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Isaiah 43
Living Bible
Isaiah 43
Living Bible
43 But now the Lord who created you, O Israel, says: Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel. I gave Egypt and Ethiopia and Seba to Cyrus[a] in exchange for your freedom, as your ransom. 4 Others died that you might live; I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me and honored, and I love you.
5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you from east and west, 6 from north and south. I will bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the farthest corners of the earth. 7 All who claim me as their God will come, for I have made them for my glory; I created them. 8 Bring them back to me—blind as they are and deaf when I call (although they see and hear!).
9 Gather the nations together! Which of all their idols ever has foretold such things? Which can predict a single day ahead? Where are the witnesses of anything they said? If there are no witnesses, then they must confess that only God can prophesy.
10 But I have witnesses, O Israel, says the Lord! You are my witnesses and my servants, chosen to know and to believe me and to understand that I alone am God. There is no other God; there never was and never will be. 11 I am the Lord, and there is no other Savior. 12 Whenever you have thrown away your idols, I have shown you my power. With one word I have saved you. You have seen me do it; you are my witnesses that it is true. 13 From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can oppose what I do.
14 The Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: For your sakes I will send an invading army against Babylon that will walk in, almost unscathed. The boasts of the Babylonians will turn to cries of fear. 15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator and King. 16 I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters, making a path right through the sea. 17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses, to lie beneath the waves, dead, their lives snuffed out like candlewicks.
18 But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I’m going to do! 19 For I’m going to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Don’t you see it? I will make a road through the wilderness of the world for my people to go home, and create rivers for them in the desert! 20 The wild animals in the fields will thank me, the jackals and ostriches too, for giving them water in the wilderness, yes, springs in the desert, so that my people, my chosen ones, can be refreshed. 21 I have made Israel for myself, and these my people will some day honor me before the world.
22 But O my people, you won’t ask my help; you have grown tired of me! 23 You have not brought me the lambs for burnt offerings; you have not honored me with sacrifices. Yet my requests for offerings and incense have been very few! I have not treated you as slaves. 24 You have brought me no sweet-smelling incense nor pleased me with the sacrificial fat. No, you have presented me only with sins and wearied me with all your faults.
25 I, yes, I alone am he who blots away your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. 26 Oh, remind me of this promise of forgiveness, for we must talk about your sins. Plead your case for my forgiving you. 27 From the very first your ancestors sinned against me—all your forebears transgressed my law. 28 That is why I have deposed your priests and destroyed Israel, leaving her to shame.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:3 to Cyrus, implied.
Isaiah 43
New International Version
Isaiah 43
New International Version
Israel’s Only Savior
43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created(A) you, Jacob,
he who formed(B) you, Israel:(C)
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed(D) you;
I have summoned you by name;(E) you are mine.(F)
2 When you pass through the waters,(G)
I will be with you;(H)
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,(I)
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.(J)
3 For I am the Lord your God,(K)
the Holy One(L) of Israel, your Savior;(M)
I give Egypt(N) for your ransom,
Cush[a](O) and Seba(P) in your stead.(Q)
4 Since you are precious and honored(R) in my sight,
and because I love(S) you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid,(T) for I am with you;(U)
I will bring your children(V) from the east
and gather(W) you from the west.(X)
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south,(Y) ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters(Z) from the ends of the earth(AA)—
7 everyone who is called by my name,(AB)
whom I created(AC) for my glory,(AD)
whom I formed and made.(AE)”
8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,(AF)
who have ears but are deaf.(AG)
9 All the nations gather together(AH)
and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold(AI) this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are my witnesses,(AJ)” declares the Lord,
“and my servant(AK) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know(AL) and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god(AM) was formed,
nor will there be one after me.(AN)
11 I, even I, am the Lord,(AO)
and apart from me there is no savior.(AP)
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god(AQ) among you.
You are my witnesses,(AR)” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13 Yes, and from ancient days(AS) I am he.(AT)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”(AU)
God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness
14 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer,(AV) the Holy One(AW) of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
and bring down as fugitives(AX) all the Babylonians,[b](AY)
in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord,(AZ) your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator,(BA) your King.(BB)”
16 This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,(BC)
17 who drew out(BD) the chariots and horses,(BE)
the army and reinforcements together,(BF)
and they lay(BG) there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:(BH)
18 “Forget the former things;(BI)
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!(BJ)
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness(BK)
and streams in the wasteland.(BL)
20 The wild animals(BM) honor me,
the jackals(BN) and the owls,
because I provide water(BO) in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people I formed(BP) for myself(BQ)
that they may proclaim my praise.(BR)
22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
you have not wearied(BS) yourselves for[c] me, Israel.(BT)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,(BU)
nor honored(BV) me with your sacrifices.(BW)
I have not burdened(BX) you with grain offerings
nor wearied you with demands(BY) for incense.(BZ)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus(CA) for me,
or lavished on me the fat(CB) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied(CC) me with your offenses.(CD)
25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions,(CE) for my own sake,(CF)
and remembers your sins(CG) no more.(CH)
26 Review the past for me,
let us argue the matter together;(CI)
state the case(CJ) for your innocence.
27 Your first father(CK) sinned;
those I sent to teach(CL) you rebelled(CM) against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
I consigned Jacob to destruction[d](CN)
and Israel to scorn.(CO)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:3 That is, the upper Nile region
- Isaiah 43:14 Or Chaldeans
- Isaiah 43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of
- Isaiah 43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
Isaiah 43
King James Version
Isaiah 43
King James Version
43 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.
12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.
13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
14 Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
23 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
26 Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
27 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.
Living Bible (TLB)
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.