Isaiah 43

Israel’s Only Savior

1 But now thus says the Lord,
ahe who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
bFear not, for I have redeemed you;
cI have called you by name, you are mine.
2 dWhen you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
ewhen you walk through fire fyou shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3For gI am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
hI give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and iSeba in exchange for you.
4Because 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 jFear not, for I am with you;
kI will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring lmy sons from afar
and mmy daughters from the end of the earth,
7everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
8 Bring out nthe people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 oAll 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 p“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and qmy servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
rBefore me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 sI, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
12I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and tyou are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.
13Also uhenceforth 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:
v“For your sake I send to Babylon
and wbring them all down as fugitives,
xeven the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Thus says the Lord,
ywho makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17who zbrings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
aathey are extinguished, abquenched like a wick:
18 acRemember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 adBehold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
aeI will make a way in the wilderness
afand rivers in the desert.
20The wild beasts will honor me,
agthe jackals and the ostriches,
ahfor I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21the people whom I formed for myself
aithat they might declare my praise.
22 “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but ajyou have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 akYou have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
alor wearied you with frankincense.
24You 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
amwho blots out anyour transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
26Put me in remembrance; aolet us argue together;
set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
27 apYour first father sinned,
and aqyour mediators transgressed against me.
28Therefore arI will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
and asdeliver Jacob to utter destruction
and Israel to reviling.
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