Isaiah 43:14-44:5
Contemporary English Version
The Lord Will Prepare the Way
14 I, the Lord, will rescue you!
I am Israel's holy God,
and this is my promise:
For your sake, I will send
an army against Babylon
to drag its people away,
crying as they go.[a]
15 I am the Lord, your holy God,
Israel's Creator and King.
16 I am the one who cut a path
through the mighty ocean.
17 I sent an army to chase you
with chariots and horses;
now they lie dead,
unable to move.
They are like an oil lamp
with the flame snuffed out.
Forget the Past
The Lord said:
18 Forget what happened long ago!
Don't think about the past.
19 I am creating something new.
There it is! Do you see it?
I have put roads in deserts,
streams[b] in thirsty lands.
20 Every wild animal honors me,
even jackals[c] and owls.
I provide water in deserts—
streams in thirsty lands
for my chosen people.
21 I made them my own nation,
so they would praise me.
22 I, the Lord, said to Israel:
You have become weary of me,
but not from worshiping me.
23 You have not honored me
by sacrificing sheep
or other animals.
And I have not burdened you
with demands for sacrifices
or sweet-smelling incense.
24 You have not brought
delicious spices for me
or given me the best part
of your sacrificed animals.
Instead, you burden me down
with your terrible sins.
25 But I wipe away your sins
because of who I am.
And so, I will forget
the wrongs you have done.
26 Meet me in court!
State your case and prove
that you are right.
27 Your earliest ancestor[d]
and all your leaders[e]
rebelled against me.
28 That's why I don't allow
your priests to serve me;
I let Israel be destroyed
and your people disgraced.
The Lord's Promise to Israel
44 People of Israel,
I have chosen you
as my servant.
2 I am your Creator.
You were in my care
even before you were born.
Israel, don't be terrified!
You are my chosen servant,
my very favorite.[f]
3 I will bless the thirsty land
by sending streams of water;
I will bless your descendants
by giving them my Spirit.
4 They will spring up like grass[g]
or like willow trees
near flowing streams.
5 They will worship me
and become my people.
They will write my name
on the back of their hands.[h]
Footnotes
- 43.14 crying as they go: Or “in their glorious ships.”
- 43.19 streams: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls “paths.”
- 43.20 jackals: Desert animals related to wolves, but smaller.
- 43.27 earliest ancestor: Jacob, also known as Israel.
- 43.27 leaders: Probably prophets, but perhaps also priests and kings.
- 44.2 my very favorite: Or “Jeshurun.”
- 44.4 like grass: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 44.5 write … hands: To show that they belong to the Lord and to Israel.
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