Isaiah 43:16-20

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, ¹ 

together with a mighty army.

They fell down, ²  never to rise again;

they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:

43:18 “Don’t remember these earlier events; ³ 

don’t recall these former events.

43:19 “Look, I am about to do something new.

Now it begins to happen! ⁴  Do you not recognize ⁵  it?

Yes, I will make a road in the desert

and paths ⁶  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,

[43:17]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”

[43:18]  ³ tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”

[43:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.”

[43:19]  ⁵ tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.”

[43:19]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew texts has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has נתיבות (“paths”).