< Isaiah 48 >

1 Hear all of you this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
"Hear this, house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth out of the waters of Judah; who swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness
2 For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.
(for they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; the LORD of hosts is his name):
3 I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
I have declared the former things from of old; yes, they went forth out of my mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they happened.
4 Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow brass;
Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow bronze;
5 I have even from the beginning declared it to you; before it came to pass I showed it you: lest you should say, Mine idol has done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, has commanded them.
therefore I have declared it to you from of old; before it came to pass I showed it to you; lest you should say, 'My idol has done them, and my engraved image, and my molten image, has commanded them.'
6 You have heard, see all this; and will not all of you declare it? I have showed you new things from this time, even hidden things, and you did not know them.
You have heard it; see all this; and you, will you not declare it? "I have shown you new things from this time, even hidden things, which you have not known.
7 They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when you heard them not; lest you should say, Behold, I knew them.
They are created now, and not from of old; and before this day you did not hear them; lest you should say, 'Look, I knew them.'
8 Yea, you heard not; yea, you knew not; yea, from that time that your ear was not opened: for I knew that you would deal very treacherously, and were called a transgressor from the womb.
Yes, you did not hear; yes, you did not know; yes, from of old your ear was not opened: for I knew that you dealt very treacherously, and was called a transgressor from the womb.
9 For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for you, that I cut you not off.
For my name's sake will I defer my anger, and for my praise will I refrain for you, that I not cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
Look, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
For my own sake, for my own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be profaned? I will not give my glory to another.
12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
"Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel my called: I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
13 Mine hand also has laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand has spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
Yes, my hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand has spread out the heavens: when I call to them, they stand up together.
14 All you, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them has declared these things? The LORD has loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
"Let all of them assemble and hear; who among them has declared these things? He whom the LORD loves shall perform his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him; I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
16 Come all of you near unto me, hear all of you this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, has sent me.
"Come near to me and hear this: "From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I." Now the LORD has sent me, with his Spirit.
17 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD your God which teaches you to profit, which leads you by the way that you should go.
Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go.
18 O that you had hearkened to my commandments! then had your peace been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea:
But would that you had listened to my commandments. Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of your bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
Your descendants would have been as the sand, and the offspring of your body like its grains; his name not be cut off nor destroyed from before me.
20 Go all of you out of Babylon, flee all of you from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare all of you, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say all of you, The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob.
Go forth from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans; with a voice of singing declare, tell this, send it out throughout the earth. Say, 'The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob.'
21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he split the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
22 There is no peace, says the LORD, unto the wicked.
"There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked."

< Isaiah 48 >