Yesaya 43:8-21
Konteks43:8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
those who are deaf, even though they have ears!
43:9 All nations gather together,
the peoples assemble.
Who among them announced this?
Who predicted earlier events for us? 1
Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;
let them listen and affirm, ‘It is true.’
43:10 You are my witnesses,” says the Lord,
“my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may consider 2 and believe in me,
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me,
and none will outlive me. 3
43:11 I, I am the Lord,
and there is no deliverer besides me.
43:12 I decreed and delivered and proclaimed,
and there was no other god among you.
You are my witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.
43:13 From this day forward I am he;
no one can deliver from my power; 4
I will act, and who can prevent it?”
43:14 This is what the Lord says,
your protector, 5 the Holy One of Israel: 6
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and make them all fugitives, 7
turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs. 8
43:15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, 9
the one who created Israel, your king.”
43:16 This is what the Lord says,
the one who made a road through the sea,
a pathway through the surging waters,
43:17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction, 10
together with a mighty army.
They fell down, 11 never to rise again;
they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:
43:18 “Don’t remember these earlier events; 12
don’t recall these former events.
43:19 “Look, I am about to do something new.
Now it begins to happen! 13 Do you not recognize 14 it?
Yes, I will make a road in the desert
and paths 15 in the wilderness.
43:20 The wild animals of the desert honor me,
the jackals and ostriches,
because I put water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness,
to quench the thirst of my chosen people,
43:21 the people whom I formed for myself,
so they might praise me.” 16
[43:9] 1 tn Heb “and the former things was causing us to hear?”
[43:10] 2 tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[43:10] 3 tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
[43:13] 4 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”
[43:14] 5 tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[43:14] 6 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:14] 7 tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
[43:14] 8 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.
[43:15] 9 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:17] 10 tn Heb “led out chariots and horses.” The words “to destruction” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
[43:17] 11 tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”
[43:18] 12 tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”
[43:19] 13 tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.”
[43:19] 14 tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.”
[43:19] 15 tn The Hebrew texts has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has נתיבות (“paths”).
