Isaiah 43 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

But now, this is what Yahweh says — the one who shaped you, Jacob, the one who formed you, Israel: "Don't be afraid, because I have bought you back. I have called you by name — you are mine."

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when you cross rivers, they will not sweep you away. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not consume you.

Because I am Yahweh your God, the one set apart in Israel, your rescuer. I gave Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.

Because you are precious in my eyes, because you are honored, and I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.

Don't be afraid — I am with you. I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Don't hold them back!' Bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the ends of the earth —

everyone who is called by my name, whom I shaped for my glory, whom I formed and made.

Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.

Let all the nations gather together, let the peoples assemble. Which of their gods predicted this? Which of them told us what would happen first? Let them bring their witnesses to prove their case, so people can hear and say, 'It's true.'

"You are my witnesses," declares Yahweh, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and trust me and understand that I am the one. Before me no god was formed, and after me there will be none."

I — I am Yahweh, and apart from me there is no rescuer.

I am the one who announced, who rescued, who proclaimed — not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares Yahweh, "and I am God."

Even from the beginning, I am the one. No one can deliver from my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?

This is what Yahweh says, your buyer-back, the one set apart in Israel: "For your sake I will send an army to Babylon and bring down all the fugitives — the Chaldeans, in the ships they boast about."

I am Yahweh, your one set apart, Israel's creator, your king.

This is what Yahweh says — the one who carved a road through the sea, a path through the raging waters,

who drew out chariots and horses, a whole army, full of power — they lay down together and never got up, snuffed out like a wick, extinguished.

"Stop dwelling on what happened before; don't keep staring at the ancient past."

Look — I am doing a new thing! Even now it is springing up — can't you see it? I am carving a road through the wilderness and rivers through the wasteland.

The wild animals will honor me — the jackals and the ostriches — because I am putting water in the wilderness, rivers in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen ones.

The people I formed for myself — they will declare what I have done.

"But you haven't called on me, Jacob. You've grown tired of me, Israel.

You haven't brought me sheep for your burnt offerings or honored me with your sacrifices. I haven't burdened you with grain offerings or exhausted you with demands for incense.

You haven't bought me fragrant cane with your money or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened me with your failures and exhausted me with your twisted ways.

I — I am the one who wipes out your rebellions for my own sake, and I will not remember your failures.

Remind me — let's argue this out together. State your case, so you can be proved right.

Your first ancestor failed, and your spokesmen rebelled against me.

So I stripped the sacred status from your leaders, and I handed Jacob over to total destruction and Israel to contempt.