The Lord Has Rescued His People
1 Descendants of Jacob,
I, the Lord, created you
and formed your nation.
Israel, don't be afraid.
I have rescued you.
I have called you by name;
now you belong to me.
2 When you cross deep rivers,
I will be with you,
and you won't drown.
When you walk through fire,
you won't be burned
or scorched by the flames.
3 I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
the God who saves you.
I gave up Egypt, Ethiopia,
and the region of Seba
in exchange for you.
4 To me, you are very dear,
and I love you.
That's why I gave up nations
and people to rescue you.
5 Don't be afraid! I am with you.
From both east and west
I will bring you together.
6 I will say to the north
and to the south,
“Free my sons and daughters!
Let them return
from distant lands.
7 They are my people—
I created each of them
to bring honor to me.”
The Lord Alone Is God
The Lord said:
8 Bring my people together.
They have eyes and ears,
but they can't see or hear.
9 Tell everyone of every nation
to gather around.
None of them can honestly say,
“We told you so!”
If someone heard them say this,
then tell us about it now.
10 My people, you are my witnesses
and my chosen servant.
I want you to know me,
to trust me, and understand
that I alone am God.
I have always been God;
there can be no others.
11 I alone am the Lord;
only I can rescue you.
12 I promised to save you,
and I kept my promise.
You are my witnesses
that no other god did this.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
13 I am God now and forever.
No one can snatch you from me
or stand in my way.
The Lord Will Prepare the Way
14 I, the Lord, will rescue you!
I am Israel's holy God,
and this is my promise:
For your sake, I will send
an army against Babylon
to drag its people away,
crying as they go.
15 I am the Lord, your holy God,
Israel's Creator and King.
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.
Forget the Past
The Lord said:
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 in thirsty lands.
20 Every wild animal honors me,
even jackals 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.
22 I, the Lord, said to Israel:
You have become weary of me,
but not from worshiping me.
23 You have not honored me
by sacrificing sheep
or other animals.
And I have not burdened you
with demands for sacrifices
or sweet-smelling incense.
24 You have not brought
delicious spices for me
or given me the best part
of your sacrificed animals.
Instead, you burden me down
with your terrible sins.
25 But I wipe away your sins
because of who I am.
And so, I will forget
the wrongs you have done.
26 Meet me in court!
State your case and prove
that you are right.
27 Your earliest ancestor
and all your leaders
rebelled against me.
28 That's why I don't allow
your priests to serve me;
I let Israel be destroyed
and your people disgraced.
1 But nowe thus sayeth the Lord, that created thee, O Iaakob: and hee that formed thee, O Israel, Feare not: for I haue redeemed thee: I haue called thee by thy name, thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I wil be with thee, and through the floods, that they doe not ouerflowe thee. When thou walkest through the very fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee. 3 For I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of Israel, thy Sauiour: I gaue Egypt for thy ransome, Ethiopia, and Seba for thee. 4 Because thou wast precious in my sight, and thou wast honourable, and I loued thee, therefore will I giue man for thee, and people for thy sake. 5 Feare not, for I am with thee: I will bring thy seede from the East, and gather thee from the West. 6 I will say to the North, Giue: and to the South, Keepe not backe: bring my sonnes from farre, and my daughters from the ends of the earth. 7 Euery one shall be called by my Name: for I created him for my glorie, formed him and made him. 8 I will bring foorth the blinde people, and they shall haue eyes, and the deafe, and they shall haue eares. 9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this and shewe vs former things? let them bring foorth their witnesses, that they may be iustified: but let them heare, and say, It is truth. 10 You are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my seruant, whom I haue chosen: therefore yee shall knowe and beleeue me and yee shall vnderstand that I am: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11 I, euen I am the Lord, and beside me there is no Sauiour. 12 I haue declared, and I haue saued, and I haue shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore you are my witnesses, sayeth the Lord, that I am God. 13 Yea, before the day was, I am, and there is none that can deliuer out of mine hand: I will doe it, and who shall let it? 14 Thus sayeth the Lord your redeemer, the holy one of Israel, For your sake I haue sent to Babel, and brought it downe: they are all fugitiues, and the Chaldeans crie in the shippes. 15 I am the Lord your holy one, the creator of Israel, your King. 16 Thus sayeth the Lord which maketh a way in the Sea, and a path in the mighty waters. 17 When hee bringeth out the charet and horse, the armie and the power lie together, and shall not rise: they are extinct, and quenched as towe. 18 Remember yee not the former things, neither regard the things of olde. 19 Behold, I do a new thing: now shall it come foorth: shall you not knowe it? I wil euen make a way in the desert, and floods in the wildernesse. 20 The wilde beastes shall honour mee, the dragons and the ostriches, because I gaue water in the desert, and floods in the wildernesse to giue drinke to my people, euen to mine elect. 21 This people haue I formed for my selfe: they shall shewe foorth my praise. 22 And thou hast not called vpon mee, O Iaakob, but thou hast wearied me, O Israel. 23 Thou hast not brought me the sheepe of thy burnt offrings, neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I haue not caused thee to serue with an offring, nor wearied thee with incense. 24 Thou boughtest mee no sweete sauour with money, neither hast thou made mee drunke with the fatte of thy sacrifices, but thou hast made mee to serue with thy sinnes, and wearied mee with thine iniquities. 25 I, euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake, and will not remember thy sinnes. 26 Put me in remembrance: let vs be iudged together: count thou that thou maist be iustified. 27 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers haue transgressed against me. 28 Therefore I haue prophaned the rulers of the Sanctuarie, and haue made Iaakob a curse, and Israel a reproche.