Yǐsaìyàshū 43

1 Yǎgè a , chuàngzào nǐde Yēhéhuá , Yǐsèliè a , zàochéng nǐde nà wèi , xiànzaì rúcǐ shuō , nǐ búyào haìpà , yīnwei wǒ jiùshú le nǐ . wǒ céng tí nǐde míng zhào nǐ , nǐ shì shǔ wǒde .

2 Nǐ cóng shuǐ zhōng jīngguò , wǒ bì yǔ nǐ tóng zaì . nǐ tāng guo jiāng hé , shuǐ bì bù màn guo nǐ . nǐ cóng huǒ zhōng xíng guo , bì bù beì shāo , huǒyàn yĕ bù zhe zaì nǐ shēnshang .

3 Yīnwei wǒ shì Yēhéhuá nǐde shén , shì Yǐsèliè de shèng zhĕ nǐde jiù zhǔ . wǒ yǐjing shǐ Āijí zuò nǐde shújià , shǐ Gǔshí hé Xībā daìtì nǐ .

4 Yīn wǒ kàn nǐ wèi bǎo wèi zūn , yòu yīn wǒ aì nǐ , suǒyǐ wǒ shǐ rén daìtì nǐ , shǐ liè bāng rén tì huàn nǐde shēngmìng .

5 Búyào haìpà , yīn wǒ yǔ nǐ tóng zaì . wǒ bì lǐng nǐde hòuyì cóng dōngfāng lái , yòu cóng xī fāng zhāo jù nǐ .

6 Wǒ yào duì bĕi fāng shuō , jiāo chūlai . duì nánfāng shuō , búyào jū liú . jiāng wǒde zhòng zǐ cóng yuǎnfāng daì lái , jiāng wǒde zhòng nǚ cóng dìjí lǐng huí ,

7 Jiù shì fán chēngwèi wǒ míng xià de rén , shì wǒ wèi zìjǐ de róngyào chuàngzào de , shì wǒ zuò chéng , suǒ zào zuò de .

8 Nǐ yào jiāng yǒu yǎn ér xiā , yǒu ĕr ér lóng de mín dōu daì chūlai .

9 Rènpíng wàn guó jùjí , rènpíng zhòng mín huìhé , qízhōng shuí néng jiāng cǐ shēng míng , bìng jiāng xiānqián de shì shuō gĕi wǒmen tīng ne . tāmen kĕyǐ daì chū jiànzhèng lái , zì xiǎn wèi shì , huòzhĕ tāmen tīngjian biàn shuō , zhè shì zhēn de .

10 Yēhéhuá shuō , nǐmen shì wǒde jiànzhèng , wǒ suǒ jiǎnxuǎn de púrén . jì shì zhèyàng , biàn kĕyǐ zhīdào , qiĕ xìnfú wǒ , yòu míngbai wǒ jiù shì Yēhéhuá , zaì wǒ yǐqián méiyǒu zhēn shén , ( zhēn yuánwén zuò zào zuò de ) zaì wǒ yǐhòu yĕ bì méiyǒu .

11 Wéiyǒu wǒ shì Yēhéhuá , chú wǒ yǐwaì méiyǒu jiù zhǔ .

12 Wǒ céng zhǐshì , wǒ céng zhĕngjiù , wǒ céng shuō míng . bìngqiĕ zaì nǐmen zhōngjiān méiyǒu bié shén , suǒyǐ Yēhéhuá shuō , nǐmen shì wǒde jiànzhèng , wǒ yĕ shì shén .

13 Zì cóng yǒu rìzi yǐlái , wǒ jiù shì shén . shuí yĕ bùnéng jiù rén tuōlí wǒ shǒu , wǒ yào xíngshì , shuí néng zǔ zhǐ ne .

14 Yēhéhuá nǐmen de jiùshú zhǔ , Yǐsèliè de shèng zhĕ rúcǐ shuō , yīn nǐmen de yuángù , wǒ yǐjing dǎfa rén dào Bābǐlún qù , bìngqiĕ wǒ yào shǐ Jiālèdǐ rén rú taó mín , dōu zuò zìjǐ xǐlè de chuán xià lái .

15 Wǒ shì Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shèng zhĕ , shì chuàngzào Yǐsèliè de , shì nǐmen de jūnwáng .

16 Yēhéhuá zaì cāng hǎi zhōng kāi dào , zaì dà shuǐ zhōng kāi lù .

17 Shǐ chēliàng , mǎ pǐ , jūn bīng , yǒng shì dōu chūlai , yītóng tǎng xià bú zaì qǐlai , tāmen miè méi hǎoxiàng xī miè de dēnghuǒ .

18 Yēhéhuá rúcǐ shuō , nǐmen búyào jìniàn cóng qián de shì , yĕ búyào sīxiǎng gǔ shí de shì .

19 Kàn nǎ , wǒ yào zuò yī jiàn xīn shì , rújīn yào fāxiàn , nǐmen qǐbù zhīdào ma . wǒ bì zaì kuàngyĕ kāi dàolù , zaì shā mò kāi jiāng hé .

20 Yĕdì de zǒushòu bì zūnzhòng wǒ , yĕ gǒu hé tuó niǎo yĕ bì rúcǐ , yīn wǒ shǐ kuàngyĕ yǒu shuǐ , shǐ shā mò yǒu hé , hǎo cìgĕi wǒde bǎixìng wǒde xuǎn mín hē .

21 Zhè bǎixìng shì wǒ wèi zìjǐ suǒ zào de , hǎo shùshuō wǒde mĕidé .

22 Yǎgè a , nǐ bìng méiyǒu qiúgào wǒ . Yǐsèliè a , nǐ dǎo yànfán wǒ .

23 Nǐ méiyǒu jiāng nǐde yáng daì lái gĕi wǒ zuò Fánjì , yĕ méiyǒu yòng jìwù zūnjìng wǒ . wǒ méiyǒu yīn gōngwù shǐ nǐ fú laó , yĕ méiyǒu yīn rǔxiāng shǐ nǐ yànfán .

24 Nǐ méiyǒu yòng yínzi wèi wǒ mǎi chāngpú , yĕ méiyǒu yòng jìwù de zhīyóu shǐ wǒ bǎozú , dǎo shǐ wǒ yīn nǐde zuìè fú laó , shǐ wǒ yīn nǐde zuìniè yànfán .

25 Wéiyǒu wǒ wèi zìjǐ de yuángù túmǒ nǐde guo fàn , wǒ yĕ bù jìniàn nǐde zuìè .

26 Nǐ yào tí xǐng wǒ , nǐ wǒ kĕyǐ yītóng biànlùn , nǐ kĕyǐ jiāng nǐde lǐ chén míng , zì xiǎn wéi yì .

27 Nǐde shǐzǔ fàn zuì , nǐde shīfu wéibeì wǒ .

28 Suǒyǐ wǒ yào rǔ méi shèng suǒ de shǒulǐng , shǐ Yǎgè chéngwéi zhòuzǔ , shǐ Yǐsèliè chéngwéi rǔmà .

Yǐsaìyàshū 43 Commentary

God's unchangeable love for his people. (1-7) Apostates and idolaters addressed. (8-13) The deliverance from Babylon, and the conversion of the Gentiles. (14-21) Admonition to repent of sin. (22-28)

Verses 1-7 God's favour and good-will to his people speak abundant comfort to all believers. The new creature, wherever it is, is of God's forming. All who are redeemed with the blood of his Son, he has set apart for himself. Those that have God for them need not fear who or what can be against them. What are Egypt and Ethiopia, all their lives and treasures, compared with the blood of Christ? True believers are precious in God's sight, his delight is in them, above any people. Though they went as through fire and water, yet, while they had God with them, they need fear no evil; they should be born up, and brought out. The faithful are encouraged. They were to be assembled from every quarter. And with this pleasing object in view, the prophet again dissuades from anxious fears.

Verses 8-13 Idolaters are called to appear in defence of their idols. Those who make them, and trust in them, are like unto them. They have the shape and faculties of men; but they have not common sense. But God's people know the power of his grace, the sweetness of his comforts, the kind care of his providence, and the truth of his promise. All servants of God can give such an account of what he has wrought in them, and done for them, as may lead others to know and believe his power, truth, and love

Verses 14-21 The deliverance from Babylon is foretold, but there is reference to greater events. The redemption of sinners by Christ, the conversion of the Gentiles, and the recall of the Jews, are described. All that is to be done to rescue sinners, and to bring the believer to glory, is little, compared with that wondrous work of love, the redemption of man.

Verses 22-28 Those who neglect to call upon God, are weary of him. The Master tired not the servants with his commands, but they tired him with disobedience. What were the riches of God's mercy toward them? I, even I, am he who yet blotteth out thy transgressions. This encourages us to repent, because there is forgiveness with God, and shows the freeness of Divine mercy. When God forgives, he forgets. It is not for any thing in us, but for his mercies' sake, his promise' sake; especially for his Son's sake. He is pleased to reckon it his honour. Would man justify himself before God? The attempt is desperate: our first father broke the covenant, and we all have copied his example. We have no reason to expect pardon, except we seek it by faith in Christ; and that is always attended by true repentance, and followed by newness of life, by hatred of sin, and love to God. Let us then put him in remembrance of the promises he has made to the penitent, and the satisfaction his Son has made for them. Plead these with him in wrestling for pardon; and declare these things, that thou mayest be justified freely by his grace. This is the only way, and it is a sure way to peace.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 43

Is this chapter the Lord comforts his own people, under their afflictions, with many precious promises; asserts his deity against the idols of the nations; promises deliverance from Babylon, and a greater redemption than that; one branch of which is forgiveness of sin; and closes the chapter with a prediction of the destruction of the Jews by the Romans, for their iniquities. The Lord claims his interest in his people, not only on the foot of creation, but of redemption and calling, and promises them his presence in the midst of afflictions, Isa 43:1,2, puts them in mind of what he had done for them; and assures them of future layouts, as the effect of his unchangeable love to them, Isa 43:3,4 and promises the conversion of their seed and offspring in the several parts of the world, Isa 43:5-7 then challenges the Heathen nations to give such proofs of the deity of their idols as he was capable of giving of his, as his people were witnesses, taken from his eternity and immutability, as the alone Jehovah, and from his omniscience and omnipotence, Isa 43:8-13, after which the destruction of Babylon is prophesied of, and the redemption of his people out of it; which they are encouraged to believe from his being Jehovah, their Sanctifier, Creator, and King; and from what he had done formerly for them, when he brought them out of Egypt, Isa 43:14-17, and which yet was not to be mentioned or remembered, in comparison of what he would do in the world, a new thing, redemption by the Messiah, and the conversion of the Gentiles to the glory of his grace, Isa 43:18-21, the sins of omission and commission the people of God had been guilty of are mentioned, which are freely pardoned for Christ's sake, Isa 43:22-25 when the body and bulk of the Jewish nation were given up to destruction, because of their sins, Isa 43:26-28.