Isaiah 41:17-43:13

New International Version

¹⁷“The poor and needy search for water,^(A)
    but there is none;
    their tongues are parched with thirst.^(B)
But I the Lord will answer^(C) them;
    I, the God of Israel, will not forsake^(D) them.
¹⁸I will make rivers flow^(E) on barren heights,
    and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert^(F) into pools of water,^(G)
    and the parched ground into springs.^(H)
¹⁹I will put in the desert^(I)
    the cedar and the acacia,^(J) the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers^(K) in the wasteland,
    the fir and the cypress^(L) together,^(M)
²⁰so that people may see and know,^(N)
    may consider and understand,^(O)
that the hand^(P) of the Lord has done this,
    that the Holy One^(Q) of Israel has created^(R) it.

²¹“Present your case,^(S)” says the Lord.
    “Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.^(T)
²²“Tell us, you idols,
    what is going to happen.^(U)
Tell us what the former things^(V) were,
    so that we may consider them
    and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,^(W)
²³    tell us what the future holds,
    so we may know^(X) that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,^(Y)
    so that we will be dismayed^(Z) and filled with fear.
²⁴But you are less than nothing^(AA)
    and your works are utterly worthless;^(AB)
    whoever chooses you is detestable.^(AC)

²⁵“I have stirred^(AD) up one from the north,^(AE) and he comes—
    one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads^(AF) on rulers as if they were mortar,
    as if he were a potter treading the clay.
²⁶Who told of this from the beginning,^(AG) so we could know,
    or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
    no one foretold^(AH) it,
    no one heard any words^(AI) from you.
²⁷I was the first to tell^(AJ) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
    I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.^(AK)
²⁸I look but there is no one^(AL)—
    no one among the gods to give counsel,^(AM)
    no one to give answer^(AN) when I ask them.
²⁹See, they are all false!
    Their deeds amount to nothing;^(AO)
    their images^(AP) are but wind^(AQ) and confusion.

The Servant of the Lord

42 “Here is my servant,^(AR) whom I uphold,
    my chosen one^(AS) in whom I delight;^(AT)
I will put my Spirit^(AU) on him,
    and he will bring justice^(AV) to the nations.^(AW)
²He will not shout or cry out,^(AX)
    or raise his voice in the streets.
³A bruised reed^(AY) he will not break,^(AZ)
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.^(BA)
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;^(BB)
⁴    he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice^(BC) on earth.
    In his teaching^(BD) the islands^(BE) will put their hope.”^(BF)

⁵This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,^(BG) who stretches them out,
    who spreads out the earth^(BH) with all that springs from it,^(BI)
    who gives breath^(BJ) to its people,
    and life to those who walk on it:
⁶“I, the Lord, have called^(BK) you in righteousness;^(BL)
    I will take hold of your hand.^(BM)
I will keep^(BN) you and will make you
    to be a covenant^(BO) for the people
    and a light^(BP) for the Gentiles,^(BQ)
⁷to open eyes that are blind,^(BR)
    to free^(BS) captives from prison^(BT)
    and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.^(BU)

⁸“I am the Lord;^(BV) that is my name!^(BW)
    I will not yield my glory to another^(BX)
    or my praise to idols.^(BY)
⁹See, the former things^(BZ) have taken place,
    and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
    I announce^(CA) them to you.”

Song of Praise to the Lord

¹⁰Sing^(CB) to the Lord a new song,^(CC)
    his praise^(CD) from the ends of the earth,^(CE)
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,^(CF)
    you islands,^(CG) and all who live in them.
¹¹Let the wilderness^(CH) and its towns raise their voices;
    let the settlements where Kedar^(CI) lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela^(CJ) sing for joy;
    let them shout from the mountaintops.^(CK)
¹²Let them give glory^(CL) to the Lord
    and proclaim his praise^(CM) in the islands.^(CN)
¹³The Lord will march out like a champion,^(CO)
    like a warrior^(CP) he will stir up his zeal;^(CQ)
with a shout^(CR) he will raise the battle cry
    and will triumph over his enemies.^(CS)

¹⁴“For a long time I have kept silent,^(CT)
    I have been quiet and held myself back.^(CU)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
    I cry out, I gasp and pant.^(CV)
¹⁵I will lay waste^(CW) the mountains^(CX) and hills
    and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
    and dry up^(CY) the pools.
¹⁶I will lead^(CZ) the blind^(DA) by ways they have not known,
    along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light^(DB) before them
    and make the rough places smooth.^(DC)
These are the things I will do;
    I will not forsake^(DD) them.
¹⁷But those who trust in idols,
    who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’^(DE)
    will be turned back in utter shame.^(DF)

Israel Blind and Deaf

¹⁸“Hear, you deaf;^(DG)
    look, you blind, and see!
¹⁹Who is blind^(DH) but my servant,^(DI)
    and deaf like the messenger^(DJ) I send?
Who is blind like the one in covenant^(DK) with me,
    blind like the servant of the Lord?
²⁰You have seen many things, but you pay no attention;
    your ears are open, but you do not listen.”^(DL)
²¹It pleased the Lord
    for the sake^(DM) of his righteousness
    to make his law^(DN) great and glorious.
²²But this is a people plundered^(DO) and looted,
    all of them trapped in pits^(DP)
    or hidden away in prisons.^(DQ)
They have become plunder,
    with no one to rescue them;^(DR)
they have been made loot,
    with no one to say, “Send them back.”

²³Which of you will listen to this
    or pay close attention^(DS) in time to come?
²⁴Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
    and Israel to the plunderers?^(DT)
Was it not the Lord,^(DU)
    against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow^(DV) his ways;
    they did not obey his law.^(DW)
²⁵So he poured out on them his burning anger,^(DX)
    the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames,^(DY) yet they did not understand;^(DZ)
    it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.^(EA)

Israel’s Only Savior

43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created^(EB) you, Jacob,
    he who formed^(EC) you, Israel:^(ED)
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed^(EE) you;
    I have summoned you by name;^(EF) you are mine.^(EG)
²When you pass through the waters,^(EH)
    I will be with you;^(EI)
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,^(EJ)
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.^(EK)
³For I am the Lord your God,^(EL)
    the Holy One^(EM) of Israel, your Savior;^(EN)
I give Egypt^(EO) for your ransom,
    Cush^[a]^(EP) and Seba^(EQ) in your stead.^(ER)
⁴Since you are precious and honored^(ES) in my sight,
    and because I love^(ET) you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.
⁵Do not be afraid,^(EU) for I am with you;^(EV)
    I will bring your children^(EW) from the east
    and gather^(EX) you from the west.^(EY)
⁶I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
    and to the south,^(EZ) ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters^(FA) from the ends of the earth^(FB)—
⁷everyone who is called by my name,^(FC)
    whom I created^(FD) for my glory,^(FE)
    whom I formed and made.^(FF)”

⁸Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,^(FG)
    who have ears but are deaf.^(FH)
⁹All the nations gather together^(FI)
    and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold^(FJ) this
    and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
    so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
¹⁰“You are my witnesses,^(FK)” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant^(FL) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know^(FM) and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god^(FN) was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.^(FO)
¹¹I, even I, am the Lord,^(FP)
    and apart from me there is no savior.^(FQ)
¹²I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
    I, and not some foreign god^(FR) among you.
You are my witnesses,^(FS)” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
¹³    Yes, and from ancient days^(FT) I am he.^(FU)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
    When I act, who can reverse it?”^(FV)