Read the Bible

¹ BUT now thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not; for I have saved you, I have called you by your name because you are mine.² When you shall pass through the sea, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you.³ For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour; I gave Egypt for your sake, and Ethiopia and Sheba for you.⁴ Because you are precious in my sight, you have been honorable and I have loved you; therefore I have given men for your sake and nations for your life.⁵ Fear not; for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west;⁶ I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;⁷ Even every one who is called by my name; for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him and I have made him.

⁸ Bring forth the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears.⁹ Let all the peoples be gathered together and let all the nations be assembled; who among you can declare this and show us the former things? Let them bring forth their witnesses that they may be justified; or let them hear and say, It is truth.¹⁰ You are my witnesses, says the LORD, and my servants whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he; before me there was no God created, neither shall there be after me.¹¹ I, even I, am the LORD; and besides me there is no lord.¹² I have declared that I have saved, and I have proclaimed that there is no strange god among you; therefore you are my witnesses, says the LORD, that I am God.¹³ Yea, from the first day I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hands; what I will do, who can stop it?

¹⁴ Thus says the LORD, your Saviour, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon and have brought back all the fugitives and the Chaldeans who glory in their ships.¹⁵ I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.¹⁶ Thus says the LORD, who has made a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters;¹⁷ Who brings forth the chariots and horses and a mighty army; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise, they are extinguished like a flickering lamp:¹⁸ Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old.¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth and you shall know it. I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.²⁰ The beasts of the field shall glorify me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to provide drink to my people, my chosen.²¹ This people whom I have chosen for myself, they shall drink.

²² But you have not called me, O Jacob; for I have called you, O Israel.²³ You have not brought me lambs of your burnt offerings; neither have you honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with request offerings, nor wearied you with demands for incense.²⁴ You have bought me no sweet cane with money, neither have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices; but you have burdened me with your sins, you have wearied me with your iniquities.²⁵ I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and will not remember your sins any more.²⁶ Put me in remembrance; let us plead together; that you may be justified.²⁷ Your first father has sinned, and your rulers have transgressed against me.²⁸ Your princes have profaned the sanctuary; therefore I have given Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproaches.