And now despite all this, so said the Lord, “...do not fear.”

When you pass through water When you passed through the Reed Sea, I was with you.

and in rivers, they shall not overflow you You dwelt among the Egyptians and the heathens (peoples [: mss.]) numerous as the waters of a river, and they could not prevail against you to destroy you.

when you go amidst fire In the future, “For behold, a sun is coming, burning like an oven” (Malachi 3:19), for I will cause the sun to burn upon the wicked, “and the coming sun shall burn them.” There, too, you shall not be burnt.

a flame which shall burn the heathens ([mss.:] the nations), as it is said (supra 33:12): “And the peoples shall be as the burnings of lime.” That too shall not burn amidst you.

I have given Egypt as your ransom And they were your ransom, for their firstborn died, and you, My firstborn son, although you were deserving of destruction, as it is said in Ezekiel (20:8): “And I thought to pour out My fury upon them...in the land of Egypt.”

and I give I am always accustomed to this.

I will say to the north wind, “Give the exiles who are in the north.”

and to the south which is a strong wind, “Do not refrain from blowing strongly to bring My exiles.” Similarly (Song 4: 16), “Awaken, O north wind, and come, O south wind.” Since the north wind is weak, it needs strengthening. Therefore, it is written, “Awaken,” “Give.” But concerning the south wind which does not need straightening, it is written, “Come,” as it is, and so, “Do not refrain.”

Everyone that is called by My name, and whom I created for My glory All the righteous, who are called by My name and everyone who was made for My glory, I formed him, yea, I made him. fixed him with all that is necessary for him, and I prepared everything. That is to say, that although they experienced exile and trouble, I prepared for them all the necessities of their redemption.

To bring out a blind people Heb. הוֹצִיא, like לְהוֹצִיא to bring out of the exile those who were exiled because they became like blind; although they had eyes, they did not see.

Were all the nations gathered If all the nations (of the peoples [Lublin;]) (of the heathens [Warsaw]; absent in all mss. and in K’li Paz) would gather together, who of them and of their prophets would tell the future, or the like, quoting their pagan Gods, or the first events, that have already passed, would they let us know, saying “We foretold them before they came about”?

Let them present their witnesses who heard that they prophesied concerning them prior to their occurrence, and they shall be deemed just. But I have witnesses, for you are My witnesses that I told Abraham your forefather about the exiles, and they came about.

and My servant Jacob.

whom I chose. He, too, shall testify that I promised him when he went to Mesopotamia, and I kept My promise.

in order that you know I did all this in order that you put your heart to know Me.

I told of the exiles to Abraham.

and I saved to fulfill the word at the time [designated for its] end.

and I made heard to you the first events.

and there was no stranger among you In those days, when I did all these, there did not appear among all of you, among the heathens (the children of the nations [mss., K’li Paz]) a strange God, to show his greatness and his Godliness. ([Other manuscripts read:] And I made My Torah heard to you, and none among you estranged himself from accepting.)

and you are My witnesses that I opened seven heavens for you, and you saw no image.

Even before the day I am He Not only that day was I alone, but even before it became day I am He alone.

I do If I came to do, no one can retract.

Because of you, I sent [you] to Babylon Jonathan paraphrases: Because of your sins I exiled you to Babylon.

and I lowered them all with oars Heb. וְהוֹרַדְתִּי בָרִיחִים. Jonathan renders: And I lowered with oars (בִּמְשׁוֹטִין), all of them. מְשׁוֹטִין denotes the wood that guides the ship and straightens it out.

and Chaldees led you in the ships of their rejoicing. This may also be explained as regards the news of the redemption, as follows: Because of you, I sent I will send the kings of Media to Babylon, and I will lower the Chaldees in ships and oars into exile to the land of Media. And the Chaldees I will lower in ships which their rejoicing was [i.e., the Chaldees would be taken into captivity with the very boats in which they had previously rejoiced].

Who made a way in the sea in the Sea of Reeds, and there I drew the Egyptians out to pursue you, with chariots and horses, and an army and power, and all of them lay together dead on the seashore, not to rise.

they were quenched Jonathan renders: Like flax they dimmed, they were quenched.

Remember not the first events These miracles that I mention to you, that I performed in Egypt do not remember them from now on, for you shall be engaged in this redemption, to thank and to praise.

do not meditate Do not ponder about them; do not pay attention to them.

The beasts of the field shall honor Me The place that is desolate and a habitat of the beasts of the field, for the jackals and for the ostriches.

for I gave water in the desert i.e., in a desolate land I will place a settlement.

This people I formed for Myself so that they recite My praise.

But you did not call Me But you did not call Me in your turning after idolatry.

for you wearied of Me You quickly wearied of My worship.

You did not bring Me the lambs of your burnt offerings but to idolatry.

neither did I overwork you Cause you to do much work with the meal offering; merely a handful would be offered to the Most High, and even that I did not ordain upon you to sacrifice as an obligation but as a free-will offering.

Neither did you purchase cane for Me with money for incense. You did not have to purchase it with money, for it was very common in your land. Said Rabbi Abba: Cinnamon grew in the Land of Israel, and goats and deer would eat of it. In Midrash Eichah (Proem X). ([Some manuscripts read:] Neither did you purchase cane for Me with money for incense, for you failed to offer to Me what you should have, and you were attracted to idolatry.)

But you have burdened Me [lit. you have overworked Me.] You have caused Me to be an attendant to pagans, as Ezekiel envisioned (1:4): “And behold a tempest was coming from the north.” For the chariot of the Shechinah was returning from Babylon, where it had gone to conquer the whole world under the domination of Nebuchadnezzar, lest they say that He delivered His children into the hands of an inferior nation, as is found in Hagigah (13b).

I, yea I I am He Who erased them from time immemorial [lit. from then], and I erase them even now.

for My sake Neither in your merit nor in the merit of your forefathers.

Remind Me all the reward I owe you and your forefathers.

let us stand in judgment [lit. let us be judged together.] Let us come to judgment.

Your first father sinned by saying (Gen. 15:8), “How will I know...?”

and your intercessors transgressed against Me You have none among all the intercessors upon whose merit you rely, in whom I have not found transgression. Isaac loved My enemy [Esau].

And I profane the holy princes because of your iniquities.