14 Thus says the Lord,
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
(A)“For your sake I send to Babylon
    and (B)bring them all down as fugitives,
    (C)even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
    the Creator of Israel, your King.”

16 Thus says the Lord,
    (D)who makes a way in the sea,
    a path in the mighty waters,
17 who (E)brings forth chariot and horse,
    army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
    (F)they are extinguished, (G)quenched like a wick:
18 (H)“Remember not the former things,
    nor consider the things of old.
19 (I)Behold, I am doing a new thing;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
(J)I will make a way in the wilderness
    (K)and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild beasts will honor me,
    (L)the jackals and the ostriches,
(M)for I give water in the wilderness,
    rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21     the people whom I formed for myself
(N)that they might declare my praise.

22 “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
    but (O)you have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 (P)You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
    or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
    (Q)or wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
    or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
    you have wearied me with your iniquities.

25 “I, I am he
    (R)who blots out (S)your transgressions for my own sake,
    and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put me in remembrance; (T)let us argue together;
    set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
27 (U)Your first father sinned,
    and (V)your mediators transgressed against me.
28 Therefore (W)I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
    and (X)deliver Jacob to utter destruction
    and Israel to reviling.

Israel the Lord's Chosen

44 “But now hear, (Y)O Jacob my servant,
    Israel whom I have chosen!
Thus says the Lord who made you,
    (Z)who formed you from the womb and will help you:
(AA)Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
    (AB)Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
(AC)For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
    and my blessing on your descendants.
They shall spring up among the grass
    (AD)like willows by flowing streams.
(AE)This one will say, ‘I am the Lord's,’
    another will call on the name of Jacob,
and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord's,’
    and name himself by the name of Israel.”

God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

14 This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,(A) the Holy One(B) of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
    and bring down as fugitives(C) all the Babylonians,[a](D)
    in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord,(E) your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator,(F) your King.(G)

16 This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,(H)
17 who drew out(I) the chariots and horses,(J)
    the army and reinforcements together,(K)
and they lay(L) there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:(M)
18 “Forget the former things;(N)
    do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!(O)
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness(P)
    and streams in the wasteland.(Q)
20 The wild animals(R) honor me,
    the jackals(S) and the owls,
because I provide water(T) in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21     the people I formed(U) for myself(V)
    that they may proclaim my praise.(W)

22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied(X) yourselves for[b] me, Israel.(Y)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,(Z)
    nor honored(AA) me with your sacrifices.(AB)
I have not burdened(AC) you with grain offerings
    nor wearied you with demands(AD) for incense.(AE)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus(AF) for me,
    or lavished on me the fat(AG) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied(AH) me with your offenses.(AI)

25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions,(AJ) for my own sake,(AK)
    and remembers your sins(AL) no more.(AM)
26 Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;(AN)
    state the case(AO) for your innocence.
27 Your first father(AP) sinned;
    those I sent to teach(AQ) you rebelled(AR) against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
    I consigned Jacob to destruction[c](AS)
    and Israel to scorn.(AT)

Israel the Chosen

44 “But now listen, Jacob, my servant,(AU)
    Israel, whom I have chosen.(AV)
This is what the Lord says—
    he who made(AW) you, who formed you in the womb,(AX)
    and who will help(AY) you:
Do not be afraid,(AZ) Jacob, my servant,(BA)
    Jeshurun,[d](BB) whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water(BC) on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;(BD)
I will pour out my Spirit(BE) on your offspring,
    and my blessing(BF) on your descendants.(BG)
They will spring up like grass(BH) in a meadow,
    like poplar trees(BI) by flowing streams.(BJ)
Some will say, ‘I belong(BK) to the Lord’;
    others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand,(BL) ‘The Lord’s,’(BM)
    and will take the name Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 43:14 Or Chaldeans
  2. Isaiah 43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of
  3. Isaiah 43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  4. Isaiah 44:2 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel.