ישעיהו מג

But now thus said GOD—
Who created you, O Jacob,
Who formed you, O Israel:
Fear not, for I will redeem you;
I have singled you out by name,
You are Mine.

When you pass through water,
I will be with you;
Through streams,
They shall not overwhelm you.
When you walk through fire,
You shall not be scorched;
Through flame,
It shall not burn you.

For I the ETERNAL am your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as a ransom for you,
Cush and Saba in exchange for you.

Because you are precious to Me,
And honored, and I love you,
I give people in exchange for you
And nations in your stead.

Fear not, for I am with you:
I will bring your folk from the East,
Will gather you out of the West;

I will say to the North, “Give back!”
And to the South, “Do not withhold!
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the end of the earth—

All who are linked to My name,
Whom I have created,
Formed, and made for My glory—

Setting free that people,
Blind though it has eyes
And deaf though it has ears.”

All the nations assemble as one,
The peoples gather.
Who among them declared this,
Foretold to us the things that have happened?
Let them produce their witnesses and be vindicated,
That people, hearing them, may say, “It is true!”

My witnesses are you
—declares GOD—
My servant, whom I have chosen.
To the end that you may take thought,
And believe in Me,
And understand that I am the One:
Before Me no god was formed,
And after Me none shall exist—

None but me, GOD;
Beside Me, none can grant triumph.

I alone foretold the triumph
And I brought it to pass;
I announced it,
And no strange god was among you.
So you are My witnesses
—declares GOD—
And I am God.

Ever since day was, I am the One;
None can deliver from My hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?

Thus said GOD,
Your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I send to Babylon;
I will bring down all [her] bars,
And the Chaldeans shall raise their voice in lamentation.

I am your Holy One, GOD,
Your Sovereign, the Creator of Israel.

Thus said GOD,
Who made a road through the sea
And a path through mighty waters,

Who destroyed, here, as equivalent to Aramaic sheṣi. chariots and horses,
And all the mighty host—
They lay down to rise no more,
They were extinguished, quenched like a wick:

Do not recall what happened of old,
Or ponder what happened of yore!

I am about to do something new;
Even now it shall come to pass,
Suddenly you shall perceive it:
I will make a road through the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.

The wild beasts shall honor Me,
Jackals and ostriches,
For I provide water in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My chosen people,

The people I formed for Myself
That they might declare My praise.

But you have not worshiped Me, O Jacob,
That you should be weary of Me, O Israel.

You have not brought Me your sheep for burnt offerings,
Nor honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with grain offerings,
Nor wearied you about frankincense.

You have not bought Me fragrant reed with money,
Nor sated Me with the fat of your sacrifices.
Instead, you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have wearied Me with your iniquities.

It is I, I who—for My own sake—
Wipe your transgressions away
And remember your sins no more.

Help me remember!
Let us join in argument,
Tell your version,
That you may be vindicated.

Your earliest ancestor sinned,
And your spokesmen transgressed against Me.

So I profaned the holy princes;
I abandoned Jacob to proscription
And Israel to mockery.