Isaiah 43:1-28 (New American Standard)

Israel Redeemed

1 But now, thus says the LORD, your ¹Creator, O Jacob, And He who ²formed you, O Israel, "Do not ³fear, for I have ⁴redeemed you; I have ⁵called you by name ; you are ⁶Mine! 2 "When you ⁷pass through the waters, ⁸I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you ⁹walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. 3 "For ¹⁰I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your ¹¹Savior ; I have given Egypt as your ransom, ^a12Cush and Seba in your place. 4 "Since you are ¹³precious in My sight, Since you are ¹⁴honored and I ¹⁵love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. 5 "Do not fear, for ¹⁶I am with you; I will bring ¹⁷your offspring from the east, And ¹⁸gather you from the west. 6 "I will say to the ¹⁹north, 'Give them up!' And to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring My ²⁰sons from afar And My daughters from the ²¹ends of the earth, 7 Everyone who is ²²called by My name, And whom I have ²³created for My ²⁴glory, ²⁵Whom I have formed, even whom I have made."

Israel Is God's Witness

8 Bring out the people who are ²⁶blind, even though they have eyes, And the deaf, even though they have ears. 9 All the nations have ²⁷gathered together So that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can ²⁸declare this And proclaim to us the former things ? Let them present ²⁹their witnesses ³⁰that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say, "It is true." 10 "You are ³¹My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And ³²My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that ³³I am He. ³⁴Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. 11 "I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no ³⁵savior ³⁶besides Me. 12 "It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no ³⁷strange god among you; So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And I am God. 13 "Even ^b38from eternity ³⁹I am He, And there is ⁴⁰none who can deliver out of My hand ; ⁴¹I act and who can reverse it?"

Babylon to Be Destroyed

14 Thus says the LORD your ⁴²Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, "For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And will bring them all down as fugitives, ^cEven the ⁴³Chaldeans, into the ⁴⁴ships ^din which they rejoice. 15 "I am the LORD, your Holy One, ⁴⁵The Creator of Israel, your ⁴⁶King." 16 Thus says the LORD, Who ⁴⁷makes a way through the sea And a path through the mighty waters, 17 Who brings forth the ⁴⁸chariot and the horse, The army and the mighty man (They will lie down together and not rise again; They have been ⁴⁹quenched and extinguished like a wick ): 18 "⁵⁰Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. 19 "Behold, I will do something ⁵¹new, Now it will spring forth ; Will you not be aware of it? I will even ⁵²make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. 20 "The beasts of the field will glorify Me, The ⁵³jackals and the ostriches, Because I have ⁵⁴given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people. 21 "The people whom ⁵⁵I formed for Myself ⁵⁶Will declare My praise.

The Shortcomings of Israel

22 "Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob ; But you have become ⁵⁷weary of Me, O Israel. 23 "You have ⁵⁸not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings, Nor have you ⁵⁹honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not ⁶⁰burdened you with ^eofferings, Nor wearied you with ⁶¹incense. 24 "You have bought Me not ^f62sweet cane with money, Nor have you ^gfilled Me with the fat of your sacrifices ; Rather you have burdened Me with your sins, You have ⁶³wearied Me with your iniquities. 25 "I, even I, am the one who ⁶⁴wipes out your transgressions ⁶⁵for My own sake, And I will ⁶⁶not remember your sins. 26 "^hPut Me in remembrance, ⁶⁷let us argue our case together ; State your cause, ⁶⁸that you may be proved right. 27 "Your ⁶⁹first ⁱforefather sinned, And your ^j70spokesmen have ^ktransgressed against Me. 28 "So I will ^lpollute the ^mprinces of the sanctuary, And I will consign Jacob to the ⁷¹ban and Israel to ⁷²revilement.