[2] Now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will desolate and swallow up at once.—Kay.
XLIII.—1. But now thus saith Jehovah thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Former, O Israel! Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art Mine. 2. When thou goest through the water, I am with thee; and through rivers, they shall not drown thee: when thou goest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; and the flame shall not set thee on fire. 3. For I Jehovah am thy God; (I) the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I give up Egypt as a ransom for thee, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead. 4. Because thou art dear in my eyes, highly esteemed, and I loved thee; I give up men in thy stead, and peoples for thy life.
5. Fear not, for I am with thee: I bring thy seed from the east, and from the west will I gather thee; 6. I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the end of the earth; 7. everything that is called by My name, and I have created for My glory, that I have formed, yea finished!
8. Bring out a blind people, and it has eyes: and deaf people, and yet furnished with ears! 9. All ye hearken, gather yourselves together, and let peoples assemble! Who among you can proclaim such a thing? And let them cause former things to be heard, appoint their witnesses, and be justified. Let these hear, and say, True! 10. Ye are My witnesses, saith Jehovah, and My servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe Me, and see that it is I: before Me was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.
11. I, I am Jehovah; and beside me there is no Saviour. 12. I,[1] I have proclaimed and brought salvation, and given to perceive, and there was no other God among you: and ye are My witnesses, saith Jehovah, and I am God. 13. Even from the day onwards I am so; and here is no deliverer out of My hand; I act, and who can turn it back?
fourth prophecy.—chap. xliii. 14.–xliv. 5.
Avenging and Deliverance; and Outpouring of the Spirit.
14. Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, For your sake I have sent to Babel, and will hurl them all down as fugitives, and the Chaldeans into the ships of their rejoicing. 15. I, Jehovah, am your Holy One; (I), Israel’s Creator, your King.
16. Thus saith Jehovah, who giveth a road through the sea, and a path through tumultuous waters; 17. who bringeth out chariot and horse, army[2] and hero; they lie down together, they never rise: they have flickered away, extinguished like a wick. 18. Remember not things of olden time, nor meditate upon those of earlier times! 19. Behold, I work out a new thing; will ye not live to see it? Yea, I make a road through the desert, and streams through solitudies. 20. The beast of the field will praise Me, wild dogs and ostriches; for I give water in the desert, streams in solitude, to give drink to My people, My chosen. 21. The people that I formed for Myself, they shall show forth My praise.
22.[3] And thou hast not called upon Me, O Jacob, that thou shouldest have wearied thyself for Me, O Israel! 23. Thou hast not brought Me sheep of My burnt-offerings, and thou hast not honoured Me with thy slain-offerings. I have not burdened thee with meat-offerings, and have not troubled thee about incense. 24. Thou hast brought Me no spice-cane for silver, nor hast thou refreshed Me with the fat of thy slain-offerings. No; thou hast wearied Me with thy sins, troubled Me with thine iniquities. 25. I, I alone, blot out thy transgressions for My own sake, and do not remember thy sins.