Israel’s Only Savior

43 But now thus says the Lord,

mhe who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel:

n“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

oI have called you by name, you are mine.

2  pWhen you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

pwhen you walk through fire qyou shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you.

3  For rI am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

sI give Egypt as your ransom,

Cush and tSeba in exchange for you.

4  Because you are precious in my eyes,

and honored, and I love you,

I give men in return for you,

peoples in exchange for your life.

5  uFear not, for I am with you;

vI will bring your offspring from the east,

and from the west I will gather you.

6  I will say to the north, Give up,

and to the south, Do not withhold;

bring wmy sons from afar

and wmy daughters from the end of the earth,

7  everyone who is called by my name,

whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed and made.”

8  Bring out xthe people who are blind, yet have eyes,

who are deaf, yet have ears!

9  yAll the nations gather together,

and the peoples assemble.

Who among them can declare this,

and show us the former things?

Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,

and let them hear and say, It is true.

10  z“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,

“and amy servant whom I have chosen,

that you may know and believe me

and understand that I am he.

bBefore me no god was formed,

nor shall there be any after me.

11  cI, I am the Lord,

and besides me there is no savior.

12  I declared and saved and proclaimed,

when there was no strange god among you;

and zyou are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.

13  Also dhenceforth I am he;

there is none who can deliver from my hand;

I work, and who can turn it back?”

14  Thus says the Lord,

your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

e“For your sake I send to Babylon

and fbring them all down as fugitives,

geven the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.

15  I am the Lord, your Holy One,

the Creator of Israel, your King.”

16  Thus says the Lord,

hwho makes a way in the sea,

a path in the mighty waters,

17  who ibrings forth chariot and horse,

army and warrior;

they lie down, they cannot rise,

jthey are extinguished, kquenched like a wick:

18  l“Remember not the former things,

nor consider the things of old.

19  mBehold, I am doing a new thing;

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

nI will make a way in the wilderness

oand rivers in the desert.

20  The wild beasts will honor me,

pthe jackals and the ostriches,

qfor I give water in the wilderness,

rivers in the desert,

to give drink to my chosen people,

21  the people whom I formed for myself

rthat they might declare my praise.

22  “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;

but syou have been weary of me, O Israel!

23  tYou have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,

or honored me with your sacrifices.

I have not burdened you with offerings,

sor wearied you with frankincense.

24  You have not bought me sweet cane with money,

or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.

But you have burdened me with your sins;

you have wearied me with your iniquities.

25  “I, I am he

uwho blots out vyour transgressions for my own sake,

and I will not remember your sins.

26  Put me in remembrance; wlet us argue together;

set forth your case, that you may be proved right.

27  xYour first father sinned,

and yyour mediators transgressed against me.

28  Therefore zI will profane the princes of the sanctuary,

and adeliver Jacob to utter destruction

and Israel to reviling.