Isaiah 43:18-21

43:18 “Don’t remember these earlier events; ¹ 

don’t recall these former events.

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

Now it begins to happen! ²  Do you not recognize ³  it?

Yes, I will make a road in the desert

and paths ⁴  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,

43:21 the people whom I formed for myself,

so they might praise me.” ⁵ 

[43:18]  ¹ tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”

[43:19]  ² tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.”

[43:19]  ³ tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.”

[43:19]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew texts has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has נתיבות (“paths”).

[43:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”