42:9 Look, my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass; 1
now I announce new events.
Before they begin to occur,
I reveal them to you.” 2
43:9 All nations gather together,
the peoples assemble.
Who among them announced this?
Who predicted earlier events for us? 3
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 4 and believe in me,
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me,
and none will outlive me. 5
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.
45:21 Tell me! Present the evidence! 6
Let them consult with one another!
Who predicted this in the past?
Who announced it beforehand?
Was it not I, the Lord?
I have no peer, there is no God but me,
a God who vindicates and delivers; 7
there is none but me.
48:14 All of you, gather together and listen!
Who among them 8 announced these things?
The Lord’s ally 9 will carry out his desire against Babylon;
he will exert his power against the Babylonians. 10
1 tn Heb “the former things, look, they have come.”
2 tn Heb “before they sprout up, I cause you to hear.” The pronoun “you” is plural, referring to the people of Israel. In this verse “the former things” are the Lord’s earlier predictive oracles which have come to pass, while “the new things” are predicted events that have not yet begun to take place. “The former things” are earlier events in Israel’s history which God announced beforehand, such as the Exodus (see 43:16-18). “The new things” are the predictions about the servant (42:1-7). and may also include Cyrus’ conquests (41:25-27).
3 tn Heb “and the former things was causing us to hear?”
4 tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
5 tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
6 tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!”; NASB “Declare and set forth your case.” See 41:21.
7 tn Or “a righteous God and deliverer”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “a righteous God and a Savior.”
8 sn This probably refers to the idol gods (see v. 5).
9 tn Or “friend,” or “covenant partner.”
10 tn Heb “and his arm [against] the Babylonians.”
11 tn Or (perhaps) “I am certainly telling you this.” According to BDF §12.3 ἀπ᾿ ἄρτι (ap’ arti) should be read as ἀπαρτί (aparti), meaning “exactly, certainly.”
12 tn Grk “so that you may believe.”
13 tn Grk “that I am.” R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:555) argues for a nonpredicated ἐγώ εἰμι (egw eimi) here, but this is far from certain.
14 tn Grk “That one.”
15 tn Or “will honor me.”
16 tn Or “he will take.”
17 tn The words “what is mine” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
18 tn Or “will announce it to you.”