Descendents of Jacob,
I, the Lord, created you
And formed your
nation.
Israel, don’t be afraid.
I have rescued you.
I have called you by
name;
now you belong to me.
When you cross deep rivers,
I will be with you, and
you won’t drown.
When you walk through
the fire,
you won’t be burned
or scorched by the
flames.
I am the Lord, your
God,
the Holy One of Israel,
the God who saves you.
I gave up Egypt,
Ethiopia,
And the region of Seba
In exchange for you.
To me, you are very
dear,
And I love you.
That’s why I gave up
nations
And people to rescue you.
Contemporary English Version The Holy Bible (New York , NY: American Bible Society 1995)