Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
Isaiah 43
But now the LORD says,
he who created you, Jacob, who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through water, I am with you;
through rivers, they will not sweep you away.
When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched;
the flame will not burn you.
For I am the LORD your God,
Israel’s Holy One, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your place.
Because you are precious in my eyes, honored, and I love you,
I give people in your place,
nations in exchange for your life.
Do not fear, for I am with you.
I will bring your offspring from the east
and gather you from the west.
I will tell the north, ‘Give them up!’
and the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’
Bring my sons from far away,
my daughters from earth’s ends—
everyone called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed, whom I made.”
Bring out the people who are blind though they have eyes,
who are deaf though they have ears.
All nations gather together, and peoples assemble.
Who among them can announce this
and tell us the former things?
Let them bring witnesses and prove themselves right;
let others hear and say, “It is true.”
“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“and my servant whom I chose,
so you may know and trust me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
and after me none will be.
I, I am the LORD;
apart from me there is no savior.
I announced, I saved, I made it heard;
no foreign god was among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and I am God.
From the day’s beginning I am he;
no one can rescue from my hand.
I act—who can turn it back?”
The LORD, your Redeemer, Israel’s Holy One, says:
“For your sake I have sent to Babylon
and brought them all down as fugitives,
the Chaldeans in the ships they rejoiced in.
I am the LORD, your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator, your King.”
The LORD says,
he who makes a way through the sea,
a path through mighty waters,
who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior—
they lie down together, never to rise,
extinguished, put out like a wick:
“Do not remember the former things
or dwell on things of old.
Look, I am doing something new;
now it sprouts—do you not recognize it?
I will make a way in the wilderness,
rivers in the wasteland.
Wild animals will honor me, jackals and ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the wasteland,
to give my chosen people drink,
the people I formed for myself
to recount my praise.
Yet you have not called on me, Jacob;
you have grown weary of me, Israel.
You have not brought me sheep for your burnt offerings
nor honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with grain offerings
nor wearied you with frankincense.
You have not bought fragrant cane for me with silver
nor satisfied me with your sacrifices’ fat.
Instead, you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied me with your guilt.
I, I am the one who wipes away your rebellions for my own sake;
your sins I will not remember.
Remind me; let us argue our case together.
You tell your story, so you may be proved right.
Your first father sinned,
and your interpreters rebelled against me.
So I profaned the sanctuary’s officials
and handed Jacob over to destruction,
Israel to insults.”