Chapter 43

Israel Redeemed

1 But now, thus says the Lord, your aCreator, O Jacob,

And He who bformed you, O Israel,

“Do not cfear, for I have dredeemed you;

I have ecalled you by name; you are fMine!

2 “When you apass through the waters, bI will be with you;

And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.

When you cwalk through the fire, you will not be scorched,

Nor will the flame burn you.

3 “For aI am the Lord your God,

The Holy One of Israel, your bSavior;

I have given Egypt as your ransom,

1cCush and Seba in your place.

4 “Since you are aprecious in My sight,

Since you are bhonored and I clove you,

I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.

5 “Do not fear, for aI am with you;

I will bring byour offspring from the east,

And cgather you from the west.

6 “I will say to the anorth, ‘Give them up!’

And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’

Bring My bsons from afar

And My daughters from the cends of the earth,

7 Everyone who is acalled by My name,

And whom I have bcreated for My cglory,

dWhom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

Israel Is God’s Witness

8 Bring out the people who are ablind, even though they have eyes,

And the deaf, even though they have ears.

9 All the nations have agathered together

So that the peoples may be assembled.

Who among them can bdeclare this

And proclaim to us the former things?

Let them present ctheir witnesses dthat they may be justified,

Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”

10 “You are aMy witnesses,” declares the Lord,

“And bMy servant whom I have chosen,

So that you may know and believe Me

And understand that cI am He.

dBefore Me there was no God formed,

And there will be none after Me.

11 “I, even I, am the Lord,

And there is no asavior bbesides Me.

12 “It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,

And there was no astrange god among you;

So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,

“And I am God.

13 “Even 1afrom eternity bI am He,

And there is cnone who can deliver out of My hand;

dI act and who can reverse it?”

Babylon to Be Destroyed

14 Thus says the Lord your aRedeemer, the Holy One of Israel,

“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,

And will bring them all down as fugitives,

1Even the bChaldeans, into the cships 2in which they rejoice.

15 “I am the Lord, your Holy One,

aThe Creator of Israel, your bKing.”

16 Thus says the Lord,

Who amakes a way through the sea

And a path through the mighty waters,

17 Who brings forth the achariot and the horse,

The army and the mighty man

(They will lie down together and not rise again;

They have been bquenched and extinguished like a wick):

18 “aDo not call to mind the former things,

Or ponder things of the past.

19 “Behold, I will do something anew,

Now it will spring forth;

Will you not be aware of it?

I will even bmake a roadway in the wilderness,

Rivers in the desert.

20 “The beasts of the field will glorify Me,

The ajackals and the ostriches,

Because I have bgiven waters in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert,

To give drink to My chosen people.

21 “The people whom aI formed for Myself

bWill declare My praise.

The Shortcomings of Israel

22 “Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob;

But you have become aweary of Me, O Israel.

23 “You have anot brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,

Nor have you bhonored Me with your sacrifices.

I have not cburdened you with 1offerings,

Nor wearied you with dincense.

24 “You have bought Me not 1asweet cane with money,

Nor have you 2filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices;

Rather you have burdened Me with your sins,

You have bwearied Me with your iniquities.

25 “I, even I, am the one who awipes out your transgressions bfor My own sake,

And I will cnot remember your sins.

26 “1Put Me in remembrance, alet us argue our case together;

State your cause, bthat you may be proved right.

27 “Your afirst 1forefather sinned,

And your 2bspokesmen have 3transgressed against Me.

28 “So I will 1pollute the 2princes of the sanctuary,

And I will consign Jacob to the aban and Israel to brevilement.