1 A nd now, thus said Jehovah, Thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Fashioner, O Israel, Be not afraid, for I have redeemed thee, I have called on thy name -- thou Mine.

But now the Lord Who made you, O Jacob, and He Who made you, O Israel, says, “Do not be afraid. For I have bought you and made you free. I have called you by name. You are Mine!

2 W hen thou passest into waters, I with thee, And into floods, they do not overflow thee, When thou goest into fire, thou art not burnt, And a flame doth not burn against thee.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not flow over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The fire will not destroy you.

3 F or I -- Jehovah thy God, The Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour, I have appointed Egypt thine atonement, Cush and Seba in thy stead.

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, Who saves you. I have given Egypt as pay for your life, and have traded Cush and Seba for you.

4 S ince thou wast precious in Mine eyes, Thou wast honoured, and I have loved thee, And I appoint men in thy stead, And peoples instead of thy life.

You are of great worth in My eyes. You are honored and I love you. I will give other men in your place. I will trade other people for your life.

5 B e not afraid, for I with thee, From the east I bring in thy seed, And from the west I gather thee.

Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bring your children from the east, and I will gather you from the west.

6 I am saying to the north, `Give up,' And to the south, `Restrain not.' Bring in My sons from afar, And My daughters from the end of the earth.

I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from far away, and My daughters from the ends of the earth.

7 E very one who is called by My name, Even for My honour I have created him, I have formed him, yea, I have made him.

Bring every one who is called by My name, for I have made him for My honor, yes, I made him.”

8 H e brought out a blind people who have eyes, And deaf ones who have ears.

Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, and those who cannot hear, even though they have ears.

9 A ll the nations have been gathered together, And the peoples are assembled, Who among them declareth this, And former things causeth us to hear? They give their witnesses, And they are declared righteous, And they hear and say, `Truth.'

All the nations have gathered together so the people may be together. Who among them can make this known, and tell us what has happened before? Let them bring people who can show us that they are right. Let them hear and say, “It is true.”

10 Y e My witnesses, an affirmation of Jehovah, And My servant whom I have chosen, So that ye know and give credence to Me, And understand that I He, Before Me there was no God formed, And after Me there is none.

“You can speak for Me,” says the Lord. “You are My servant whom I have chosen so that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. No God was made before Me, and there will be none after Me.

11 I -- I Jehovah, And besides Me there is no saviour.

I, even I, am the Lord. There is no one who saves except Me.

12 I -- I declared, and saved, and proclaimed, And there is no stranger with you, And ye My witnesses, an affirmation of Jehovah, And I God.

I have spoken and saved and have made things known, and there was no strange god among you. You can speak for Me,” says the Lord, “and I am God.

13 E ven from the day I He, And there is no deliverer from My hand, I work, and who doth turn it back?

I am God and always will be. No one is able to take anything out of My hand. I do something, and who can change it?” God’s Loving-Kindness—Israel Not Faithful

14 T hus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: `For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And caused bars to descend -- all of them, And the Chaldeans, whose song in the ships.

The Lord Who bought you and sets you free, the Holy One of Israel, says, “Because of you I have sent to Babylon, and will bring down all their leaders, even the Babylonians, into the ships in which they find joy.

15 I Jehovah, your Holy One, Creator of Israel, your King.'

I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Maker of Israel, your King.”

16 T hus said Jehovah, Who is giving in the sea a way, And in the strong waters a path.

This is what the Lord says, Who makes a way through the sea and a path through the powerful waters,

17 W ho is bringing forth chariot and horse, A force, even a strong one: `Together they lie down -- they rise not, They have been extinguished, As flax they have been quenched.'

Who brings out the war-wagon and the horse, the army and the strong man, (They will lie down together and will not rise again. They are destroyed, put out like the fire of a little light):

18 R emember not former things, And ancient things consider not.

“Do not remember the things that have happened before. Do not think about the things of the past.

19 L o, I am doing a new thing, now it springeth up, Do ye not know it? Yea, I put in a wilderness a way, In a desolate place -- floods.

See, I will do a new thing. It will begin happening now. Will you not know about it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

20 H onour me doth the beast of the field, Dragons and daughters of an ostrich, For I have given in a wilderness waters, Floods in a desolate place, To give drink to My people -- My chosen.

The wild animals will honor Me, the wild dogs and the ostriches. For I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people.

21 T his people I have formed for Myself, My praise they recount.

The people whom I made for Myself will make known My praise.

22 A nd Me thou hast not called, O Jacob, For thou hast been wearied of me, O Israel,

“Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob! You have become tired of Me, O Israel!

23 T hou hast not brought in to Me, The lamb of thy burnt-offerings, And thy sacrifices thou hast not honoured Me, I have not caused thee to serve with a present, Nor wearied thee with frankincense.

You have not brought the sheep of your burnt gifts to Me in worship. You have not honored Me with your gifts on the altar. I have not made you bring gifts or special perfume to Me.

24 T hou hast not bought for Me with money sweet cane, And the fat of thy sacrifices hast not filled Me, Only -- thou hast caused Me to serve with thy sins, Thou hast wearied Me with thine iniquities.

You have not bought Me any sweet smelling plants with money. And you have not given Me the fat of your gifts on the altar. Instead you have put the weight of your sins upon Me. You have made Me tired with your wrong-doing.

25 I -- I He who is blotting out Thy transgressions for Mine own sake, And thy sins I do not remember.

“I, even I, am the One Who takes away your sins because of Who I am. And I will not remember your sins.

26 C ause me to remember -- we are judged together, Declare thou that thou mayest be justified.

Make Me remember, and let us talk together. Make your cause known, that you may be shown not to be guilty.

27 T hy first father sinned, And thine interpreters transgressed against me,

Your first father sinned, and those who have spoken for you have sinned against Me.

28 A nd I pollute princes of the sanctuary, And I give Jacob to destruction, and Israel to revilings!

So I will make unclean the leaders of the holy place. I will give Jacob over to be destroyed, and Israel to sharp words of shame.