The Redemption of Israel
But now, thus says Yahweh, your aCreator, O Jacob,
And He who bformed you, O Israel,
“Do not cfear, for I have dredeemed you;
I have ecalled you by name; you are fMine!
2 When you apass through the waters, bI will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you cwalk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3 For aI am Yahweh your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your bSavior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
cEthiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you are aprecious in My sight,
Since you are bhonored and I clove you,
I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for aI am with you;
I will bring byour seed from the east,
And cgather you from the west.
6 I will say to the anorth, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My bsons from afar
And My daughters from the cends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is acalled by My name,
And whom I have bcreated for My cglory,
dWhom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
Israel Is Yahweh’s Witness
8 Bring out the people who are ablind, even though they have eyes,
And the deaf, even though they have ears.
9 All the nations have agathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled.
Who among them can bdeclare this
And make us hear the former things?
Let them present ctheir witnesses dthat they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are aMy witnesses,” declares Yahweh,
“And bMy servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that cI am He.
dBefore Me there was no god formed,
And there will be none after Me.
11 I, even I, am Yahweh,
And there is no asavior bbesides Me.
12 It is I who have declared and saved and caused it to be heard,
And there was no astrange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares Yahweh,
“And I am God.
13 Even afrom eternity bI am He,
And there is cnone who can deliver out of My hand;
dI act and who can reverse it?”
Rivers in the Wasteland
14 Thus says Yahweh your aRedeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,
And will bring down those who fled—all of them,
Even the bChaldeans—into the cships in which they shouted for joy.
15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One,
aThe Creator of Israel, your bKing.”
16 Thus says Yahweh,
Who amakes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings forth the achariot and the horse,
The military force and the mighty man;
They will lie down together and not rise again;
They have been bextinguished and quenched like a wick:
18 “aDo not remember the former things,
Nor carefully consider things of the past.
19 Behold, I will do something anew;
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not know it?
I will even bmake a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the wasteland.
20 The beasts of the field will glorify Me,
The ajackals and the ostriches,
Because I have bgiven waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the wasteland,
To give drink to My chosen people.
21 The people whom aI formed for Myself
bWill recount My praise.
22 “Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob;
But you have become aweary of Me, O Israel.
23 You have anot brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,
Nor have you bglorified Me with your sacrifices.
I have not cburdened you with offerings,
Nor wearied you with dfrankincense.
24 You have not bought Me asweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
Rather you have burdened Me with your sins;
You have bwearied Me with your iniquities.
25 “I, even I, am the one who awipes out your transgressions bfor My own sake,
And I will cnot remember your sins.
26 Bring Me to remembrance, alet us enter into judgment together;
Recount your cause, bthat you may be proved right.
27 Your afirst father sinned,
And your bspokesmen have transgressed against Me.
28 So I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
And I will give Jacob to be adevoted to destruction and Israel to brevilement.