Isaiah 43 – NIV & NIRV

New International Version

Isaiah 43:1-28

Israel’s Only Savior

1But now, this is what the Lord says—

he who created you, Jacob,

he who formed you, Israel:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

2When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

3For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I give Egypt for your ransom,

Cush43:3 That is, the upper Nile region and Seba in your stead.

4Since you are precious and honored in my sight,

and because I love you,

I will give people in exchange for you,

nations in exchange for your life.

5Do not be afraid, for I am with you;

I will bring your children from the east

and gather you from the west.

6I 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—

7everyone who is called by my name,

whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed and made.”

8Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,

who have ears but are deaf.

9All the nations gather together

and the peoples assemble.

Which of their gods foretold 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,” 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 no god was formed,

nor will there be one after me.

11I, even I, am the Lord,

and apart from me there is no savior.

12I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—

I, and not some foreign god among you.

You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.

13Yes, and from ancient days I am he.

No one can deliver out of my hand.

When I act, who can reverse it?”

God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

14This is what the Lord says—

your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

“For your sake I will send to Babylon

and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians,43:14 Or Chaldeans

in the ships in which they took pride.

15I am the Lord, your Holy One,

Israel’s Creator, your King.”

16This is what the Lord says—

he who made a way through the sea,

a path through the mighty waters,

17who drew out the chariots and horses,

the army and reinforcements together,

and they lay there, never to rise again,

extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

18“Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

19See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness

and streams in the wasteland.

20The wild animals honor me,

the jackals and the owls,

because I provide water in the wilderness

and streams in the wasteland,

to give drink to my people, my chosen,

21the people I formed for myself

that they may proclaim my praise.

22“Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,

you have not wearied yourselves for43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of me, Israel.

23You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,

nor honored me with your sacrifices.

I have not burdened you with grain offerings

nor wearied you with demands for incense.

24You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me,

or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices.

But you have burdened me with your sins

and wearied me with your offenses.

25“I, even I, am he who blots out

your transgressions, for my own sake,

and remembers your sins no more.

26Review the past for me,

let us argue the matter together;

state the case for your innocence.

27Your first father sinned;

those I sent to teach you rebelled against me.

28So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;

I consigned Jacob to destruction43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

and Israel to scorn.

New International Reader’s Version

Isaiah 43:1-28

The Lord Saves Israel

1Family of Jacob, the Lord created you.

People of Israel, he formed you.

He says, “Do not be afraid.

I will set you free.

I will send for you by name.

You belong to me.

2You will pass through deep waters.

But I will be with you.

You will pass through the rivers.

But their waters will not sweep over you.

You will walk through fire.

But you will not be burned.

The flames will not harm you.

3I am the Lord your God.

I am the Holy One of Israel.

I am the one who saves you.

I will give up Egypt to set you free.

I will give up Cush and Seba for you.

4You are priceless to me.

I love you and honor you.

So I will trade other people for you.

I will give up other nations to save your lives.

5Do not be afraid. I am with you.

I will bring your people back from the east.

I will gather you from the west.

6I will say to the north, ‘Let them go!’

And I will say to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’

Bring my sons from far away.

Bring my daughters from the farthest places on earth.

7Bring back everyone who belongs to me.

I created them to bring glory to me.

I formed them and made them.”

8Lead my people into court.

They have eyes but can’t see.

Bring those who have ears but can’t hear.

9All the nations are gathering together.

All of them are coming.

Which one of their gods said ahead of time

that the people of Israel would return?

Which of them told us anything at all about the past?

Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right.

Then others will hear them. And they will say,

“What they said is true.”

10“People of Israel, you are my witnesses,” announces the Lord.

“I have chosen you to be my servant.

I wanted you to know me and believe in me.

I wanted you to understand that I am the one and only God.

Before me, there was no other god at all.

And there will not be any god after me.

11I am the one and only Lord.

I am the only one who can save you.

12I have made known what would happen.

I saved you. I have told you about it.

I did this. It was not some other god you worship.

You are my witnesses that I am God,” announces the Lord.

13“And that is not all! I have always been God,

and I always will be.

No one can save people from my power.

When I do something, who can undo it?”

The Lord Is Full of Mercy but Israel Is Unfaithful

14The Lord sets his people free.

He is the Holy One of Israel. He says,

“People of Israel, I will send an army to Babylon to save you.

I will cause all the Babylonians to run away.

They will try to escape in the ships they were so proud of.

15I am your Lord and King.

I am your Holy One.

I created you.”

16Long ago the Lord opened

a way for his people to go through the Red Sea.

He made a path through the mighty waters.

17He caused Egypt to send out its chariots and horses.

He sent its entire army to its death.

Its soldiers lay down there.

They never got up again.

They were destroyed.

They were blown out like a dimly burning flame.

But the Lord says,

18“Forget the things that happened in the past.

Do not keep on thinking about them.

19I am about to do something new.

It is beginning to happen even now.

Don’t you see it coming?

I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert.

I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land.

20Even wild dogs and owls honor me.

That is because I provide water in the desert

for my people to drink.

I cause streams to flow in the dry and empty land

for my chosen ones.

21I do it for the people I made for myself.

I want them to sing praise to me.

22“Family of Jacob, you have not prayed to me as you should.

People of Israel, you have not worn yourselves out for me.

23You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings.

You have not honored me with your sacrifices.

I have not loaded you down

by requiring grain offerings.

I have not made you tired

by requiring you to burn incense.

24But you have not bought any sweet-smelling cane for me.

You have not given me the fattest parts

of your animal sacrifices.

Instead, you have loaded me down with your sins.

You have made me tired with the wrong things you have done.

25“I am the one who wipes out your lawless acts.

I do it because of who I am.

I will not remember your sins anymore.

26But let us go to court together.

Remind me of what you have done.

State your case.

Prove to me that you are not guilty.

27Your father Jacob sinned.

The people I sent to teach you refused to obey me.

28So I put the high officials of your temple to shame.

I let Jacob’s family be totally destroyed.

And I let people make fun of Israel.