5Have no fear; for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you all from the west.
6I will say to the north, 'Give them up',
and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.
Bring my sons and daughters from afar,
bring them from the ends of the earth;
7bring every one who is called by my name,
all whom I have created, whom I have formed,
all whom I have made for my glory.'
8Bring out this people,
a people who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.
9All the nations are gathered together
and the peoples assembled.
Who amongst them can expound this thing
and interpret for us all that has gone before?
Let them produce witnesses to prove their case,
or let them listen and say, 'That is the truth.'
10My witnesses, says the LORD, are you, my servants,
you whom I have chosen
to know me and put your faith in me
and understand that I am He.
Before me there was no god fashioned
nor ever shall be after me.
11I am the LORD, I myself,
and none but I can deliver.
12I myself have made it known in full, and declared it,
I and no alien god amongst you,
and you are my witnesses, says the LORD.
13I am God; from this very day I am He.
What my hand holds, none can snatch away;
what I do, none can undo.
14Thus says the LORD your ransomer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sakes I have sent to Babylon;
I will lay the Chaldaeans prostrate as they flee,
and their cry of triumph will turn to groaning.
15I am the LORD, your Holy One,
your creator, Israel, and your King.
16Thus says the LORD,
who opened a way in the sea
and a path through mighty waters,
17who drew on chariot and horse to their destruction,
a whole army, men of valour;
there they lay, never to rise again;
they were crushed, snuffed out like a wick:
18Cease to dwell on days gone by
and to brood over past history.
19Here and now I will do a new thing;
this moment it will break from the bud.
Can you not perceive it?
I will make a way even through the wilderness
and paths in the barren desert;
20the wild beasts shall do me honour,
the wolf and the ostrich;
for I will provide water in the wilderness
and rivers in the barren desert,
where my chosen people may drink.
21I have formed this people for myself
and they shall proclaim my praises.
22Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
much less did you weary yourself in my service, O Israel.
23You did not bring me sheep as whole-offerings
or honour me with sacrifices;
I asked you for no burdensome offerings
and wearied you with no demands for incense.
24You did not buy me sweet-cane with your money
or glut me with the fat of your sacrifices;
rather you burdened met with your sins
and wearied me with your iniquities.
25I alone, I am He,
who for his own sake wipes out your transgressions,
who will remember your sins no more.
26Cite me by name, let us argue it out;
set forth your pleading and justify yourselves.
27Your first father transgressed,
your spokesmen rebelled against me,
28and your princes profaned my sanctuary;
so I sent Jacob to his doom
and left Israel to execration.
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