43:1 But now, this is what the LORD says, He who is your Creator, Jacob,
And He who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
43:3 For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
①Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
▷ ①Or Ethiopia
43:4 Since you are precious in My sight,
Since you are honored and I love you,
I will give other people in your place and other nations in exchange for your life.
43:5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
And gather you from the west.
43:6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My sons from afar
And My daughters from the ends of the earth,
43:7 Everyone who is called by My name,
And whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
43:8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
And those who are deaf, even though they have ears.
43:9 All the nations have gathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled.
Who among them can declare this
And proclaim to us the former things?
Let them present their witnesses so that they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
43:10 “You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
43:11 I, only I, am the LORD,
And there is no savior besides Me.
43:12 It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“And I am God.
43:13 Even ①from eternity I am He,
And there is no one who can rescue from My hand;
I act, and who can reverse it?”
▷ ①As in LXX; MT from the day
43:14 This is what the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says:
“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,
And will bring them all down as fugitives,
①Even the Chaldeans, into the ships ②over which they rejoice.
▷ ①Another reading is As for the Chaldeans, their rejoicing is turned into mourning ②Lit of their rejoicing
43:15 I am the LORD, your Holy One,
The Creator of Israel, your King.”
43:16 This is what the LORD says,
He who makes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
43:17 Who brings out the chariot and the horse,
The army and the mighty man
(They will lie down together and not rise again;
They have been extinguished, and have gone out like a wick):
43:18 “Do not call to mind the former things,
Or consider things of the past.
43:19 Behold, I am going to do something new,
Now it will spring up;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.
43:20 The animals of the field will glorify Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I have given waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My chosen people.
43:21 The people whom I formed for Myself
Will declare My praise.
43:22 “Yet you have not called on Me, Jacob;
But you have become weary of Me, Israel.
43:23 You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,
Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with ①offerings,
Nor wearied you with incense.
▷ ①Or a meal offering
43:24 You have not bought Me ①sweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
Rather, you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have wearied Me with your wrongdoings.
▷ ①Or calamus
43:25 “I, I alone, am the one who wipes out your wrongdoings for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins.
43:26 ①Meet Me in court, let’s argue our case together;
State your cause, so that you may be proved right.
▷ ①Or Report to Me
43:27 Your first ①forefather sinned,
And your ②spokesmen have rebelled against Me.
▷ ①Lit father ②Or interpreters
43:28 So I will profane the ①officials of the sanctuary,
And I will turn Jacob over to destruction and Israel to abuse.
▷ ①Or holy princes