1 ARST But now, you people of Israel, listen to Yahweh, the one who established your nation. The one who caused you to become a nation says this:“Do not be afraid, because I have rescued you. I have called you by your name, in order that you may belong to me. Now you are mine. BSB BSB: But now, this is what the LORD says—He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine!
2 ARST When you experience dangerous situations, and you have hardships as terrible as deep rivers to cross, I will be with you. When you have very painful troubles, as painful as fire, you will be able to endure them, and they will not hurt you, BSB BSB: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 ARST because I am Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel, the one who rescues you. I will sacrifice Egypt in your place; and Ethiopia and Seba exchange for you. BSB BSB: For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.
4 ARST I will cause other countries to be conquered instead of your country; I will trade them for you, in order that you will not be killed, because you are very precious to me and because I love you. BSB BSB: Because you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you and nations in place of your life.
5 ARST Do not be afraid, because I am with you. Some day I will gather your descendants from the east and from the west. BSB BSB: Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west.
6 ARST I will command the rulers of the nations to the north and to the south,‘Allow all the people of Israel to return to their country, from the most distant places on the earth. BSB BSB: I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 ARST Allow all those who belong to me to return, because I have caused them to become a nation in order that they would honor me; I am the one who has done that.’ BSB BSB: everyone called by My name and created for My glory, whom I have indeed formed and made.”
8 ARST Summon the people who have eyes but act as though they were blind; summon those who have ears but act as though they were deaf. BSB BSB: Bring out a people who have eyes but are blind, and who have ears but are deaf.
9 ARST Gather people of all nations together, ones from all people groups, and ask them this:‘Has any of their idols foretold the things that are happening now? And can any of them predict what will happen in the future?’ Then bring people who will testify and say‘I heard them predict things, and what they predicted was what happened,’ but they will be lying.” BSB BSB: All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses to vindicate them, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
11 ARST I, only I, am Yahweh, and there is no other one who can save you. BSB BSB: I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no Savior but Me.
12 ARST I said that I would rescue your ancestors, and then I rescued them, and I proclaimed that I had done it. No foreign god among you did that! And you are witnesses that only I, Yahweh, am God. BSB BSB: I alone decreed and saved and proclaimed—I, and not some foreign god among you. So you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.
13 ARST I am God, the one who has existed forever and who will exist forever; no one can snatch people from my hand, and no one can change what I have done.” BSB BSB: Even from eternity I am He, and none can deliver out of My hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”
14 ARST Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, is the one who rescues you, and this is what he says:“For your sake, I will send an army to attack Babylon. They will force the people of the city to run away from their city, and to wail in song instead of rejoice in song. BSB BSB: Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake, I will send to Babylon and bring them all as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15 ARST I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the one who caused Israel to become a nation, and the one who is really your king. BSB BSB: I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, and your King.”
16 ARST I am Yahweh, the one who opened a path through the water, making a road through the Sea of Reeds. BSB BSB: Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters,
17 ARST Then I summoned the great army of Egypt to come with all their chariots and horses. But when they tried to pursue my people, I caused the waves to flow over them and they drowned; their lives ended like the light of a candle ends when someone snuffs out the wick. BSB BSB: who brings out the chariots and horses, the armies and warriors together, to lie down, never to rise again; to be extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
18 ARST But do not think only about what happened in the past, long ago. BSB BSB: “Do not call to mind the former things; pay no attention to the things of old.
19 ARST Instead, consider the new thing that I am going to do. I have already started to do it; can you see it? I am going to make a road through the desert. And I will cause there to be streams in the wasteland. BSB BSB: Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
20 ARST The jackals and ostriches and other wild creatures will thank me for giving them water in the desert. I will cause streams to appear in the dry desert in order that my people, the ones whom I have chosen, will have water; BSB BSB: The beasts of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I provide water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people.
21 ARST I will do that for the people whom I have created and chosen to belong to me, so that they will tell others about the wonderful things I have done for them. BSB BSB: The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.
22 ARST But now, you descendants of Jacob, you refuse to request my help. You people of Israel have become tired of worshiping me. BSB BSB: But you have not called on Me, O Jacob, because you have grown weary of Me, O Israel.
23 ARST You have not brought to me sheep or goats for offerings to burn up on my altar; you have not honored me with any sacrifices, even though the offerings of grain and incense that I asked you to bring to me were not a burden to you. BSB BSB: You have not brought Me sheep for burnt offerings, nor honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, nor wearied you with frankincense.
24 ARST You have not bought for me any fragrant reeds, and you have not poured out to me the sweet- smelling fat from any animal sacrifices. But you have burdened me by all the sins that you have committed, and made me weary because of all your iniquities. BSB BSB: You have not bought Me sweet cane with your silver, nor satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened Me with your sins; you have wearied Me with your iniquities.
25 ARST I am the one who is able to forgive you for all your sins; I am the only one who can do that, with the result that I will never think about them again. BSB BSB: I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.
26 ARST Tell me what I have done that you do not like. Do you think that when you state your case, you will prove that you are innocent? BSB BSB: Remind Me, let us argue the matter together. State your case, so that you may be vindicated.
27 ARST No, what has happened is that the first ancestor of you Israelites sinned against me, and since then, all your leaders have rebelled against me. BSB BSB: Your first father sinned, and your spokesmen rebelled against Me.
28 ARST That is why I will cause your priests to be disgraced; I will allow others to destroy you people of Israel and caused you to be despised.” BSB BSB: So I will disgrace the princes of your sanctuary, and I will devote Jacob to destruction and Israel to reproach.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.