Isaiah 43:16-21

Contemporary English Version

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.

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^[a] in thirsty lands.
²⁰ Every wild animal honors me,
    even jackals^[b] 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.