Isaiah 48

1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the fountain 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.

Listen to these things, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and who went forth from the waters of Judah. You swear by the name of the Lord and you call to mind the God of Israel, but not in truth, and not in justice.

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 have been called from the holy city, and they have been founded upon the God of Israel. The Lord of hosts is his name.

3 I have declared the former things from of old; yea, they went forth out of My mouth, and I announced them; suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

From that time, I announced the former things. They went forth from my mouth, and I have caused them to be heard. I wrought these things suddenly, and they were fulfilled.

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

For I knew that you are stubborn, and that your neck is like an iron sinew, and that your forehead is like brass.

5 Therefore I have declared it to thee from of old; before it came to pass I announced it to thee; lest thou shouldest say: 'Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.'

From that time, I foretold to you. Before these things happened, I revealed them to you, lest you say: “My idols have accomplished these things, and my graven and molten images have commanded them.”

6 Thou hast heard, see, all this; and ye, will ye not declare it? I have announced unto thee new things from this time, even hidden things, which thou hast not known.

See all the things that you have heard. But were you the ones who announced them? From that time, I caused you to hear about new things, and you do not know how these were preserved.

7 They are created now, and not from of old, and before this day thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say: 'Behold, I knew them.'

They are created now, and not in that time. And even before today, you did not hear of them; otherwise, you might 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 deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

You have neither heard, nor known, nor were your ears open in that time. For I knew that you would transgress greatly, and so I called you a transgressor from the womb.

9 For My name's sake will I defer Mine anger, and for My praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

For the sake of my name, I will take the face of my fury far away. And for the sake of my praise, I will bridle you, lest you perish.

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

Behold, I have refined you, but not like silver. I have chosen you for the furnace of poverty.

11 For Mine own sake, for Mine own sake, will I do it; for how should it be profaned? And My glory will I not give to another.

For my sake, for my own sake, I will do it, so that I may not be blasphemed. For 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 whom I call. I am the same, I am the first, and I am the last.

13 Yea, My hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand hath spread out the heavens; when I call unto them, they stand up together.

Also, my hand has founded the earth, and my right hand has measured the heavens. I will call them, and they will stand together.

14 Assemble yourselves, all ye, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? He whom the LORD loveth shall perform His pleasure on Babylon, and show His arm on the Chaldeans.

Gather together, all of you, and listen. Who among them has announced these things? The Lord has loved him; he will do his will with Babylon, and his arm is upon 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 am, I have spoken, and I have called him. I have led him forward, and his way has been straight.

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

Draw near to me, and listen to this. From the beginning, I have not spoken in secret. From the time before it happened, I was there. And now, the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit.

17 Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD thy God, who teacheth thee for thy profit, who leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord, your God, who teaches you beneficial things, who guides you in the way that you walk.

18 Oh that thou wouldest hearken to My commandments! then would thy peace be as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea;

If only you had paid attention to my commandments! Your peace would have been like a river, and your justice would have been like the waves of the sea,

19 Thy seed also would be as the sand, and the offspring of thy body like the grains thereof; his name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before Me.

and your offspring would have been like the sand, and the stock from your loins would have been like its stones. His name would not have passed away, nor would it have been worn away before my face.

20 Go ye forth from Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans; with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye: 'The LORD hath redeemed His servant Jacob.

Depart from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Announce it with a voice of exultation. Cause it to be heard, and carry it even to the ends 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; He cleaved the rock also, and the waters gushed out.'

They did not thirst in the desert, when he led them out. He produced water from the rock for them. For he split the rock, and the waters flowed out.

22 There is no peace, saith the LORD concerning the wicked.

“There is no peace for the impious,” says the Lord.