Isaiah 43 Holman Christian Standard Bible

Restoration of Israel

43 Now this is what the Lord says—
the One who created you, Jacob,
and the One who formed you, Israel^(A)—
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;^(B)
I have called you by your name; you are Mine.^(C)
²I will be with you^(D)
when you pass through the waters,^(E)
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not overwhelm you.
You will not be scorched
when you walk through the fire,^(F)
and the flame will not burn you.
³For I Yahweh your God,^(G)
the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior,^(H)
give Egypt as a ransom for you,
Cush and Seba in your place.
⁴Because you are precious in My sight^(I)
and honored, and I love you,^(J)
I will give people in exchange for you
and nations instead of your life.
⁵Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,^(K)
and gather you from the west.^(L)
⁶I will say to the north: Give them up!
and to the south: Do not hold them back!
Bring My sons from far away,^(M)
and My daughters from the ends of the earth^(N)—
⁷everyone called by My name
and created for My glory.
I have formed him; indeed, I have made him.”

⁸Bring out a people who are blind, yet have eyes,^(O)
and are deaf, yet have ears.
⁹All the nations are gathered together,
and the peoples are assembled.^(P)
Who among them can declare this,^(Q)
and tell us the former things?
Let them present their witnesses
to vindicate themselves,
so that people may hear and say, “It is true.”
¹⁰“You are My witnesses”^(R)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“and My servant whom I have chosen,^(S)
so that you may know and believe Me
and understand that I am He.^(T)
No god was formed before Me,
and there will be none after Me.^(U)
¹¹I, I am Yahweh,
and there is no other Savior but Me.^(V)
¹²I alone declared, saved, and proclaimed—
and not some foreign god^[a] among you.
So you are My witnesses”—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“and^[b] I am God.^(W)
¹³Also, from today on I am He alone,
and none can deliver from My hand.^(X)
I act, and who can reverse it?”^(Y)

God’s Deliverance of Rebellious Israel

¹⁴This is what the Lord, your Redeemer,^(Z) the Holy One of Israel^(AA) says:

Because of you, I will send to Babylon
and bring all of them as fugitives,^[c]
even the Chaldeans^(AB) in the ships in which they rejoice.^[d]
¹⁵I am Yahweh, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.

¹⁶This is what the Lord says—
who makes a way in the sea,
and a path through surging waters,^(AC)
¹⁷who brings out the chariot and horse,^(AD)
the army and the mighty one together
(they lie down, they do not rise again;
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick^(AE))—
¹⁸“Do not remember the past events,
pay no attention to things of old.^(AF)
¹⁹Look, I am about to do something new;^(AG)
even now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness,^(AH)
rivers^[e] in the desert.
²⁰The animals of the field will honor Me,
jackals and ostriches,
because I provide water in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert,^(AI)
to give drink to My chosen people.
²¹The people I formed for Myself
will declare My praise.^(AJ)

²²“But Jacob, you have not called on Me,
because, Israel, you have become weary of Me.^(AK)
²³You have not brought Me your sheep for burnt offerings
or honored Me with your sacrifices.^(AL)
I have not burdened you with offerings
or wearied you with incense.^[f]
²⁴You have not bought Me aromatic cane with silver,
or satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened Me with your sins;
you have wearied Me^(AM) with your iniquities.^(AN)

²⁵“It is I who sweep away your transgressions^(AO)
for My own sake^(AP)
and remember your sins no more.^(AQ)
²⁶Take Me to court; let us argue our case together.^(AR)
State your case, so that you may be vindicated.
²⁷Your first father sinned,^(AS)
and your mediators have rebelled against Me.^(AT)
²⁸So I defiled the officers of the sanctuary,
and set Jacob apart for destruction^(AU)
and Israel for abuse.