Isaías 43

¹ But now thus saith the LORDAfter these threatenings he promises deliverance to his Church, because he has regenerated them, adopted them, and called them.that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel,When you see dangers and conspiracies on all sides, remember this benefit and the love of your God, and it will encourage you.Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called [thee] by thy name; thou [art] mine.

² When thou passest through theBy water and fire he means all kinds of trouble and peril.waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

³ For I [am] the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gaveI turned Sennacherib's power against these countries, and made them suffer the affliction which you would have done, and so were as the payment of our ransom, (Isa_37:9).Egypt [for] thy ransom, Cush and Seba for thee.

⁴ Since thou hast been precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I giveI will not spare any man, rather than you should perish, for God values one of his faithful more than all the wicked in the world.men for thee, and people for thy life.

⁵ Fear not: for I [am] with thee: I will bring thy seed from theHe prophecies of their deliverance from the captivity of Babylon, and so of the calling of the universal Church, alluding to that which is written in (Deu_30:3).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, & my daughters from the ends of the earth.

⁷ [Even] every one that is called by myMeaning that he could not be unmindful of them, unless he would neglect his own Name and glory.name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; verily, I have 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 gatheredSignifying that no power can resist him in doing this miraculous work, nor are all their idols able to do the same, as in (Isa_41:22).together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring forth theirTo prove that the things which are spoken of them are true.witnesses, that they may be justified: or let themShowing that the malice of the wicked hinders them in the knowledge of the truth, because they will not hear when God speaks by his word.hear, and say, [It is] truth.

¹⁰ YeThe prophets and people to whom I have given my law.[are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, and myMeaning especially Christ, and by him all the faithful.servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I [am] he: before me there was no god formed, neither shall there be after me.

¹¹ I, euen I am the Lorde, 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 saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and haveBy Darius and Cyrus.brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry [is] inThey will cry when they would escape by my water, seeing that the course of the Euphrates is turned another way by the enemy.the ships.

¹⁵ I am the Lorde your holy one, the creator of Israel, your King.

¹⁶ Thus saith the LORD, who maketh a way inWhen he delivered Israel from Pharaoh, (Exo_14:22).the sea, and a path in the mightyWhen the Israelites passed through Jordan, (Jos_3:17).waters;

¹⁷ Who bringethWhen he delivered his people out of Egypt.forth thePharaoh and his mighty army.chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as a wick.

¹⁸ Remember yee not the former things, neither regard the things of olde.

¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in theMeaning, that their deliverance out of Babylon would be more famous than that from Egypt was, (Jer_23:7; Hag_2:10; 2Co_5:17; Rev_21:5, Rev_21:7).wilderness, [and] rivers in the desert.

²⁰ TheThey will have such abundance of all things as they return home, even in the dry and barren places, that the very beasts will feel my blessings and will acknowledge them: much more men ought to be thankful for the same.beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, [and] rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

²¹ This people haue I formed for my selfe: they shall shewe foorth my praise.

²² But thou hast notYou have not worshipped me as you ought to have done.called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast beenBecause you have not willingly received that which I commanded you, you grieved me. By which he shows that his mercies were the only reason for their deliverance, as they had deserved the contrary.weary of me, O Israel.

²³ ThouMeaning, in true faith and obedience.hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.

²⁴ Thou hast bought me no sweetEither for the composition of the sweet ointment (Exo_30:34), or for the sweet incense (Exo_30:7).cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hastWhom God accept it as righteous or which at occasion because of the law and of thine holy calling.burdened me with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thy 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 inIf I forget anything that may make for your justification, put me in remembrance and speak for yourself.remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.

²⁷ ThyYour ancestors.first father hath sinned, and thyYour priests and your prophets.teachers have transgressed against me.

²⁸ Therefore I haveThat is, rejected, abhorred, and destroyed them in the wilderness and at other times.profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.