Isaiah 48

1 Hear ye this, house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of Jehovah, and make mention of the God of Israel, not in truth, nor in righteousness.

“Hear this, house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and have come out of the waters of Judah. You swear by the LORD’s name, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness—

2 For they are named after the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel: Jehovah of hosts is his name.

for they call themselves citizens of the holy city, and rely on the God of Israel; the LORD of Armies is his name.

3 I have declared the former things long ago; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I caused them to be heard: I wrought suddenly, and they came to pass.

I have declared the former things from of old. Yes, they went out of my mouth, and I revealed them. I did them suddenly, and they happened.

4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass,

Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow bronze;

5 so I have long ago declared [them] to thee; before they came to pass I caused thee to hear [them]; lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, or my molten image hath 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. My engraved image and my molten image has commanded them.’

6 Thou heardest, see all this; — and ye, will not ye declare [it]? I have caused thee to hear new things from this time, and things hidden, and that thou knewest not:

You have heard it. Now see all this. And you, won’t you 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 long ago; and before this day thou hast not heard them, lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.

They are created now, and not from of old. Before today, you didn’t hear them, lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’

8 Yea, thou heardest not, yea, thou knewest not, yea, from of old thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldest ever deal treacherously, and thou wast called a transgressor from the womb.

Yes, you didn’t hear. Yes, you didn’t know. Yes, from of old your ear was not opened, for I knew that you dealt very treacherously, and were called a transgressor from the womb.

9 For my name's sake I will defer mine anger, and [for] my praise will I refrain as to thee, that I cut thee not off.

For my name’s sake, I will defer my anger, and for my praise, I hold it back for you so that I don’t cut you off.

10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver. I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.

11 For mine own sake, for mine own sake, will I do [it]; for how should [my name] be profaned? and I will not give my glory unto another.

For my own sake, for my own sake, I will do it; for how would my name be profaned? I will not give my glory to another.

12 Hearken unto me, Jacob, and [thou] Israel, my called. I [am] HE; I, the first, and I, the last.

“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel my called: I am he. I am the first. I am also the last.

13 Yea, my hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spread abroad the heavens: 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 ye, gather yourselves together, and hear: which among them hath declared these things? He whom Jehovah hath loved shall execute his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm [shall be on] the Chaldeans.

“Assemble yourselves, all of you, and hear! Who among them has declared these things? He whom the LORD loves will do what he likes to Babylon, and his arm will be against the Chaldeans.

15 I, [even] I, have spoken; yea, I have called him; I have brought him, and his way shall be prosperous.

I, even I, have spoken. Yes, I have called him. I have brought him and he shall make his way prosperous.

16 Come near unto me, hear ye this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord Jehovah hath sent me, and his Spirit.

“Come near to me and hear this: “From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it happened, I was there.” Now the Lord GOD has sent me with his Spirit.

17 Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I [am] Jehovah thy God, who teacheth thee for [thy] profit, who leadeth thee in the way that thou shouldest go.

The LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go.

18 Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then would thy peace have been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea;

Oh 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 and thy seed would have been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof: their name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.

Your offspring also would have been as the sand and the descendants of your body like its grains. His name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before me.”

20 Go ye forth from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing; declare, cause this to be heard, utter it to the end of the earth; say ye, Jehovah hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

Leave Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With the sound of joyful shouting announce this, tell it even to the end of 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; yea, he clave the rock, and the waters gushed out.

They didn’t thirst when he led them through the deserts. He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them. He also split the rock and the waters gushed out.

22 There is no peace, saith Jehovah, unto the wicked.

“There is no peace”, says the LORD, “for the wicked.”