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43. Israel's Only Savior

¹ But now, this is what the LORD says—
   he who created you, Jacob,
   he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
   I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,
   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 For I am the LORD your God,
   the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
   Cush That is, the upper Nile region and Seba in your stead.
⁴ Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
   and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
   nations in exchange for your life.
⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
   I will bring your children from the east
   and gather you from the west.
⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
   and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
   and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
⁷ everyone who is called by my name,
   whom I created for my glory,
   whom I formed and made.”

    ⁸ Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
   who have ears but are deaf.
⁹ All the nations gather together
   and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods 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 “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,
   “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 I, even I, am the LORD,
   and apart from me there is no savior.
¹² I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
   I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.
    ¹³ Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
   When I act, who can reverse it?”

God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

    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, Or Chaldeans
   in the ships in which they took pride.
¹⁵ I am the LORD, your Holy One,
   Israel’s Creator, your King.”

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

    ²² “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
   you have not wearied yourselves for Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of me, Israel.
²³ You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,
   nor honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with grain offerings
   nor wearied you with demands for incense.
²⁴ You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me,
   or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
   and wearied me with your offenses.

    ²⁵ “I, even I, am he who blots out
   your transgressions, for my own sake,
   and remembers your sins no more.
²⁶ Review the past for me,
   let us argue the matter together;
   state the case for your innocence.
²⁷ Your first father sinned;
   those I sent to teach you rebelled against me.
²⁸ So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
   I consigned Jacob to destruction The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the LORD, often by totally destroying them.
   and Israel to scorn.

26. Bring to my remembrance. Because the pride of men cannot be easily corrected, the Lord pursues this argument, and dwells much upon it, in order to lead the Jews to throw away all confidence in their works, and to make them more humble, he gives them liberty to say and argue whatever they please, in order to support their cause, if they do not acknowledge that they are vanquished. By a sort of admission in their favor, he bids them call to his remembrance; as if he had said, “If thou thinkest me to be forgetful, tell it thyself; remind me, if thou canst allege anything good; speak in thy turn, I shall be silent.” By this form of expression he taunts men more than if he had stated in the usual way how the matter stood. He shews that it is exceedingly foolish in men to claim anything for themselves; for, though he gives them liberty of boasting, they will be found utterly unable to plead, and will have nothing to say in defense of their cause.

That thou mayest be justified, that is, “In order that thou mayest gain thy cause, and carry off the victory, I allow thee to say whatever thou pleasest.” This is vehement mockery, which shuts the mouths of men more completely than if he pronounced the sentence in his own person and with the authority of a judge. Yet we must also observe the design of the Prophet; for he found it necessary to strip the Jews of the mask of personal worth, that they might humbly and meekly receive the grace of God.