Isaiah

¹ But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

² I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

³ the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.

⁴ and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.

⁵ I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

⁶ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—

⁷ whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

⁸ who have ears but are deaf.

⁹ and the peoples assemble. Which of them foretold 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 “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

¹¹ and apart from me there is no savior.

¹² I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.

¹³ No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”

¹⁴ This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, in the ships in which they took pride.

¹⁵ Israel’s Creator, your King.”

¹⁶ he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,

¹⁷ the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

¹⁸ do not dwell on the past.

¹⁹ Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

²⁰ the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,

²¹ that they may proclaim my praise.

²² you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel.

²³ nor honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with grain offerings nor wearied you with demands for incense.

²⁴ or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses.

²⁵ your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

²⁶ let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence.

²⁷ your spokesmen rebelled against me.

²⁸ and I will consign Jacob to destruction and Israel to scorn.