Israel's Only Savior

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

2When thou passest through the 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.

3For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy saviour; I have given Egypt as thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

4Since thou hast been precious in my sight, and honourable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and peoples for thy life.

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

6I 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;

7every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory; I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

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

9Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.

10Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my 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.

11I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

12I have declared, and I have saved, and I have shewed, and there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and I am God.

13Yea, since the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

The Destruction of Babylon Foretold

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

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

16Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;

17which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as flax:

Deliverance for God's People

18Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

19Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

20The beasts of the field shall honour me, the jackals and the ostriches: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen:

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

Israel's Unfaithfulness

(Judges 2:11-15; Jeremiah 2:23-37)

22Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.

23Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not made thee to serve with offerings, nor wearied thee with frankincense.

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

25I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake; and I will not remember thy sins.

26Put me in remembrance; let us plead together: set thou forth thy cause, that thou mayest be justified.

27Thy first father sinned, and thine interpreters have transgressed against me.

28Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary, and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel a reviling.