Targum Isaiah

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 who art mine by thy name.

2For at first when ye did pass the Red Sea my Word was your support. Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who were as many as the waters of the river, did not prevail against you. And again, when ye came amongst nations, who were as mighty as fire, they did not prevail against you; and kingdoms, which were strong as a flame, did not destroy you;

3Because I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt in exchange for thee, Ethiopia, and Seba, in thy stead.

4Ever since I loved thee, thou wast precious; yea, I loved thee dearly and I gave nations instead of thee, and kingdoms for thy soul.

5Fear not, for my WORD shall be thy support; I will bring thy children from the east, I will bring together thy captivity from the west.

6I will say to the north, Bring; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from afar, and the captivity of my people from the ends of the earth.

7All these things shall come to pass for the sake of your righteous fathers, upon whom my name was called, yea, for my glory I have created them. I will restore their captivity, yea, I will work wonders for them.

8When I brought forth my people from Egypt, they were like the blind, although they had eyes; and like the deaf, although they had ears.

9Let all the nations be gathered together, let the kingdoms be brought together: who among them can declare this, and give us the joyful tidings of old? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified; let them hear, and let them speak the truth.

10Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant, the Messiah, in whom is my delight, in order that ye may know, and that ye may believe in me, and understand that I am He who was from the beginning; yea, ages after ages are mine, and beside me there is no god.

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

12I, I have declared unto Abraham your father what would come to pass; I, I redeemed you out of Egypt, as I swore to him between the pieces; and I, I have made you to hear the doctrine of my law from Sinai, and ye are still alive, when there was no strange god among you; yea, ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.

13Yea, from eternity I am He; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will do it, and who shall turn it back?

14Thus saith the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, Because of your sins I led you captive to Babylon; but I will prostrate all of them with their oars, yea, the Chaldeans in the ships of which they boast.

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

16Thus saith the Lord, I am He who prepared a way in the sea, and a path in mighty waters.

17I who brought out the chariots, and horses, and a great host, yea, much people; they were swallowed up together, they did not rise, they were extinguished, they are extinct like the glimmering wick is extinguished.

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

19Behold, I make a new thing, and now it shall be revealed: and will ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

20They shall honour me, when I make habitable provinces at the desert, and the places where the dragons and the daughters of the ostrich dwell ; because I will give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to the captives of my people, in whom I delight.

21This people have I prepared for my service, they shall declare my praise.

22It hath been said by the prophets, that ye of the house of Jacob have not met together for my worship; but that ye were weary of the doctrine of my law, O Israel.

23Thou hast not brought unto me the lambs of thy burnt offerings, and with thy holy sacrifices thou hast not honoured me. I have not caused thee to multiply offerings, neither did I burden thee with frankincense.

24Thou hast not bought for me the aromatic reed with silver; with the fat of thy holy sacrifices thou hast not anointed mine altar; but thou hast multiplied thy sins before me; thou hast burdened me with thine iniquities.

25I, even I, am He who forgiveth thy sins for the sake of my name, and thy sins shall not be remembered.

26Speak now, we will plead together, declare thou for the purpose, that thou mayest justify thyself, if thou art able to do so.

27Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have rebelled against my WORD.

28Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and I have delivered Jacob to the slaughter, and Israel to reproaches.”