Isaiah (Douay: Isaias) 43

¹ But now the LORD who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel, says: “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine.

² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you.

³ For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.

⁴ Since you have been precious and honored in my sight, and I have loved you, therefore I will give people in your place, and nations instead of your life.

⁵ Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west.

⁶ I will tell the north, ‘Give them up!’ and tell the south, ‘Don’t hold them back! Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth –

⁷ everyone who is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yes, whom I have made.’”

⁸ Bring out the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears.

⁹ Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified, or let them hear, and say, “That is true.”

¹⁰ “You are my witnesses,” says the LORD, “With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me.

¹¹ I myself am the LORD. Besides me, there is no savior.

¹² I have declared, I have saved, and I have shown, and there was no strange god among you. Therefore you are my witnesses”, says the LORD, “and I am God.

¹³ Yes, since the day was, I am he. There is no one who can deliver out of my hand. I will work, and who can hinder it?”

¹⁴ The LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: “For your sake, I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring all of them down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing.

¹⁵ I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”

¹⁶ The LORD, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters,

¹⁷ who brings out the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched like a wick) says:

¹⁸ “Don’t remember the former things, and don’t consider the things of old.

¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

²⁰ The animals of the field, the jackals and the ostriches, shall honor me, because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen,

²¹ the people which I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise.

²² Yet you have not called on me, Jacob; but you have been weary of me, Israel.

²³ You have not brought me any of your sheep for burnt offerings, neither have you honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, nor wearied you with frankincense.

²⁴ You have bought me no sweet cane with money, nor have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices, but you have burdened me with your sins. You have wearied me with your iniquities.

²⁵ I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.

²⁶ Put me in remembrance. Let us plead together. Declare your case, that you may be justified.

²⁷ Your first father sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against me.

²⁸ Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel an insult.”

¹ AAnd now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, and called thee by thy name: thou art mine.

² When thou shalt pass through the waters, I will be with thee, and the rivers shall not cover thee: when thou shalt walk in the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, and the flames shall not burn in thee:

³ For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I have given Egypt for thy atonement, Ethiopia and Saba for thee.

⁴ Since thou becamest honourable in my eyes, thou art glorious: I have loved thee, and I will give men for thee, and people for thy life.

⁵ Fear not, for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west.

⁶ I will say to the north: Give up: and to the south: Keep not back: bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.

⁷ And every one that calleth upon my name, I have created him for my glory. I have formed him, and made him.

⁸ Bring forth the people that are blind, and have eyes: that are deaf, and have ears.

⁹ All the nations are assembled together, and the tribes are gathered: who among you can declare this, and shall make us hear the former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, let them be justified, and hear, and say: It is truth.

¹⁰ You are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that you may know, and believe me, and understand that I myself am. Before me there was no God formed, and after me there shall be none.

¹¹ I am, I am the Lord: and there is no saviour besides me.

¹² I have declared, and have saved. I have made it heard, and there was no strange one among you. You are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and I am God.

¹³ And from the beginning I am the same, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall turn it away?

¹⁴ Thus saith the Lord your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their bars, and the Chaldeans glorying in their ships.

¹⁵ I am the Lord your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.

¹⁶ Thus saith the Lord, who made a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters.

¹⁷ Who brought forth the chariot and the horse, the army and the strong: they lay down to sleep together, and they shall not rise again: they are broken as flax, and are extinct.

¹⁸ Remember not former things, and look not on things of old.

¹⁹ Behold I do new things, and now they shall spring forth, verily you shall know them: I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

²⁰ The beast of the field shall glorify me, the dragons and the ostriches: because I have given waters in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, to my chosen.

²¹ This people have I formed for myself, they shall shew forth my praise.

²² But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, neither hast thou laboured about me, O Israel.

²³ Thou hast not offered me the ram of thy holocaust, nor hast thou glorified me with thy victims: I have not caused thee to serve with oblations, nor wearied thee with incense.

²⁴ Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy victims. But thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thy iniquities.

²⁵ I am, I am he that blot out thy iniquities for my own sake, and I will not remember thy sins.

²⁶ Put me in remembrance, and let us plead together: tell if thou hast any thing to justify thyself.

²⁷ Thy first father sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.

²⁸ And I have profaned the holy princes, I have given Jacob to slaughter, and Israel to reproach.