Esaias

43

1 And now thus saith the Lord God that made thee, O Jacob, and formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

2 And if thou pass through water, I am with thee; and the rivers shall not overflow thee: and if thou go through fire, thou shalt not be burned; the flame shall not burn thee.

3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, that saves thee: I have made Egypt and Ethiopia thy ransom, and given Soene for thee.

4 Since thou becamest precious in my sight, thou hast become glorious, and I have loved thee: and I will give men for thee, and princes for *thy life.

5 Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and will gather thee from the west.

6 I will say to the north, Bring; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from the land afar off, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

7 even all who are called by my name: for I have prepared him for my glory, and I have formed him, and have made him:

8 and I have brought forth the blind people; for their eyes are alike blind, and they that have ears are deaf.

9 All the nations are gathered together, and princes shall be gathered out of them: who will declare these things? or who will declare to you things from the beginning? let them bring forth their witnesses, and be justified; and let them hear, and declare the truth.

10 Be ye my witnesses, and I too am a witness, saith the Lord God, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know, and believe, and understand that I am he: before me there was no other God, and after me there shall be none.

11 I am God; and beside me there is no Saviour.

12 I have declared, and have saved; I have reproached, and there was no strange god among you: ye are my witnesses, and I am the Lord God,

13 even from the beginning; and there is none that can deliver out of my hands: I will work, and who shall turn it back?

14 Thus saith the Lord God that redeems you, the Holy One of Israel; For your sakes I will send to Babylon, and I will stir up all that flee, and the Chaldeans shall be bound in ships.

15 I am the Lord God, your Holy One, who have appointed for Israel your king.

16 Thus saith the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty water;

17 who brought forth chariots and horse, and a mighty multitude: but they have †lain down, and shall not rise: they are extinct, as quenched flax.

18 Remember ye not the former things, and consider not the ancient things.

19 Behold, I will do new things, which shall presently spring forth, and ye shall know them: and I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the dry land.

20 The beasts of the field shall bless me, the owls and young ostriches; for I have given water in the wilderness, and rivers in the dry land, to give drink to my chosen race,

21 even my people whom I have preserved to tell forth my praises.

22 I have not now called thee, O Jacob; neither have I made thee weary, O Israel.

23 Thou hast not brought me the sheep of thy whole-burnt-offering; neither hast thou glorified me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with sacrifices, neither have I wearied thee with frankincense.

24 Neither hast thou purchased for me victims for silver, neither have I desired the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou didst stand before me in thy sins, and in thine iniquities.

25 ‡I, even I, am he that blots out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and thy sins; and I will not remember them.

26 But do thou remember, and let us plead together: do thou first confess thy transgressions, that thou mayest be justified.

27 Your fathers first, and your princes have transgressed against me.

28 And the princes have defiled my sanctuaries: so I gave Jacob to enemies to destroy, and Israel to reproach.