CA) for me,
    or lavished on me the fat(CB) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied(CC) me with your offenses.(CD)

25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions,(CE) for my own sake,(CF)
    and remembers your sins(CG) no more.(CH)
26 Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;(CI)
    state the case(CJ) for your innocence.
27 Your first father(CK) sinned;
    those I sent to teach(CL) you rebelled(CM) against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
    I consigned Jacob to destruction[d](CN)
    and Israel to scorn.(CO)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 43:3 That is, the upper Nile region
  2. Isaiah 43:14 Or Chaldeans
  3. Isaiah 43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of
  4. Isaiah 43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.