| Chapter
43 |
| 1 | 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. |
