Isaiah 43

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 And now, thus says Yahweh, he who created you, Jacob, who formed you, Israel: Do not be afraid, for Ihave redeemed you; I have cal ed you by your name, you are mine.	1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine.
2 Should you pass through the waters, I shall be with you; or through rivers, they will not swal ow you up.Should you walk through fire, you wil not suffer, and the flame wil not burn you.	2 When you pass through the water, I will be with you; in the rivers you shall not drown. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned; the flames shall not consume you.
3 For I am Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I have given Egypt for your ransom,Cush and Seba in exchange for you.	3 For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in return for you.
4 Since I regard you as precious, since you are honoured and I love you, I therefore give people inexchange for you, and nations in return for your life.	4 Because you are precious in my eyes and glorious, and because I love you, I give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I shal bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from thewest.	5 Fear not, for I am with you; from the east I will bring back your descendants, from the west I will gather you.
6 To the north I shal say, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back!' Bring back my sonsfrom far away, and my daughters from the remotest part of the earth,	6 I will say to the north: Give them up! and to the south: Hold not back! Bring back my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth:
7 everyone who bears my name, whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, whom I havemade.	7 Everyone who is named as mine, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.
8 Bring forward the people that is blind, yet has eyes, that is deaf and yet has ears.	8 Lead out the people who are blind though they have eyes, who are deaf though they have ears.
9 Let al the nations assemble, let the peoples gather here! Which of them has proclaimed this andrevealed things to us in the past? Let them bring their witnesses to justify themselves, let others hear and say, 'Itis true.'	9 Let all the nations gather together, let the peoples assemble! Who among them could have revealed this, or foretold to us the earlier things? Let them produce witnesses to prove themselves right, that one may hear and say, "It is true!"
10 You yourselves are my witnesses, declares Yahweh, and the servant whom I have chosen, so thatyou may know and believe me and understand that it is I. No god was formed before me, nor wil be after me.	10 You are my witnesses, says the LORD, my servants whom I have chosen To know and believe in me and understand that it is I. Before me no god was formed, and after me there shall be none.
11 I, I am Yahweh, and there is no other Saviour but me.	11 It is I, I the LORD; there is no savior but me.
12 I have revealed, have saved, and have proclaimed, not some foreigner among you. You are mywitnesses, declares Yahweh, I am God,	12 It is I who foretold, I who saved; I made it known, not any strange god among you; You are my witnesses, says the LORD. I am God,
13 yes, from eternity I am. No one can deliver from my hand; when I act, who can thwart me?	13 yes, from eternity I am He; There is none who can deliver from my hand: who can countermand what I do?
14 Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon, Ishall knock down al the prison bars, and the Chaldaeans' shouts of joy wil change to lamentations.	14 Thus says the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sakes I send to Babylon; I will lower all the bars, and the Chaldeans shall cry out in lamentation.
15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your king.	15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus says Yahweh, who made a way through the sea, a path in the raging waters,	16 Thus says the LORD, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters,
17 who led out chariot and horse together with an army of picked troops: they lay down never to riseagain, they were snuffed out, put out like a wick.	17 Who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, Till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick.
18 No need to remember past events, no need to think about what was done before.	18 Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not;
19 Look, I am doing something new, now it emerges; can you not see it? Yes, I am making a road in thedesert and rivers in wastelands.	19 See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers.
20 The wild animals wil honour me, the jackals and the ostriches, for bestowing water in the desert andrivers on the wastelands for my people, my chosen one, to drink.	20 Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, For I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink,
21 The people I have shaped for myself wil broadcast my praises.	21 The people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.
22 But, Jacob, you have not invoked me; no, Israel, you have grown weary of me.	22 Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob, for you grew weary of me, O Israel.
23 You have not brought me lambs as your burnt offerings and have not honoured me with yoursacrifices. I have not subjected you to cereal offering, I have not wearied you by demanding incense.	23 You did not bring me sheep for your holocausts, nor honor me with your sacrifices. I did not exact from you the service of offerings, nor weary you for frankincense.
24 You have not bought expensive reed for me or sated me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead byyour sins you have trected me like a slave, you have wearied me with your crimes,	24 You did not buy me sweet cane for money, nor fill me with the fat of your sacrifices; Instead, you burdened me with your sins, and wearied me with your crimes.
25 I, I it is who blot out your acts of revolt for my own sake and shal not cal your sins to mind.	25 It is I, I, who wipe out, for my own sake, your offenses; your sins I remember no more.
26 Remind me, and we will judge this together; state your own case and justify yourself.	26 Would you have me remember, have us come to trial? Speak up, prove your innocence!
27 Your first ancestor sinned, your interpreters revolted against me.	27 Your first father sinned; your spokesmen rebelled against me
28 That is why I deposed the chief men of my sanctuary, why I put Jacob under the curse of destructionand subjected Israel to insult.	28 Till I repudiated the holy gates, put Jacob under the ban, and exposed Israel to scorn.