Isaiah
43 Now this is what Jehovah says,
Your Creator, O Jacob, the One who formed you, O Israel:+
“Do not be afraid, for I have repurchased you.+
I have called you by your name.
You belong to me.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,+
And through the rivers, they will not flood over you.+
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame singe you.
3 For I am Jehovah your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I have given Egypt as a ransom for you,
E·thi·oʹpi·a and Seʹba in exchange for you.
So I will give people in place of you
And nations in exchange for your life.*
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you.+
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,+
7 Everyone who is called by my name+
And whom I created for my own glory,
Whom I have formed and made.’+
8 Bring out a people who are blind, though they have eyes,
And who are deaf, though they have ears.+
9 Let all the nations assemble in one place,
And let the peoples be gathered together.+
Who among them can tell this?
Or can they cause us to hear the first things?*+
Let them present their witnesses to prove themselves right,
Or let them hear and say, ‘It is the truth!’”+
10 “You are my witnesses,”+ declares Jehovah,
“Yes, my servant whom I have chosen,+
So that you may know and have faith in me*
And understand that I am the same One.+
Before me no God was formed,
And after me there has been none.+
11 I—I am Jehovah,+ and besides me there is no savior.”+
12 “I am the One who declared and saved and made known
When there was no foreign god among you.+
So you are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah, “and I am God.+
When I act, who can prevent it?”+
14 This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser,+ the Holy One of Israel:+
“For your sakes I will send to Babylon and bring down all the bars of the gates,+
And the Chal·deʹans, in their ships, will cry out in distress.+
15 I am Jehovah, your Holy One,+ the Creator of Israel,+ your King.”+
16 This is what Jehovah says,
The One making a way through the sea
And a path even through turbulent waters,+
17 The One who draws out the war chariot and the horse,+
The army together with the mighty warriors:
“They will lie down and not get up.+
They will be extinguished, snuffed out like a burning wick.”
18 “Do not remember the former things,
And do not dwell on the past.
19 Look! I am doing something new;+
Even now it is springing up.
Do you not recognize it?
20 The wild beast of the field will honor me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
For I provide water in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert,+
For my people, my chosen one,+ to drink,
21 The people whom I formed for myself
So that they might declare my praise.+
23 You have not brought me sheep for your whole burnt offerings
Or glorified me with your sacrifices.
I have not compelled you to bring me a gift,
Nor have I made you weary by demanding frankincense.+
24 You did not buy me sweet cane* with your money,
And with the fat of your sacrifices you did not satisfy me.+
Instead, you have burdened me with your sins
And made me weary with your errors.+
25 I, I am the One who is blotting out your transgressions*+ for my own sake,+
And I will not remember your sins.+
26 Remind me; let us bring our case against each other;
Tell your side of it to prove you are in the right.
28 So I will profane the princes of the holy place,
And I will give Jacob over to destruction
And subject Israel to insulting words.+